The SME Stream

Buying property is one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll ever make, and in this country, it can be really difficult to achieve.   For most of us, the most important first step is to qualify for a mortgage.  So, how do you improve your chances of getting the lending you need to be in the market, and what do you need to know about what you’ve signed up for? ...

The Government will officially announce its annual budget this Thursday. It comes as Wellington’s economy has been particularly hit hard over the past 12 months. The capital’s seen public service job cuts, people working from home and slow infrastructure. What does the city need from the budget? Business Central CEO Simon Arcus talks to Ryan Bridge ahead of the budget. LISTEN ABOVE. Th...

The rural community of members bill is looking to adjust the rules around KiwiSaver so that it can be used to buy a farm.  The change would also allow defence force personnel to get access to a first home.  National MP for Rangitīkei Suze Redmayne talks to Mike Hosking about the proposed changes.  LISTEN ABOVE.  The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general info...

 [VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY] It’s been 6 months since I interviewed Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck. We have a lot to discuss following the space company’s Q1 earnings! The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its...

The Green Party is suggesting an overhaul of the tax system in their alternative Budget.  It includes taxing wealth, inheritance, gifts, and private jet journeys, and they say it would bring in $88 billion in revenue over four years.   New income tax rates of 39% on income over $120,000 and 45% on income over $180,000 would be introduced, and the corporate tax rate would be raised to 33%...

Labour's leader says he would reverse the Government's pay equity changes - but that doesn't mean going back to how things were before.  Laws passed under urgency last week halted 33 existing pay equity claims, and increased the threshold for future filings. Chris Hipkins says he can't be specific about which settings Labour would reinstate if returned to Government next year.  He explai...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week, the announcements keep coming as we barrel up to budget day, trade tensions ease between the US and China...

The Technology Users Association has issued a stark warning that New Zealand risks falling further behind in the global digital economy unless the government urgently reforms its approach to digital and technology skills, with a particular focus on vocational training.  In a wide-ranging interview on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech , TUANZ CEO Craig Young expressed deep frus...

This week, chief executive of the NZ Super Fund, Jo Townsend, shares her best and worst money stories with Liam Dann - from her upbringing in rural Tasmania in the 1970s, to working on the trading floors in Sydney, to getting into the super industry.  The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions express...

The Opposition Leader's welcoming Government investment into school attendance.  $140 million from this year's Budget will go towards a new system and better data monitoring.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins wanted truancy officers reintroduced two years ago when he was PM.  Hipkins told John MacDonald it's clear disbanding the previous truancy service in 2012 was the wrong decision.&nb...

It's been a memorable year for financial markets so far - but experts have noted that the NZX appears to have calmed down. After President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day', the NZX took a significant dip, but the markets appear to have shaken off the impact caused by the tariffs. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has talked up how changes to KiwiSaver, due to be announced at the Budget, will boost members’ balances. She's offered up some hints - but it's unlikely the Government will help by opening up its wallet. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates further ahead of Budget day. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain&nbs...

Here is another example of the way the pay equity game is played by the media.  If you choose not to call a minister the c-word, you run a headline like this - "Ministers set to take big pay rises right after wiping 33 pay equity claims".  That’s the headline in Newsroom. It is dishonest in its inference.  It's emotive and it misrepresents what is happening. In that is the Gov...

Auckland's Business Chamber CEO says we have nothing to lose by loosening transit visas for Chinese nationals.  Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's updated his Auckland Manifesto, laying out a Beehive to-do list.  It includes calling for the Government to reconsider loosening transit visas for Chinese Nationals, giving them more freedom for short stays in the country.  Simon Bridges told R...

New Zealand will pass an economic milestone in 2028, with the Government making it's first ever Super Fund withdrawal. The Finance Minister revealed yesterday they'll begin offset superannuation costs by withdrawing $32 million from the New Zealand Super Fund. From 2031, withdrawals are expected annually.  Superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen told Ryan Bridge it's exactly what the Superfund...

The Finance Minister has revealed the Government will will make its first withdrawal from the Super in 2028 - five years earlier than initially planned. In the first year, $32 million will be withdrawn - but from 2031, withdrawals are expected annually. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains why this is happening. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain gene...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says changes to KiwiSaver will be revealed at next week’s Budget. The NZ Super Fund will cover only 20% of future Superannuation costs, with withdrawals starting in 2028. The fund will continue growing despite withdrawals, but Superannuation costs are expected to reach $29 billion annually. There will be changes to KiwiSaver announced at next week’s Budge...

Your body is well acquinted with this brand and now it's time to get to know the story behind LSKD , as told by the founder, Jason Daniel ! Grab your Suntory Boss Coffee - It's brewed hot, chilled fast and perfect for an on-the-go podcast listen. In Episode 7, Georgia Patten chats to Jason Daniel, the brains and brawn behind one of the biggest names in the fitness apparel industry - LSKD - one of...

Auckland's mayor is calling for more leadership - and labelling the city's innovation and tech sector 'random'.  Wayne Brown has laid out a to-do list for central Government before it releases its Budget this month.   He wants a tourist bed tax, looser transit visas, and more preparations for major population growth.  Brown says a bed tax would fund bigger projects he has planned fo...

Auckland's Business Chamber CEO says we have nothing to lose by loosening transit visas for Chinese nationals.  Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's updated his Auckland Manifesto, laying out a Beehive to-do list.  It includes calling for the Government to reconsider loosening transit visas for Chinese Nationals, giving them more freedom for short stays in the country.  Simon Bridges told R...

Time is running out for businesses who took out a Covid Small Business Cashflow Scheme. It's five years today since Inland Revenue introduced the loans. They were issued to more than 129,000 businesses and totalled $2.4 billion. The IRD says they're now reaching their cut-off point, and default loans not paid in full will be enforced. ABC Business Sales managing director unveils how many businesse...

The US and China have agreed to slash their reciprocal tariffs by 115 percent for 90 days. Washington imposed a 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports at the start of the year - and Beijing responded with a 125 percent levy on some US goods. But this weekend's trade negotiations between US and Chinese officials in Switzerland appear to have gone well.  Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly ex...

This week, for the first guest of the new season, Liam is joined by clinical psychologist, author and TV presenter, Nigel Latta, to discuss his career on and off camera, his cancer diagnosis last year, and his new app Parentland. You can find more details on it and how to download it at https://www.parentland.app/   The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information onl...

The Government is set to cut billions of dollars from spending at the upcoming budget as a cost-saving measure in these tight financial conditions. But what if there was a way to raise more revenue from existing industries? Analysis from the Herald has looked at the ‘black market’ or the informal economy – the industries dominated by cash in hand methods of payment that pass by t...

Developments are being made in the US and China trade talks.  A top Trump economic adviser says about two dozen trade deals are in the works with the country.  Talks took place in Switzerland over the weekend.  Greg Smith of Devon Funds Management talks to Mike Hosking about the negotiations, British Airways buying billions of dollars worth of planes and why BP's in the crosshairs o...