22 August, 2010
The issue of whether to make KiwiSaver compulsory is now firmly on the agenda after Prime Minister John Key gave the green light for a government-sanctioned Pensions and Saving Working group to look at the issue. But is New Zealand ready and willing, asks Bernard Hickey. 1 image
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns
17 August, 2010
Paul Holmes seemed to capture the zeitgeist last weekend when he said the economy appeared to be grinding to a halt. Holmes' intuition based on the body language of his olive oil buyers is backed up by at least 10 sets of economic data, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Opinion, Economy, Columns
10 August, 2010
A caricature of Sam Knowles, by Murray Webb. Dozens of other caricatures available. Want to commission a caricature from Murray? Email julie@allaboutthestory.com for details. 1 image
Submitted by: murray webb | Categories: National, Economy, Caricatures
05 August, 2010
Academic debates about history and economics send most people to sleep very quickly. But what if you could be more confident about fixing or floating your mortgage by knowing who would win these debates? 1 image
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
05 August, 2010
John Key's call for a review of foreign ownership rules around land highlight two fundamental weaknesses in our economy: our lack of savings and our weak capital markets, writes Bernard Hickey. 1 image
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns
05 August, 2010
Here's a heretical thought: the great dog of the New Zealand sharemarket, Telecom, may just about be ready to sit up and bark again, writes Pattrick Smellie.
Submitted by: Pattrick Smellie | Categories: Economy, Industry, Columns
05 August, 2010
For as long as I can remember, there's been national angst over what to do about superannuation. But the best remedy has always been to... make the economy grow faster, writes Pattrick Smellie.
Submitted by: Pattrick Smellie | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns
03 August, 2010
Academic debates about history and economics send most people to sleep very quickly. It's like Mogadon without the drugs. But what if you could be more confident about fixing or floating your mortgage if you knew who would win these debates?
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns
26 July, 2010
We have two Chinese New Zealand MPs but we don't have Chinese faces on our television. There is no Mandarin spoken on National Radio or National television. Yet mandarin is set to become our second most spoken language within 15 years, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Education, Politics, Economy, Columns
26 July, 2010
Prime Minister John Key has done his best to shut down any debate about reforming New Zealand's pension system. This is a pity, but the good news is there is still time to solve our problems before public debt overwhelms us in a Greek-like wave, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
18 July, 2010
In years to come New Zealanders will look back on the winter of 2010 as the moment when we finally realised the last 10 years of growth was a sham, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
11 July, 2010
A bevy of banks surprised home owners and regulators alike when they slashed their long term mortgage rates by as much as 0.75%. But is it enough to transform the housing market, writes business commentator Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns, Property
04 July, 2010
This economic recovery feels like a Claytons Recovery: the economic recovery you're having when you're not having an economic recovery, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
28 June, 2010
Can South Canterbury Finance survive without a government guarantee and with a cloud over Allan Hubbard's reputation? I think recent events have decided both are impossible, writes Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Business, Economy, Management, Columns
23 June, 2010
Mark Hotchin and Eric Watson would have to be among the least popular people in New Zealand right now, yet they seem oblivious to the public opprobrium. There's one thing they could do to help, writes business commentator Bernard Hickey.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: National, Economy, Columns
19 June, 2010
China has just announced that it will "Further Reform the RMB Exchange Rate Regime and Enhance the RMB Exchange Rate Flexibility".
Submitted by: Econ Grapher | Categories: Economy
16 June, 2010
Now that the dust has settled from the Reserve Bank's widely expected decision to put up the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 2.75%, it's worth looking at what this will eventually mean for mortgage borrowers and term deposit savers.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns, Property
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Politics, Economy, Cartoons
07 June, 2010
It's quite possible that this time next week when you sit down to read your paper with a cup of coffee and some toast that you'll be asking yourself whether you can still afford the coffee and toast.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns, Property
30 May, 2010
There's been a lot of discussion about the inflationary effects of the GST increase since the budget, but everyone is looking in the wrong direction. Everyone is talking about consumers and interest rates, but are ignoring savers who are taking the biggest hit.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
28 May, 2010
This week we look at the 2nd estimate of US GDP, US house prices and consumer confidence, the Japanese unemployment and deflation picture, Japan's international trade, and New Zealand's international trade. In the analysis we arrive at a one line summary that says things are still chugging along in this post-great-recession environment, but risks are rising.
Submitted by: Econ Grapher | Categories: Economy
27 May, 2010
It's especially rare in this day and age to congratulate a banker for a job well done. But Sam Knowles, who announced his resignation as Kiwibank CEO today, deserves an awful lot of credit for leading the creation of a large and worthy institution that has shaken up the banking industry for the benefit of consumers.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
22 May, 2010
This week we look at the data out over the past week that showed a continued (yet fragile) economic recovery in Japan, higher economic growth rates in Mexico, continued strength in the economy of Taiwan, and relatively subdued inflation pictures in both the EU and US.
Submitted by: Econ Grapher | Categories: Economy
21 May, 2010
As the population ages and the inherent biases towards property investment keep driving house prices, the young will be forced to stay renting and the old will stay in their big houses.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns, Property
18 May, 2010
Remembering the companies that were once NZ owned. A news cartoon by Dave Wolland. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Cartoons , National
18 May, 2010
The illusion of easy money has consequences. A news cartoon about Chinese farm purchases, by Dave Wolland. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Farming, Cartoons
18 May, 2010
Letting others gamble with your export returns. A news cartoon by Dave Wolland. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Cartoons
12 May, 2010
China just released its monthly economic data update; in this article we review some of the numbers on inflation, retail sales, industrial production, lending growth, and money supply. The main themes from the data suggest the economy is still growing strong, and that the outlook is for continued expansion of activity. However given the still stimulatory policy stance, the data adds to a view of increasing inflation, and risks of short-medium term overheating.
Submitted by: Econ Grapher | Categories: Economy, Asia Pacific
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Cartoons
10 May, 2010
Introducing the idea of exchange rate parity as a way to create fair and free trade between nations. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Viewpoints
10 May, 2010
What with drought, floods and fluctuating exchanges rates, many dairy farmers in are now having to think about where Fonterra is heading again. The prospect of a rapid increase in farm ownership by foreign businesses has also crept back onto the radar and this issue will be a mixed blessing for those starting up or leaving the industry. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Columns, Economy, Farming
02 May, 2010
The instinctual reaction for home owners when interest rates start rising is to lock in for a long fixed term, but choosing to fix rather than stay floating is no longer the automatically cheaper decision.
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Viewpoints, Property
21 April, 2010
Perhaps the time has come to debate whether we want to belong to ‘New Zealand Incorporated’ or become ‘New Zealand Dismembered’ in a colony run by the global economy, writes Dave Wolland. 1 image
Submitted by: Dave Wolland | Categories: Economy, Viewpoints
18 April, 2010
February's retail sales were "dire", according to one bank economist. They certainly punched another big hole in any idea that the New Zealand domestic economy is "bouncing back" from the double whammy of its own 2008 recession, followed by the global financial crisis.
Submitted by: Pattrick Smellie | Categories: Economy, Columns
10 February, 2010
Here's a useful article that serves as a primer for understanding GDP data. It tells you how to analyse, interpret, and source GDP data - and why it's important to do so...
Submitted by: Econ Grapher | Categories: Economy
02 January, 2010
A recent research report, looking at the reasons for New Zealand’s relatively poor economic performance, has some fascinating theories as to why we have paradoxically lagged behind other developed nations despite many structural advantages. It also raise questions about whether aiming for “productivity” parity with Australia is the right goal for New Zealand.
Submitted by: Paul Spence | Categories: Economy
01 September, 2010
OK, everybody take a deep breath. Underneath all the fog of commentary and arm-waving, a fairly simple thing has happened to South Canterbury Finance, writes Pattrick Smellie.
Submitted by: Pattrick Smellie | Categories: Economy, Politics
25 August, 2010
Starting a business in New Zealand is easy - the World Bank tells us we are the best around in their Doing Business rankings. But we can do even better, let's put three new things on the companies website: standard documents, official shareholder registers and basic governance tools.
Submitted by: Lance Wiggs | Categories: Economy, Industry, Small Business, Management, Columns
10 August, 2010
Unfortunately for us and the government, the lucky country across the Tasman has gotten even luckier in recent months and the pressures to emigrate have gotten even more intense, writes Bernard Hickey. 1 image
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Politics, Economy, Columns
05 August, 2010
For such a smartly dressed, carefully spoken chap, Shamubeel Eaqub from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research sure knows how to wave a shroud... Pattrick Smellie looks at the NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion.
Submitted by: Pattrick Smellie | Categories: Business, Economy, Columns