Bernard Hickey is the editor of www.interest.co.nz. He worked for 18 years for Reuters, the FT Group and Fairfax as a financial journalist, editor and digital publishing executive.
He now helps run interest.co.nz, which is a free news and information site for borrowers and savers.
He writes columns for NZHerald.co.nz, Herald on Sunday and appears every weekday morning with Marcus Lush on Radio Live at 6.55am.
Bernard also does paid speaking engagements on the issues of economic reform, the housing market, tax reform and digital publishing.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand
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10 October, 2011
China generated half of global economic growth since 2008, helping to avoid a US and European recession turning into a depression. It may not be able to repeat the Houdini trick this time. And what will John Key's trick be without the magic of China?
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Word Count: 723 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
10 October, 2011
Ultimately, a Robin Hood Tax is a great way to reduce budget deficits and reduce some of the risktaking on financial markets. It is also politically popular. If Australia goes with the tax, then New Zealand would seem to have no choice but follow.
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Word Count: 618 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
12 September, 2011
Our economic future is clearly in the China camp so we should care a lot more about the relationship between our currency and the Chinese Renminbi or yuan.
Word Count: 727 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
05 September, 2011
Older readers will remember a catchy tune released by The Vapours in 1980 called 'Turning Japanese'. It's a song many economists and central bankers are finding themselves humming at the moment - because many developed economies appear to be sliding into a Japanese-style slump.
Word Count: 716 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
19 August, 2011
Bank profitability in New Zealand is too high and we have to do something about it, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
19 August, 2011
Recent drama in the financial markets is really just the sound of investors waking up to some fundamental problems in the global economy, write Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
07 August, 2011
Savers are being punished for the past sins of borrowers and the developed world faces a grinding, Japanese-style recovery, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
07 August, 2011
There is a perfect storm brewing for the New Zealand dollar but it's not the first time it's happened in the world and we don't just have to sit here and take it, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
24 July, 2011
If only New Zealand had a national 'dumb debt' feedback loop we might actually have a chance of turning around the economy, writes economics commentator Bernard Hickey.
Word Count: 737 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
18 June, 2011
When borrowers and savers see the latest Greek riots or pictures of stressed stock market traders they should also think about a potential rise in borrowing costs and a possible slump in the global economy.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
18 June, 2011
For New Zealand's future, we need some long term strategy to build high-paid and interesting jobs that earn foreign exchange revenues so we can start growing our wealth as a country.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
07 June, 2011
Let's not beat about the bush here. Our government is likely to borrow NZ$20 billion or the equivalent of 10% of GDP this year. It is cracking down on all sorts of spending. So why are we subsidising a bunch of sports bureaucrats?
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Rugby
26 May, 2011
The government has forecast a return to budget surplus by 2014/15 and the creation of 170,000 jobs. Here are five reasons why those forecasts are not believable, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
10 May, 2011
In Britain, America and Europe, the public mood over tax cheats is turning feral and the powers-that-be are responding. What are we doing in New Zealand?
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
04 May, 2011
Our government should be using tax increases such as the one deferred this week to gradually adjust New Zealanders to permanently higher oil prices rather than focusing on its election prospects, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
21 April, 2011
If our government is serious about transforming this economy into an export powerhouse it must act to restrain the currency and the foreign borrowing, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
14 April, 2011
The shock of the GST increase, on top of rising food and petrol prices, has forced New Zealand consumers deeper into their spending shells, writes business commentator Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
07 April, 2011
South Canterbury Finance and AMI Insurance shared many things, besides the fact they were deemed 'Too Big To Fail', writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
30 March, 2011
Our output did not increase in the second half of last year yet our spending in total and our wages rose over that period, as did population and spending per capita. So how did we manage that?
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Columns, Economy
20 March, 2011
New Zealand has just received an economy-wide bill shock. As if out of the blue, prices for many everyday items just went up. It may not be reflected in the inflation figures yet, but consumers are reeling from the impact.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Personal Finance
07 March, 2011
Wholesale interest rates could rebound in the coming weeks if they are disappointed by a Reserve Bank decision to leave rates on hold. That might make the low one year rate attractive in the short term. But should those who have chosen to float over the last year jump back into a fixed mortgage?
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Property
01 March, 2011
This earthquake should really be seen as a national day of reckoning when we finally decided to sacrifice some consumption to save and rebuild the economy, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, New Zealand
27 February, 2011
In the wake of the Christchurch earthquake, some bank economists have called on the Reserve Bank to cut the official cash rate (OCR) to help revive an economy in crisis. Bernard Hickey gives his view.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
08 February, 2011
Goff's call for a new tax rate will continue to strike a nerve among voters and fiscal strategists in years to come as the gap widens between middle income earners and the wealthiest, and as deficits become endemic.
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Word Count: 675 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
02 February, 2011
Finally, there is now a clear set of battle lines between the two major political parties ahead of this year's election. It will be fought over the issues of foreign debt and income inequality, both of which are the major issues facing most developed countries in the post-Global Financial Crisis era.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Politics & Government
20 December, 2010
The New Zealand government seems to be taking a young man's approach to debt at the moment and this is a dangerous thing to do as we age not-so-gracefully in an increasingly volatile economic world.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
14 December, 2010
'The irony for the Reserve Bank is that this week's Monetary Policy Statement made clear that its monetary stimulus of a low Official Cash Rate is not having as much effect as expected because home owners are not adding to their already crushing debts.'
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Columns
08 December, 2010
In recent weeks something has started brewing again out in the depths of the New Zealand economy and it smells disappointingly familiar. The housing market has started to simmer again,and many of the same problems are repeating themselves, writes business commentator Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Property, Columns
30 November, 2010
The pros and cons of an interest tax break for New Zealanders, by Bernard Hickey.
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Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy
23 November, 2010
It's like the good old days all over again. Or the bad old days, depending on who you are, writes Bernard Hickey.
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Word Count: 678 Licence: Syndication Price: $20.00
Submitted by: Bernard Hickey | Categories: Economy, Property, Columns
