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Views from the treehouse
Here you'll find a well-rounded set of opinions from various writers. We welcome alternative views so in line with our philosophy of fairness, we will air other thought-provoking viewpoints here from our valued and experienced friends around the globe as well as our own news and views.
Featured
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?
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What is the Official Cash Rate, exactly?
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.
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?
Rodney's Ravings: Why it's too early to get excited about rising house prices
If all the latest headlines are to be believed, we're in for a big comeback in house prices over the next 12 months or so. But when it comes to the question of "to buy or not to buy?", Squirrel guest blogger Rodney Dickens reckons the numbers don't quite stack up in favour of a house price surge just yet.
Is time working against first home buyers?
With good job security and sizeable deposits, first home buyers have jumped boots and all into the housing market since early this year. But with extra buyers set to appear in the near future, is time working against first home buyers?
A Squirrel case study: Forging a new model for affordable housing in New Zealand
In this case study, we sat down with residential housing developer David Duggan to chat about his journey bringing an innovative new leasehold development to life on the shores of Lake Taupō, and how partnering with Squirrel made it happen.
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?
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?
National is back in the game — but are property investors?
With National back in government, we can anticipate the return of interest expense deductibility and no-fault tenancy terminations. But will this also bring a surge of property investors with them, and if so, what will this mean for first home buyers?
Why do banks keep doing this to savers?
Heartland Bank has launched a brand-spanking new savings product — the Digital Saver account. And with a 5.00%p.a. interest rate, it sounds pretty good. But there’s something kind of weird about Heartland launching this new account — so what's the deal, and is there a catch?
Ranking New Zealand's best and worst savings accounts
Not all savings accounts are created equal, and it's worth knowing what all your options are so you can get set up with the one that best suits your savings goals. Here, we've pulled together a wrap-up of the different savings accounts available across New Zealand's main retail banks.
Rodney’s Ravings: Why the world is in for a prolonged inflation battle
Central banks the world over have a bit of a bad habit of reactionary decision making. After overstimulating the economy big time when the pandemic hit by dropping rates to record lows, they were much too slow to jack rates up again when inflation started running rampant. And it's created such a big mess that Squirrel guest blogger, Rodney Dickens, reckons we're in for an extended battle to get us out of it again.
7 signs house prices are riding the upward wave
The recent migration boom and rising construction costs have contributed to the growth in house prices — but what are the other factors causing them to rise, and how long will prices continue to increase?
