Search results:

05 February 2024

Why interest rates could be likely to tumble

With NZ's latest inflation numbers out in late January, it looks like we're finally winning the battle — and we could see annual inflation come down relatively quickly in the coming months. So what would that mean for interest rates?

20 January 2024

Four reasons why house prices are expected to rise throughout 2024

Why Tony Alexander believes that the 6% annualised pace of house price gains seen in the second half of 2023 may almost double once we get to the second half of this year.

18 December 2023

Market update: Tough talk from the RBNZ, but are rate falls on the cards for 2024?

Wholesale rates are one of the big drivers of bank mortgage rates — and in the last eight weeks or so, they’ve fallen about 0.7%. It’s a significant drop, which means they’re now back down to roughly where they were a year ago. So what does this mean for borrower interest rates?

18 December 2023

Rodney’s Ravings: Why a recession is taking its time to eventuate

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.

22 November 2023

House prices are on the upswing

REINZ's latest data tells us that prices are rising, sales have weakened, and houses are selling at a faster pace. But will this continue on into 2024?

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?

14 November 2023

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.

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?

24 October 2023

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?

19 October 2023

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?