Smart Money

The hot topic on everyone's minds right now is the price of petrol and diesel.  It seems to be impacting the price of just about everything else, and we're staring down the barrel of a major risk of high inflation.  The OCR remains steady for now, but it's only a matter of time before interest rates are on the up once again.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Prices are going up.  Food prices are up, and will keep going up alongside fuel. Practically any goods that travel by land air or ocean to get to you will become increasingly unaffordable for the foreseeable future.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions are high for everyone right now, and I know most people will either be nervously checking their KiwiSaver balance on the daily, or completely ignoring it until things calm down a bit.  The most repeated advice advisors will be giving right now is to simply ignore your balance for the time being - that by the time the first bomb dropped, it was too late to change anything. But is that...

From April 1st, the KiwiSaver minimum default contribution rate will move up to 3.5%.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all found ourselves day dreaming about where we'd spend a big Lotto win at one point or another.  Realistically, many of us will come into a major windfall - but it's likely to come in the form of a bonus at work, or an inheritance.  Is it okay to buy a new car and go on holiday? Or should we invest it all?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethical investing seems to be a hot topic when it comes to choosing an investment fund or KiwiSaver provider.  I've often heard providers boast that their fund is ethical - they avoid weapons manufacturers, focus on renewable and sustainable energy - you won't feel a possible sense of guilt around where your money is going.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

We've started to see spots of what looks to be recovery in our economy over recent months.  It's not consistent, but it's frequent enough to give us some hope for the year to come.  Westpac is picking a whole lot of OCR hikes from the end of this year, and other forecasts seem to set a similar scene - a better economy is coming, and rates will have to reflect that when the time comes.&nb...

Growing older is expensive - much more expensive than most people realise.  When you or a loved one either decides to move into aged care or is forced to do so, the Ministry of Social Development will quickly swoop in to flip through all their finances.  Any assets, gifted funds, trusts, even living rent free - it's all looked at and impacts their chances of government-subsidised care.&n...

Relationships cost money.  It's not just about date nights at expensive restaurants, fancy shoes, or a new watch for Valentine's Day.  It's moving in together, splitting the power bill, signing on to the rent. At what point in the relationship should you join your finances, and how should you go about it?  Then there's the other side of the relationship - the part no one tends to pl...

As you get older, your health becomes more and more of a worry, so life insurance seems like a no-brainer. But is it? Do you really need it after the mortgage is paid and the kids are on their own? And what policies are must-haves, against ones that are just nice to have?  Financial Author Martin Hawes joins Tim Beveridge to give his insurance advice and explain the pros and cons of different...

Confidence in New Zealand's rural sector has really started recovering over the past year or so.  Stabilising interest rates, great dairy results, and promising meat exports have formed a foundation for what will hopefully be a successful 2026.  Confidence dropped slightly in the last quarter of last year, but it's still much higher than it has been over previous years.  LISTEN ABOV...

Often trust have been seen to be province of the uber wealthy. But are they? And often people don't think about this issue until it is too late So when should we think about these issues - our family. inheritances and what's gonna happen to our money when we aren't around to look after it? Managing Director for New Zealand Family Trust Services Limited Janet Xuccoa joins Tim Beveridge to give her...

Last week the Reserve Bank dropped the OCR 25 basis points to 2.25%, but their tone was a bit more hawkish than usual.  Some analysts are thinking it's a signal that rates have gone as low as the RBNZ is willing to drop them - and the new Governor may be wanting to turn a new leaf in 2026.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We got another OCR cut this week - now down to 2.25% - the lowest it's been since June of 2022.  That was the last one for the year, so a lot of us mortgage holders are trying to figure out whether things are slowing down, and if it's time to fix for a longer term this time around.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queues at budgeting services are getting longer, and financial advisors are finding households with increasing incomes are seeking help.  Kiwis with a household income of over $200,000 a year and likely with a mortgage are struggling to make ends meet.  It feels like it was only a few years ago that being on a six figure salary meant you were fairly well off, but it seems it's barely eno...

Most of us have spent the past few days daydreaming about what we would spend $55 million on.  Pay off the mortgage, book a holiday, send some off to charity, throw the rest in a term deposit. Three lucky punters each one a share of the jackpot last night - $18.3 million each.  Not many of us will have the chance to come across tens of millions in our lives, but most of us will at some p...

The Reserve Bank shocked a lot of us last month when it cut the OCR by 50 basis points down to 2.5%. Analysts have said that the RBNZ was reading the room and giving kiwis a much needed breather after years of high rates.  Early signs are showing it's starting to have an effect - with the GDP estimate for the September quarter pointing to 0.6% growth and many banks forecasting an optimistic r...

Dame Noeline Taurua was stood down as the coach of the Silver Ferns in September due to 'significant issues' in the team. After many public statements and interviews, she was reinstated at the end of last month.  Netball NZ, her employer, remained just vague enough that the public could allow their imaginations to run wild about what had happened.  Andrew Bayly, MP for Port Waikato, resi...

Trusts are hardly mentioned outside of when wealth tax is in the news, or when someone mentions their accountant told them to get one. One side of the political aisle seems to have a good list of reasons as to why someone would need a trust, while the other side seems to be convinced that essentially the only reason anyone would have one would be to hide assets.  So what is the real purpose o...

An interesting report came out this week about budgets: the average household spending has only gone up two dollars a week since 2023. 50-percent of respondents said they're actively seeking out discounts and promotions - and 30-percent downgrade brands. It's one thing to be spending less on non-essentials, eating less, or wearing cheaper clothes, but sometimes that can chip away at our mental hea...

A new governor has been appointed for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - all the way from Sweden.  Dr Anna Breman has already received criticism from economists who find themselves concerned that someone with such little knowledge of the New Zealand economy will hold such a high stakes position.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy had a worse than expected drop in the June quarter, shrinking 0.9%.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has blamed it on global turmoil, but the Reserve Bank of New Zealand says there's a need to provide more stimulus to the economy by cutting the OCR.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters announced plans to campaign for compulsory KiwiSaver at the next election, and increase the minimum contribution from 4% to 12%.  He said there would be tax cuts alongside these changes to help fund the increase in contributions.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are two different types of employees - one who stays low profile, gets what they need to get done, done, and goes home.  Then there's the other, who complains about anything they feel inconveniences them. Is it true that the squeaky wheel get the grease? Or is this a great way to get yourself ruled out when it comes to opportunities and promotions?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

It's no secret that the cost of living has gone a bit crazy these past few years, but insurance seems to be one of the hardest hit. Insurance prices have increased 900% since 2000 - almost triple the increase of tobacco products.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.