Blog Search Results

One of the most popular subjects we talk and write about has to be money.  How to make it is definitely a topic that would come up at most social gatherings. I guess this is appropriate seeing money is the currency we all use to live..

The general consensus of opinion is interest rates are on the way down but the big questions still remain: when will the cuts come and how low will the rates go?  BACKGROUND On 10 September 2015 the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) cut the..

When things turn pear-shaped, it can be tempting to behave like an ostrich, bury your head in the sand, and ignore what’s going on. This is not the best policy.  The media is currently giving high exposure to the issues facing dairy farmers - dairy..

At GRA we have become concerned at the number of people thinking about buying leaky buildings. This was brought to our attention in our capacity as Professional Trustee, which means we (along with any other trustees) need to sign off on any planned property purchases for..

As investors become increasingly aware of how much the lending landscape has changed from that of a few years ago, a question I am receiving a lot is, “When will we see the banks relax mortgage lending criteria again?” Whilst we saw the slight relaxing..

The 2012 tax year began on 1 April 2011 for most taxpayers and with it new tax rules in relation depreciation on buildings and LAQCs finally came into force.  We have written a number of times on the potential impact these rules may have on you..

We find that a lot of our clients get very confused about what drawings are. And with good reason – it’s a complicated area.  Most tend to think that drawings taken by a shareholder from a company are the same thing as their wage or..

I wonder if the Reserve Bank's enthusiasm for introducing debt-to-income ratios has more to do with social agenda than strengthening the economy and protecting the banking system.   In the Professional Trustee Team's August blog, we note that debt-to-income ratios (DTIs) are potentially dangerous and that they can..

In these tougher times we have noticed vendors asking for early release of deposits before actual settlement has taken place.  If you have purchased a property and paid a deposit on the unconditional date, we would recommend you think twice  before agreeing (and don’t) to any..