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.
We’re stoked to have partnered with leading residential developer, Avant, and local iwi, Te Ākitai Waiohua, to offer eligible buyers a discounted two-year mortgage rate of 3.95%, when they buy a property at Wirihana.
Between a weakened construction sector, increasing migration and more businesses starting to retrench (both of which are helping to ease pressure in the job market), there are lots of signs out there to indicate that inflation’s coming under control. So, will there be another OCR increase?
New Zealand’s retail banks made $9.96 billion (yep, that’s with a ‘b’) of pre-tax profit in 2022. And while the banks are laughing all the way to the – well – bank, what most Kiwi don’t fully understand is how they’re making that money. (Spoiler alert: it's Kiwi that are losing out.)
The unemployment rate doesn’t just tell us where the economy’s at, or where inflation’s headed... it can actually also help to predict when house prices will take off again.
One of our biggest banks has just reported a 26% increase in revenue over the last six months - while growing sales by just 2%. How does that even happen? And what can Kiwi be doing to take some of it back?
We’re only 0.25% off the Reserve Bank’s (RBNZ’s) forecasted peak OCR – so will Kiwis be hit by other OCR hike, or have interest rates in New Zealand already peaked for this economic cycle?
With a great number of construction related businesses going into liquidation every week, negatives dominate in the house building sector and buyers need to apply extra caution as they contemplate getting a house built.
Earlier today, the Reserve Bank made its second Monetary Policy announcement of 2023, opting to push through another double increase, and take our Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 4.75% up to 5.25%. So what does this latest OCR outcome mean?
The banks have come under fire recently for some of the ways they're making money from their customers. If it's been a while since you reviewed your savings account options, here's how you might inadvertently be helping to line their pockets.
With inflation like it is right now, you're only marginally better off having money in the bank than you would be having it stashed away under your mattress. So, what other options are there?
Bank term investments might seem like the way to go if you want to earn the best returns on your savings. But between all the T&Cs and fine print, are they really all they're cracked up to be?