Economy Watch

The Government could run a second retirement income scheme alongside NZ Superannuation as part of a transition to a new system, but according to Andrew Coleman, this couldn't be done without an increase in taxes on older people, or more general tax increases. Fresh from his 13 part interest.co.nz series on NZ's government retirement income system and associated taxes, Coleman spoke to myself and T...

Kia ora, Welcome to Friday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news China is wrestling with how to respond to its slowdown, with the measures announced so far causing volatility. But, first up today, and as expected, the American CPI inflation...

Kia ora, Welcome to Thursday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news commodity prices go into reverse as the Chinese post-holiday rally stumbles after only a brief shine. It is an ominous sign. But first in the US there was a sharp fall in mo...

Kia ora, Welcome to Wednesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news China has not announced the new stimulus that investors were expecting, rather just re-hashing existing measures. Equity and commodity markets reacted negatively to the dis...

Kia ora, Welcome to Tuesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news of powerful forces at work in both the US and China. All eyes today will be on the opening of the Shanghai equity markets after their week-long holiday. Many think outsized g...

Kia ora, Welcome to Monday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news the world's economy is expanding in most places despite some 'hot' pressures. The week ahead will crescendo on Wednesday with the RBNZ Monetary Policy Review and OCR decision....

Kia ora, Welcome to Friday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with global economic attention should have shifted to tomorrow's labour market report for September, but the US waterfront strike, and the Middle East tensions has sidelined it. However...

Kia ora, Welcome to Thursday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news Hong Kong is gripped by an unusual stock market frenzy, up +6.6% on the day. But first, US mortgage applications fell slightly last week after the best two consecutive weeks...

Kia ora, Welcome to Wednesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news of an expansion and the inevitable retaliations in the Israel/Gaza/Lebanon/Yemen flashpoints are now having an impact on global oil prices. It is also casting a pall over g...

New Zealanders should be grateful insurance companies remain committed to New Zealand given the country's risk exposure, John Lyon of Ando Insurance says. In the latest episode of the Of Interest podcast  I asked Lyon how well general insurers are serving New Zealanders, how competitive the market is, and how the public should judge strong financial results from their insurers. As well as being CE...

Kia ora, Welcome to Tuesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news we are into Q4 now and it is starting out modestly in most places, despite an eye-popping rise on the Shanghai stock exchange. First in the US, the Chicago PMI improved margi...

Kia ora, Welcome to Monday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead all eyes are on some well-signaled and massive fiscal stimulus due for release in China. When it is announced, it will overshadow everything else. But this week will also feature a wide...

Kia ora, Welcome to Friday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead China is trying to get back on track to keep up with the US economically. First in the US, the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits fell again last week and by more than e...

Kia ora, Welcome to Thursday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with of a settling of the global economy after some big announcements by China. So far, little seems to have changed, other than investors now think they can't lose with Chinese equit...

Kia ora, Welcome to Wednesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news of some major emergency moves in China to reinvigorate their economy. But first, there was a good GDT Pulse auction result earlier this morning, although the reverse of wha...

Milford Asset Management’s head of KiwiSaver says KiwiSaver – the country’s voluntary retirement savings scheme which is in its 17th year – is a teenager that’s about to head into adulthood. “I think it's the right time to have the discussions we were having at the [Financial Services Council] Conference. By and large, providers are pretty well aligned around how we can improve KiwiSaver and make...

Kia ora, Welcome to Tuesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news the global expansion seems to be getting more uneven. In the US, the good economic data keeps on coming. They reported a healthy PMI expansion in September, driven primarily...

Kia ora, Welcome to Monday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news a risk-on shift will start the week in most major economies. As we wind down September this week here, into both school holidays upcoming and daylight saving on the weekend, t...

Kia ora, Welcome to Friday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news stock markets are roaring today after the US Fed rate cut, many, including Wall Street, powering up to record highs. And interest rate curves are steepening. But first, the ac...

Kia ora, Welcome to Thursday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news of a big call by the US Federal Reserve. First up you should know that the US Fed cut its benchmark policy rates by -50 bps, to the 4.75%-5.00% range, a larger cut that most...

Kia ora, Welcome to Wednesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news we are in the shadow of tomorrows US Fed rate decision. There almost certainly will be a rate cut, but the size of it is still in doubt. Place your bets. Meanwhile, today's...

Kia ora, Welcome to Tuesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news financial markets are now expecting a -50 bps rate cut from the US Fed later in the week. But first up in the US, the next regional factory survey came in surprisingly strong...

Kia ora, Welcome to Monday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news the world's second-largest economy is having trouble convincing anyone it is under control. This coming week it will be all about the US Fed rate decisions, and the size of th...

Kia ora, Welcome to Friday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news it is Friday the 13th, so don't expect too much from the day. The actual number of American jobless claims last week were +178,000, a one year low, taking the total number of...

Kia ora, Welcome to Thursday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news inflation is easing in the world's largest economy. First up today, the American August CPI inflation rate slowed for a 5th consecutive month to 2.5%, its lowest since Febru...