The SME Stream

Revenue Minister Simon Watts this month unveiled plans to change the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) regime to give some foreigners with illiquid investments offshore an additional, possibly more advantageous, way of paying tax. He said the Government would also consider exempting more Kiwis from the FIF rules, which incentivise domestic investment, but can be an administrative nightmare. NZ Herald...

New data shows a significant number of Kiwis are working past the retirement age. A new report from Stats NZ shows there are almost 200,000 New Zealanders aged 65 or older that are still in the workforce. This research also reveals at least 1200 Kiwis in their 90's are still working. Financial adviser Martin Hawes says many of these people will need the extra money - and plenty are just used to wo...

New research shows investors looking for the best returns might be better off putting money into whisky or Lego, as opposed to the share market.  University of Auckland finance lecturer Gertjan Verdickt has released new research into alternative investments, including Lego, instruments, classic cars, wine, whisky and baseball cards. Verdickt says there's value in adding an additional componen...

A leading Australian economist says more focus needs to be put on productivity to pull Australia out of a deficit.  The federal Budget announced yesterday included tax cuts and cost of living relief for households.  HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham told Mike Hosking with big spending measures announced in the lead up to the election, deficits to the tens of billions are forecast for yea...

Export prices are sitting in a strong position - with cherries seeing a surge in overseas demand. New data shows cherry exports over the 2024/25 season reached 5.07m kg, up 33 percent from the prior season. Infometrics Principal Economist unpacked this data further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advic...

A blow for Kiwi business confidence, which has slumped to its lowest level since the post-2020 Covid lockdown lows.  The Westpac-McDermott Miller index shows despite the weaker overall result, confidence has only fallen in four of 11 regions.  That includes the biggest job market -- Auckland -- which dominated the national average.  CV.co.nz Managing Director, Tom O'Neil told Andrew...

June 2026 is not far off.  In fact, it's next year and next year is election year.  By that time, it is being reported, the interest on our national debt will be $11b.  Do you see how this works?  Not long ago the warnings were issued that it might reach $10b and at the time, it was pointed out that that is multiple times more than the Police budget.  That's just in intere...

 [VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]  Swiss investment bank UBS’ trading floor in Sydney turns over A$3 billion a day, making for a high pressure environment. This is the first time anyone has been allowed to film it in action. The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in th...

A tax expert says achieving a fair tax system is hard, but not impossible.  A UN committee is calling on governments to check their tax policies are being applied proportionally to wealthier individuals.  It says regressive and ineffective policies could disproportionately affect low-income households, women, and disadvantaged groups.  Denton Tax Partner Bruce Bernacchi told Kerre W...

Is there any such thing as a completely fair tax system?   Surely the most you can hope for is a least unfair tax system. I ask this because a UN report is calling for countries to check taxes are being applied proportionally to the wealthiest individuals, and questioning the fairness of GST. The UN Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said a tax policy that maintains a low pers...

A tax expert says changes to the tax system must not stand in the way of economic growth.  A UN committee is calling on countries to ensure tax policies are being applied proportionally to the wealthier individuals.  It says regressive and ineffective policies can disproportionately affect already disadvantaged groups.  But PWC partner Sandy Lau told Andrew Dickens while fairness is...

The global economy has gone through an interesting few months - and it's got markets worried. Trade concerns are impacting markets all over the world, especially the US.  Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the p...

While the economy is looking up, the forecasts from economists aren't sending a clear message.  Some are saying that even with a positive GDP result this week, we still have tough times ahead - while others say the state of global economics is an opportunity for growth in New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financ...

March 31st marks the end of the financial year, and while that doesn’t mean much for the average employee, it does mean that you are probably due for a pay review.   Salaries are a big topic of discussion right now – specifically, how salaries in New Zealand compare to those overseas, with so many Kiwis leaving the country.   So if you are booked in for a pay review...

Donald Trump is hinting that China’s President Xi Jingping might be visiting the United States soon. This comes as the two nations are deep into a trade war.  Asia Business Correspondent Peter Lewis talks to Ryan Bridge about the potential meeting, why there's good news for exporters, and Kiribati’s deep-sea mining deal with China.   LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the&nbsp...

New Zealand's out of recession, but many Kiwis could take a while to feel better off.  Our economy grew by 0.7% in the December quarter – surpassing all economists' expectations.  But unemployment's expected to keep rising this year, and many households are still doing it tough.  Council of Trade Unions Economist Craig Renney told Francesca Rudkin that confidence in the New Ze...

Buying shares at the bottom of the market isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Instead, Ed McKnight offers a few ideas on what to do instead.  LISTEN ABOVE  The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is no...

Negotiations on a free trade deal with India have been launched.  Representatives across defence, tourism, and trade are home after travelling with the Prime Minister's delegation.   New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Chief Executive Peter Chrisp told Mike Hosking there's good-will on both sides to make it work.  He says there's was considerable warmth and engagement between the Pri...

While I was away tramping all over the top of the Coromandel Peninsula, we had some good and bad news.  GDP came out better than we expected with a rise of 0.7% in the fourth quarter, which should signal the start of green shoots and recovery and confidence.   But at the same time, the consumer confidence figure came out and it was the worst we’ve seen since the 90s.   And the...

In this bonus episode of  The SME Stream , brought to you by BNZ, host Wilhelmina Shrimpton sits down with Jody Blackford a BNZ Small Business Partner and Sarah Lindsay, owner and founder of the Auckland based pilates and yoga studio Sala to discuss finance and capital management, offering expert insights on building your business from the ground up. The podcasts in the SME Stream c...

 [VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]  Pacific Equity Partners went on an A$5 billion business buying spree before Christmas. Its managing director explains the big opportunity ahead for private equity firms, from corporate carve-outs to sovereign wealth funds. The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. A...

A big bounce back for our economy, despite many sectors still doing it tough. New Zealand's officially out of technical recession, with new GDP figures showing our economy grew 0.7% between October and December. Economists had predicted a growth rate of just 0.3-to-0.5%. NZ Herald Business Editor Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham while some areas still look gloomy, the bounce back from tourism and agri...

The Finance and Growth Minister is confident the economic turnaround will continue.  Latest figures show we're officially out of recession, after our economy grew 0.7% between October and December.  Nicola Willis says we're going to continue to see growth in tourism and agriculture exports.  She told Mike Hosking households should also be getting more disposable income as they switc...

New Zealand's out of recession, but many Kiwis could take a while to feel better off.  Our economy grew by 0.7% in the December quarter – surpassing all economists' expectations.  But unemployment's expected to keep rising this year, and many households are still doing it tough.  Council of Trade Unions Economist Craig Renney told Francesca Rudkin that confidence in the New Ze...

New Zealand has climbed out of a recession as the economy grew 0.7% in the December quarter.  The outcome was better than economists predicted and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is pleased with the results.  What are the chances of the number being revised down again later?  New Zealand Herald Business Editor Liam Dann answers all the important questions with Tim Beveridge.  LI...