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26 March 2024

Opinion: The RBNZ needs to start cutting interest rates, ASAP

Most commentators are picking it'll be late 2024 (or worse, 2025) before interest rates start falling again — but the Chief, David Cunningham, reckons there's a strong case for the RBNZ to begin dropping rates much sooner.

21 March 2024

Market update: Economic pain will be borrowers’ gain (eventually)

New Zealand economic data has painted a pretty sorry picture in recent months. But bad news for the economy will eventually be good news for Kiwi mortgage borrowers when it comes to the future of interest rates.

06 March 2024

Rodney's Ravings: The major flaws in the Reserve Bank's OCR decision-making

Once inflation's got its hooks in, it can take years for interest rate hikes to trickle through and reverse the damage. But, as Rodney Dickens explains, a more proactive approach from the RBNZ could go a long way to solving that problem.

21 November 2023

Market update: After months of turbulence, a sense of stability returns (for now)

It feels pretty clear we're at the top of the current interest rate cycle. But with one more Official Cash Rate announcement to come for the year, what are the expectations for interest rates come 2024?

21 November 2023

Why are floating mortgage interest rates so high?

While floating rates are the norm in Australia, less than 10% of all Kiwi mortgages are on floating rates. The reality for Kiwi is that floating rates are consistently so much more expensive than fixed rates. So what's causing this, and should they be so high?

25 October 2023

Market update: Out with the red, in with the blue – but election result carries no silver bullet

For many Kiwi voters, National's win in the recent election probably didn’t come as too much of a surprise — and you can bet that National’s focus, especially over the next 12 months, will be on driving through policies that are designed to bolster the New Zealand economy. So what will this all mean for homeowners and borrowers?

25 October 2023

The bank profit bonanza during our cost-of-living crisis

Despite the Reserve Bank holding off on increasing the Official Cash Rate, ANZ has just announced it’s lifting its home loan interest rates across the board by between 0.10% and 0.26%. So why have they increased their rates, and is the move justified?

04 October 2023

Official cash rate holds steady at 5.50%

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%.

22 September 2023

When will ASB fall into line on mortgage rates?

Two New Zealand banks are sticking their necks out on the home loan rates front right now - one high, one low. Why? It all comes down to profit strategy. But in his latest article Chief Squirrel, David Cunningham, explains why the bank leading the pack is likely to need to rethink its "go high" strategy soon.

08 September 2023

Podcast: DC talks why interest rates move and the ComCom bank probe with Interest.co.nz

Chief Squirrel David Cunningham recently popped along to chat with Interest.co.nz's Gareth Vaughan on the Of Interest podcast. They talked all about interest rates, bank margins and the Commerce Commission's probe into competition in banking. Give the episode a listen here.

06 September 2023

New Zealand banks need to do right by their customers, and it starts with dropping mortgage rates

New Zealand is deep in a cost-of-living crisis, and those with mortgages are struggling. And yet amidst all of this, New Zealand banks are thriving – bringing in record profits. So, what’s the driver behind what the banks are doing with home loan rates?

01 August 2023

All eyes on interest rates: Key OCR dates for 2023/2024

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.