A major factor behind this increase is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As fuel prices climb, you are likely to notice immediate effects at the pump. An estimated $16.50 will be added to your weekly costs. However, the impact does not stop there. Higher transport and production costs…

The key question is not just how much prices will rise, but how soon people will start noticing it in. Petrol will be the first and most immediate impact. If oil prices remain high, fuel costs could rise within days or weeks. Estimates suggest petrol could increase by around 15…

Brent crude has climbed to its highest level since January 2025, and the ripple effects are already being felt worldwide. The biggest concern centres on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical shipping lane off Iran’s southern coast. Around one-fifth of the global oil supply passes through the strait.…

The Retail Payment System (Ban on Merchant Surcharges) Amendment Bill was introduced last year with the intention of eliminating paywave and credit card surcharges by May 2026. The proposal aimed to remove the additional fees often added to card transactions, a move driven by rising public frustration over transparency and…

The latest figures from property data firm Cotality indicate that national property values slipped 0.1 per cent in January, reinforcing expectations that the market is likely to remain largely flat for at least the next six months. The median property value now sits at around 1 per cent lower than…

According to rental data for 2025, the national average weekly rent fell by 1.8 per cent compared with the year before. In Wellington, renters saw the biggest shift, with average rents dropping nearly 10 per cent, while Auckland rents declined by 2.5 per cent. For households in these centres, that…

New research from Datacom shows a clear shift in sentiment following a prolonged period of economic uncertainty, with many organisations now positioning technology as a key driver of future growth. Datacom’s Business Outlook 2026 survey found that 65 per cent of senior leaders expect economic conditions to improve over the…

What was widely promoted as a way to improve wellbeing and productivity is now being reassessed, with many employers returning to the traditional five-day schedule. Interest in shorter working weeks surged during and after the pandemic, when lockdowns forced businesses to rethink how and where work was done. Flexible arrangements…

The annual statement you receive from your provider includes an estimate of how much you might have saved by age 65 and what that could mean in weekly income. But these figures are based on conservative assumptions set by the government. The assumptions were made on many funds that have…

The latest data, covering the four months to October, indicates that fiscal pressures are building ahead of the upcoming Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, due on 16 December. The operating deficit before gains and losses, excluding ACC, reached $4.9 billion for the period—around $700 million higher than projected in…