The SME Stream

Christopher Luxon remains hopeful the latest cut in the OCR isn't the last.  The Reserve Bank's dropped the Official Cash Rate 25 basis points to 3.25%, and is now forecasting it will reach a low of 2.9 percent in December.  But the Monetary Policy Committee wasn't able to reach a unanimous decision to cut the cash rate.  The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking Acting Governor Christia...

Labour's yet to rule potential coalition partners in or out.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is refusing to work with Chris Hipkins next election, but has not entirely ruled Labour out.  On social media, Peters posted a Government of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori would be a "circus" and a "radical woke show".  Hipkins told John MacDonald that they actually ruled out...

Don't bank on further cuts to the Official Cash Rate.  The Reserve Bank's dropped the OCR 25 basis points to 3.25%, and is now forecasting it could reach a low of 2.9% by the end of the year.  But Governor Christian Hawkesby says further cuts aren't guaranteed.  He told Mike Hosking they're taking things one step at a time, as they wait to see how global developments affect the econ...

The Reserve Bank delivered their quarterly update on the OCR - but there was a hawkish undertone this time round, according to experts. The central bank cut the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent, in line with expectations from economists. Despite this,  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny noted there were some concerns about the economic future. LISTEN AB...

The Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent. The markets had already priced a rates cut in - but there was some uncertainty emerging after the announcement took place.  Milford Asset Management's Remy Morgan explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice...

The 2025 Budget has come and gone, but the Finance Minister has confirmed raising the superannuation age was still on National’s radar after they campaigned on it in the last election. She's explained it was not on their mandates or the coalition agreement - but changes need to be phased in. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen weighed in on the ongoing debate. LISTEN ABOVE The podcast...

The Police Minister is attempting to clarify the meaning of a memo to staff on lower-value retail crime cases. The nation-wide directive told staff not to investigate shoplifting worth less than $500 dollars - and less significant petrol, online and retail theft.  Mark Mitchell says that's not explicitly what the memo intended. He's promised police will respond to crime, and says the directiv...

BNZ's the latest bank to drop its home loan rates, anticipating a change to the Official Cash Rate this afternoon.   The Reserve Bank's expected to cut the OCR 25 basis point to 3.25%.  Already BNZ's cut its fixed rates to as low as 4.89%, and its standard variable rate to 6.44%.   BNZ chief economist Mike Jones told Mike Hosking today's decision should indicate the Reserve Bank's g...

All eyes will be on the Reserve Bank tomorrow afternoon, when stand-in Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby delivers the bank's latest monetary policy statement. A 25 basis point cut to the OCR to 3.25 percent is taken as a given - but experts are wondering what the future path of interest rates will look like. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in t...

Georgia welcomes Margo Flanagan , one of the sisters of Two Raw Sisters for a real and raw chat! Grab your  Suntory Boss Coffee - It's brewed hot, chilled fast and perfect for an on-the-go podcast listen. In this inspiring episode of Bored to Boss , Georgia Patten sits down with Margo, half of the powerhouse sister duo Margo and Rosa Flanagan . They are the founders of the plant-based fo...

Nicola Willis says National still hasn't decided on its superannuation policy ahead of next year's election. The Finance Minister says keeping eligibility at 65 is increasingly expensive - and Prime Minister Luxon has expressed interest in making changes. Willis says discussions will need to take place about the matter as a caucus. "What that will look like will be different from the last election...

The Police Minister is reassuring retailers officers will still turn up to reports of shoplifting.  RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate retail crime below $500 and online fraud below $1000.   Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV.  However, Mark Mitchell told Kerre Woodham every crime deserves a response. ...

Police say they can't get to all retail crime - after revelations revealed they won't investigate some lower-level crimes.  RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate shoplifting below $500 dollars and online fraud below $1000 dollars.  Police say they may not take a further look into crime below the threshold - and lacking evidence.  Superintendent Blair Macdonald says...

Retailers are seeking clarity on a Police directive on shoplifting.  RNZ reports police staff have been told to not investigate allegations of theft below $500.   Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV.  Chair of the Ministry of Justice's Retail Crime Advisory Group Sunny Kaushal told Mike Hosking retailers are concerned.  He...

On Friday, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on the EU from June 1 due to slow progress on discussion. He also threatened to put a 25 percent tariff on Apple (-3%) and other device makers if they don’t start moving production to the US. Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed how the markets responded. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the S...

Infometrics' Principal Economist says the Government's not entirely ignoring the lack of budget funding allocated for lifting KiwiSaver employer contributions.  The Greens say the Government hasn't accounted for the cost to public services, which could cost more than $700 hundred million.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says that's being worked on - and will be in next year's Budget.&nbs...

It is suggested Peter Dutton in Australia lost the election because of his nuclear issue and work from home policies. I personally think he lost because they ran a hopeless campaign. But it is more than possible that he floated a couple of ideas that the voter simply could not stomach. I am wondering if Chris Luxon is heading in a similar direction here with superannuation. Nuclear makes sense. Wo...

The Government is increasing the default KiwiSaver contributions for employees and employers, while halving their own contributions.  Employee and employer contributions will raise from 3% to 3.5%, while the Government's contributions will drop from $521.43 to $260.72. But should the Government be halving their input? LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general...

Data shows New Zealand could be losing out on foreign capital with uncertainty around residential property rules for overseas buyers.  So what are the drawbacks to loosening property restrictions and opening borders?  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcas...

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Brad Olsen and Wilhelmina Shrimpton to discuss changes to Kiwisaver and Jobseeker benefits from the budget.  Suspension of Te Pati Maori MPs being deferred, Trump's chat to Ramaphosa, proposed EU tariffs, Smith & Caughey's closing and more! LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not fi...

The Government has unveiled the latest Budget, and it is full of things that are likely to affect your back pocket in one way or another – with changes to KiwiSaver, Best Start, JobSeeker benefits, and Working for Families.  If all the headlines sent you a bit cross eyed, don’t worry - today we’re going to step you through the detail so you know what you’re dealing wit...

Today Megan Woods and Matt Doocey joined John MacDonald following the release of the budget. They discussed the key aspects of it including changes to KiwiSaver, will there be an announcement on the retirement as it sound like Matt is hinting towards? Should parents really support 18 and 19 year olds if they aren't working? And what is in the budget for Canterbury? LISTEN ABOVE.  The podcasts...

The Budget didn't bring any changes to the pension - but Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has doubled down on his support for raising the age.  Luxon and his soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, are on the same page when it comes to raising the pension age to 67, but Seymour says Winston Peters is standing in the way of changes.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME ...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis talks to Mike Hosking about the week's big issues after the budget announcement last week.  Health New Zealand's aiming to perform more than 30-thousand elective surgeries by June 2026 by outsourcing more straightforward cases to private hospitals.  Willis says getting doctors and specialists on longer term contracts will get more people the care they need...

New Zealand's economic recovery is now forecast to be slower than the half year update.  Unemployment is slated to peak at 5.4 percent in the June quarter. Job ads in April increased for the second consecutive month, this time by 1.1 percent.  LISTEN ABOVE.  The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any...