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Put really simply, the Official Cash Rate is the interest rate that the banks earn on any money they’re holding with the Reserve Bank, and the rate they pay if they need to borrow funds.

In late 2022, the RBNZ warned it would need to tip New Zealand into recession in order to get inflation under control. And yet, despite all the rate increases Kiwi borrowers have endured, so far, that promised recession is yet to eventuate. Squirrel guest blogger, Rodney Dickens, explains why that is.

It came as no surprise to anyone in the world of economics and financial markets this week when the Reserve Bank left its official cash rate unchanged at 5.5%.

The RBNZ's hard-line approach to rate hikes seems to have inflation (slowly but surely) tracking in the right direction. But according to Squirrel guest blogger, Rodney Dickens, there's one factor in particular which is going to make it a long, tough road to get us back where we need to be.

As New Zealand holds its collective breath, waiting for interest rates to start falling again, here are the key OCR announcement dates you need in your diary for 2023 and 2024.

New Zealand banks have increased their fixed mortgage rates by about 0.25% over the last few weeks - despite the latest signal from the RBNZ being that hikes are (likely) done and dusted. So, what's that all about?

And there it is, finally - after 12 back-to-back increases - the break in interest rate hikes we’d all been waiting for. The question now is, when will rates start to fall again?

Back on 24th May, Adrian Orr said OCR hikes had done their job, and we'd hit the peak. So why then, six weeks later, are wholesale markets predicting we'll need another OCR hike, maybe two, in order to get inflation truly under control? Chief Squirrel, David Cunningham, shares his thoughts on this, and explains why he's pretty sure the wholesale markets have got it wrong.

The Reserve Bank said it'd take get us here, and with the latest GDP figures released this week, New Zealand is officially in recession. In his latest market update, JB shares his thoughts on what's to come in the economy, and with interest rates and the wider housing market.

There's a lot of debate happening right now as to whether rising immigration will be a force for good, or evil, when it comes to easing pressure on New Zealand's too-tight labour market. While many (the Reserve Bank included) are claiming it'll be a positive - a look back at history would seem to suggest otherwise.

The Reserve Bank has today pushed through a 0.25% increase to take us from 5.25%, up to its peak forecasted OCR of 5.50% - while also making it clear we've hit peak rates for this economic cycle.

There’s a pretty unanimous sense across the financial markets right now that there's another Official Cash Rate (OCR) hike in store for us this week. Chief Squirrel, David Cunningham, says that's the last thing we need.