The SME Stream

The New Zealand Chambers of Commerce have warned that the Government’s proposed ban on retail payment surcharges risks hitting small businesses with higher costs. Simon Bridges, CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber, acknowledged that the Government was trying to protect consumers from additional fees - but voiced concerns about what this ban could do for smaller operators. He says the ban is...

The Government has begun looking for possible areas for cutbacks for next year's Budget.  Associate Finance Minister David Seymour said he hopes the Government can equal or exceed the savings achieved in its first two Budgets.  He says the Government's trying to reduce its spending from about 35% of GDP to about 31%.  Seymour told Mike Hosking it's an ongoing process of "looking beh...

Jeremy Williamson, head of private wealth and markets at Craigs Investment Partners, recently claimed there was momentum building for Kiwis to move away from investing in property - but one expert has suggested differently. Matt Ball from the Property Investors Federation acknowledged people were getting more savvy about outside investments and that the property market was changing, but claimed th...

Recent data shows there were 27,850 fewer jobs in New Zealand in June compared to the year before, and young Kiwis are being hit hard by a tightening labour market. Over 12,000 of those lost jobs came from the construction sector, manufacturing lost 5850 jobs, professional, scientific and technical services lost 5150 jobs and admin and support services lost 4860 jobs. Infometrics principal economi...

The Commerce Minister says he's disappointed in businesses who say they will pass on the cost of surcharge scrapping.   Most in-store surcharges on card payments will be banned, with the changes set to kick in next May.   Scott Simpson says this is a win for consumers.   He told Mike Hosking they've also taken action on the fees banks charge businesses.   Simpson says those rat...

The Government's recent ban on on payment card surcharges has been met with criticism from the retail and hospitality sectors. The Government's announced it will scrap extra in-store card fees by next May. The Commerce Commission has already reduced bank interchange visa and master card fees for businesses. Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Ankit Bansal says these proposed changes are 'unfair'...

The Consumer Price Index over the June quarter was lower than expected at 2.7%, and it could mean a rate cut by the Reserve Bank next month.  So is the New Zealand investment winter over?  Shane Solly is a director at Harbour Asset Management and he joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not...

Trusts are billed as a way to protect your assets and pass your wealth on to the next generation, and they’ve become a common thing for a family to set-up.    But the rules around them have changed significantly over the years – so are they still useful, or more hassle than they’re worth? Henry Stokes is a trust specialist and Perpetual Guardian’s General Council,...

More uncertainty this week for Kiwi businesses exporting into the US. Donald Trump has agreed to a new trade deal with the EU this morning, which includes a 15% tariff on EU imports to the US. Trump's also indicated he'll raise the baseline tariff all countries face, from 10-percent to 15-percent. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking New Zealand hasn't been advised of an increase. He says they've a...

Times are tough, many businesses unable to survive the cost of living crisis and downturned economy.  Cultural institutions and smaller businesses alike are closing up shop, and Kevin Milne is dismayed by the loss of Kiwi enterprises.  One in particular, the colourful Matakana ceramics firm Morris & James, is particularly saddening for him.  LISTEN ABOVE  The podcasts in th...

The number of Kiwis making withdrawals from their KiwiSaver due to hardship is on the rise.  In the year to June, more than 50,000 were made, compared to 18,000 five years ago.  Early withdrawals can have compounding effects on someone’s financial future – so what other options are there?  Lisa Dudson joined Jack Tame to delve into the topic and offer up some other ideas...

The job market is slowly rebounding from last year's low point.   SEEK's latest Employment Report shows job ads dropped for a second month, down three percent month on month.  Applications per job ad fell two percent.  Country Manager Rob Clark told Mike Hosking this is just a small drop, and we're still at record unemployment levels.  He says the job market in the last 12 mont...

 [VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]PrimerAI founder Sean Gourley was behind the Pentagon’s Project Maven. Now, he’s investing in the next wartime technology frontier - drones. 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 i...

Stock exchange operator NZX chief executive Mark Peterson has resigned from the role - and will step down at the end of April 2026. Peterson explained that the time was right for him to stand down and for the board to look for a new chief executive. He says he's overseen plenty of challenges and successes in the role over the last few years. "You've got to make these tough calls - but we've also,...

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, Inflation has crept up again so what will that mean for interest rates? After a tough period, there’s optimism...

With Big Tech hyperscalers investing billions in local data centres and the Government taking a cloud-first stand, the migration of our data and applications to cloud platforms is in full swing. But as David Reiss, my guest on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, told me that moving to the cloud isn’t necessarily the panacea if you are looking to lower the ongoing costs of runn...

This week, Rosa Powers and Margot Flanagan - better known as the Two Raw Sisters - join Liam Dann to share their best and worst money stories, from how their parent's were early motivators in their careers, to the health battles and personal struggles they had to overcome in order to mend their relationship, and how that has led to a successful brand that covers cookbooks, apps, and podcasts.&nbsp...

Concerns have been raised among economists as inflation data suggests things may not be as on track as they seem. Inflation has hit 2.7 percent, with big food increases led by massive hikes in food prices. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains what this could do for the Reserve Bank's outlook going foward. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information...

Inflation is coming dangerously close to the top end of the Reserve Bank’s target band.  It’s reached 2.7% year-on-year – the main drivers being council rates, increased rents, electricity prices, and food prices.  Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge that there’s not only cyclical damage to the economy from the Reserve Bank’s efforts to cur...

Retailers across the country are surprisingly optimistic in the face of ongoing economic challenges.  The latest Retail NZ report reveals nearly 70% of retailers are confident their business will survive the next year, up from 57% for the same period last year.  This comes despite 62% of retailers failing to meet sales targets for the same period.   Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told...

It’s the sort of theoretical nonsense you would expect from a bunch of wonks like the Labour Party, but blow me down if National hasn't clambered on board as well.  Camilla Belich has a Member’s bill. Member's bills don’t normally get to where hers has, given if they did, the party would have already run with the idea.  But her Employee Remuneration Disclosure Amendment...

Inflation's cooling in many corners of the economy, but not headline inflation. Latest Stats NZ figures suggest core inflation and domestically-driven non-tradeable inflation are trending downwards. But annual inflation has risen to 2.7 percent, up from 2.5 three months ago. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says these figures will provide relief for the Reserve Bank, as they work on ge...

Stats NZ  recently reported annual inflation increased to 2.7 percent in the three months to the end of June, and it's sparked concerns among experts. Economists had all been expecting annual inflation would be recorded at 2.8 percent or 2.9 percent - close to the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target band. Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed what this could mean for the econ...

ACT's insistence that the Waikato University doctors school cost was out of whack and based on a poor quality business case seems to have been proven correct.  Why else would the cost to the taxpayer has shrunk by $200 million? He says it was going to cost us $280 million.  If he was right, and he's one guy at the cabinet table, how many other business cases don't stack up? There's an en...

We all want our kids to do better than we did, and a major part of that is teaching them how to set themselves up financially.  Founder and managing director at Koura Wealth, Rupert Carlyon, joins Tim Beveridge for Smart Money. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the p...