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More Kiwis than ever are in debt to the IRD, and one expert has a theory about why it's gotten so bad.  As of March this year, more than half-a-million people had debt to Inland Revenue, and overall tax debt sat at $9.4 billion, of which Inland Revenue said 62 percent, or $5.9 billion, was collectable. Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand lead, John Cuthbertson, says there's been a sig...

Over in Australia, the Reserve Bank has moved to keep the official cash rate in place at 4.35 percent. The result was widely expected by economists and money markets, despite inflation remaining above the RBA’s 2-3 percent target range in the June quarter. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says there's evidence that the Australian economy is slowing down, which is helping put downward pressu...

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More people are starting businesses, despite tough economic conditions.  Data shows there's been more than 62 thousand companies incorporated in the year to July, the highest number since 2021.  That's despite latest Companies Office data finds liquidations have surged – rising more than 70% in the past three years.  First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mi...

Labour says small businesses are our economy's engine room, as the party launches a new election policy in Rotorua. It's campaigning on a $2 million annual fund to help smaller businesses adopt AI tools. It would also go into topping up an advisory group to help with AI use, and boosting mentoring and support. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses want to adapt to this new technology, and the...

EPISODE 112: Vanya Insull started VJ Cooks in 2016 with a Facebook page sharing videos of what she was cooking for her own family. Ten years later, it's a website with 800+ recipes, a meal planning app ( CookPlan ), three cookbooks (with a fourth on the way), and a social media following approaching a million people. 🍴 In this episode, Vanya takes us through the whole journey, from those first Fa...

What happens when organisations genuinely listen to their people and act on what they hear? In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Maria Coupland, General Manager People & Culture at Finance Now, to explore employee experience, leadership, culture, and the commercial realities of building high-performing workplaces. Drawing on experience across multiple industries and count...

Nicola Willis says the National's new proposed increase to the fuel tax, the new bed tax and the possible bank levy aren't new information. A Taxpayers' Union Curia Issue poll shows 76 percent of National supporters want the party to promise no new taxes or tax increases. The party yesterday outlined a promise for fiscal responsibility - including a commitment to lower the debt to GDP ratio and to...

Property markets always favour either the buyer or the seller - someone's gonna get more out of it.  It's hard to know what move to make in the property market, and even harder to know when. Harcourts Managing Director Martin Cooper joins Tim Beveridge to answer your questions about the property market, and how to know when to buy, sell or hold. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

The Cost of Living Crisis has driven a lot of Kiwis to look for financial advice, and many turn to AI over a financial advisor. But is AI really that reliable as a source of financial advice? And investing in AI seems to be the thing to do at the moment, is it somethng you should be getting in to or watching with caution? Money Coach Amanda Morrall joins Tim Beveridge on Smart Money to discuss.&nb...

You are intelligent. You know what to do… so why can’t you make yourself do it? In this episode I explore why weight loss and business burnout have far less to do with motivation than most people believe. I sat down with Brittany McNabb from Mind, Body, Britt - who lost over 40kg, built a successful personal training business and now helps thousands of women transform not only their b...

Buying or selling a house is a complicated and often confusing process that real estate agents are smack in the middle of, and stand to benefit from.  So what should we share when dealing with an agent, and what should we keep close to our chest? Barfoot & Thompson real estate agent Ryan Harding joins Nadine Higgins to explain what you need to consider as a vendor or a buyer, the things a...

Talking about money and finances can be incredibly difficult, and often boring, especially for women. It's hard to get the conversation started even among friends, which can lead you to feeling lost and hopeless.  That's where Victoria Harris comes in. Victoria co-founded the financial education platform The Curve, with the goal of using her experience from working in the finance world to edu...

National's promising to stick to three spending guardrails if it returns to Government, and is calling on other parties to follow suit.  The party's promising a return to surplus in 2028/29  - and bending debt below 40 percent of GDP.  It's also promising to reduce the size of Government, bringing spending to 30 percent of GDP.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined the Weekend...

National's brushing off concerns it has a reputational problem over debt - as it lays out new fiscal responsibility rules. The party's promising a surplus by 2028/29 and Government spending below 30% of GDP - while ruling out new taxes on working people and small businesses. Leader Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that there's a choice between austerity and stimulation, but he believes it's years of...

Labour says there's nothing new in National's budget responsibility rules. National's Nicola Willis unveiled the details today - promising a surplus by 2028/29 and reducing Government spending to 30 percent of GDP.  Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds says this is part of their current fiscal strategy. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markets fluctuate, which can make investment a tricky business.  Property may seem like a guaranteed investment, but according to Ed McKnight, the number one mistake people make is assuming past returns guarantee future performance.  He joined Jack Tame to dig into the details to try keep listeners from making this mistake.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

National's under pressure to come clean on what new taxes it could be considering. The party's unveiled its budget responsibility rules, promising to deliver a surplus and rein in spending. But finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis has only ruled out higher taxes on working people, leaving the door open to other tax increases. Former Finance Minister Steve Joyce told Mike Hosking that bed and fuel tax...

National's push for tighter control of the books is being welcomed - but questions are being raised over what's actually new. Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis yesterday unveiled National's fiscal strategy - promising a surplus by 2028/29 and Government spending below 30 percent of GDP.  But independent tax expert Geof Nightingale told Ryan Bridge National has made these same commitments bef...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week,  Unemployment reaches new heights but is it downhill from here? Kiwi debt levels are finally decreasing and t...

Christopher Luxon says he supports having another referendum on the MMP voting system if he’s re-elected as he encourages greater support for National so the party can avoid working with “some yahoo and numpty” in Cabinet. Act leader David Seymour says he’s not opposed to another referendum but suggests Luxon “may not have thought through what he’s saying”...

Revenue's soaring for Elon Musk's spacecraft company SpaceX - but so is spending. It's published its first earnings report as a public company. SpaceX says its revenue's grown 92 percent compared to a year ago, bringing it to $7.8 billion. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says its new election policy aimed at small businesses is about making life a little easier. If it gets into power, the Labour will raise the GST threshold, lift asset write-offs and require big businesses to pay up faster. It would axe the current Government's Investment Boost, which lets businesses deduct 20 percent of the cost of a new asset. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses sh...

Meta, Google and Microsoft - to pay 2.5% of their advertising revenue to Aus media companies. Tech with 2degrees. Peter Griffin The Business of Tech. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.