The SME Stream

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon plans to start lifting the pension age if National get back into government after the coming election. Bipartisan support will most likely be needed to make this happen as parties, like NZ First, are staunchly against the reform. "Please do not attack grandmother and grandmother's savings to try and disguise for a brief time your economic incompetence," Winston Pet...

Independent Economist and Property Commentator Tony Alexander regularly surveys real estate agents.  His latest survey found that 44% feel prices are falling in the area, 51% see fewer people that open homes, and 50% are seeing fewer investors. Alexander contributes this to a number of reasons including global conflict and job instability, but first-home buyers are remaining st...

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government has confirmed it plans to investigate the City Rail Link project, after reports revealed it could have cost $2 billion less. Do we think this review is needed? Is it time to lift the Super age from 65? Anot...

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, the unexpected surprise in the unemployment rate, the overseas agreement hoping to stabilise our fuel stocks, plus...

The Finance Minister says the Government's going to have to do something about Superannuation.   An OECD report warns if current policy settings continue, we could be spending 5% more of our GDP on health, long-term care, and pensions by 2060.  Minister Nicola Willis says the cost for superannuation is going up billions of dollars, while there are fewer workers for every pensioner. &nbsp...

The cost of computer components has shot up, and there's concerns about what it could mean for the tech sector. The shortage of memory chips has prompted tech investors to worry about what this could mean for the market. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's treading water, with a warning our increasingly overloaded pension system isn't sustainable. The latest OECD snapshot of our economy suggests unless we adjust systems, including the costs of health, long-term care and pension will increase by about five percent of GDP by 2060. It says it could be countered by changes including upping Superannuation contributions.  Economist Came...

The rise in AI has seen demand for professionally written CVs in a bid to stand out against algorithms. Experts say while AI can be useful to screen hundreds of applicants faster, it's created a transparency gap between employers and jobseekers. CVs by Sarah director Sarah Wrightson says the screening software rules out applicants before a human gets a chance to look at their CVs, and it results i...

Market research has long been a privilege of the big end of town. Got $50,000 and six weeks to spare? Great, you can know what your customers think. Everyone else? Good luck. That model is being dismantled, and a New Zealand startup is doing some of the dismantling. In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, I sat down with James Donald, CEO of Auckland-based Ideally, fresh from closing a $16...

Welcome to the first episode of The Economy of Everything, with thanks to CMC Markets. To kick things off, our hosts Tamsyn Parker and Liam Dann tackle the cost of living crisis, what's happening with markets as the Middle East war kicks back into gear, and the significance of today's unemployment data release.    The Economy of Everything is brought to you by NZ Herald in partnership wi...

The Icehouse is celebrating 25 years of powering Kiwi business growth.  They’re a non-profit dedicated to training and mentoring the small to medium enterprises that make up 97% of New Zealand’s economy.  And today is their Ignite Growth Summit, in which they bring together legendary founders who have gone from the garage to the global stage to inspire the next wave of busine...

The PM, hot off signing the ‘Fuel for Food’ deal with Singapore, also ponders local body reform and the prospect of a Grand Coalition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new test case for the standards of political neutrality expected in the public service. Craig Stobo has resigned as chair of the Financial Markets Authority, after an investigation found he'd voiced too many political views for someone in an apolitical public sector role. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Fonterra’s Chief Operating Officer reviews last night’s 1.5% lift in the GDT auction, a steady performance and largely in line with expectations. The welcomed improvements in SMP and WMP may have been expected an auction or two earlier, but better late than never. WMP 2.2%, SMP 3%, AMF 1.1%, Butter -2.6%, BMP 9% and Cheese -3.6%. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes the Iran war won't bring a big bump in unemployment. Stats NZ data shows the rate reached 5.3 percent in the March quarter, down from 5.4 percent in the three months to December. Infometrics expect it'll rise again throughout 2026. Principal Economist, Brad Olsen, says they're not expecting any mass firings. "It's more that those hiring intentions are likely to be more subdued - i.e....

A major bank believes unemployment will remain fairly flat this year, rather than anything catastrophic. The national rate dipped slightly to 5.3 percent in the first three months of this year. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge says he's not overly pessimistic about the next couple of quarters. But he cautions the next few months are really the danger zone as businesses hunker down...

New Zealand businesses are running on fumes, with cash reserves dwindling amid surging fuel prices and KiwiSaver costs... all while the full shockwave hasn't fully hit yet. Economist and publisher of The Kākā, Bernard Hickey, joins us to explain why the fuel crisis reality is only dawning, the supply chain pain ahead, and what it means for New Zealand's economy.  He also answers the question...

Simpson Grierson's Coporate Partner Anastasiya Gamble on how the Modern Slavery Bill will impact businesses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former trade commissioner to Singapore Ziena Jalil says the Singapore trade deal has been in the works for a long time See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis struggling to find work aren't alone in it. Stats NZ data due out this morning is expected to show unemployment's remained steady or risen slightly in the first three months of this year.  It was already at a near-decade high in the previous quarter.  ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking the jobs being created don't seem to be keeping pace with the number of people mo...

Garth Bray joins the show with the latest in business thanks to Forsyth Barr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're spending more on fuel, crowding out most other areas.   ANZ card data from April shows spending at the pump jumped 0.9% on top of March's 20% hike shortly after the Iran war began.   Spending on retail, public transport, car dealerships, and the normally recession-proof health and beauty sector all took a hit.   There was an unusually large drop at supermarkets too – 1.4...

Finding a job remains tough, and the surge in fuel prices could make it even tougher. Stats NZ is confirming the unemployment rate for the March quarter this morning.  BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones shares his thoughts with Ryan.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s unemployment rate is expected to hold steady - at least on paper - when new data is released this week.  But beneath that headline number, economists are warning the labour market may already be weakening, just as global tensions and an oil shock begin to bite.  There are also growing concerns about something called ‘stagflation’... whe...

Feeling overwhelmed by all the business options out there? In this episode I break down the three business models beginners should avoid and the three that actually get results fast, based on my own journey building multiple seven figure businesses and coaching thousands of students worldwide. If you have been thinking about dropshipping, crypto or MLMs, you are going to want to hear this first....