Blog Search Results

Only a few weeks ago I presented on stage with Tony Alexander (BNZ Chief Economist) about the forecast for the New Zealand economy in 2014.  (See my full presentation here).  The word on the ground is that 2014 is going to be an epic year,..

As you may be aware, there is a new law that requires all tenanted homes to be insulated by 1 July 2019. Anyone who owns rental property must ensure their properties are insulated to the required standard by this date. At GRA we’ve been getting..

If you have to travel overseas for business (given you can do so now with the borders finally open), the question of tax deductibility of travel expenses will arise: which expenses can you claim, if any? It is important to understand the purpose of the trip..

Many New Zealanders still retain memories of Black Tuesday – the day the share market collapsed in 1987. The crash began in Hong Kong, spread to Europe, moved into the United States and then headed Australia and New Zealand's way.  By the end of Tuesday..

As little as a month ago, many economists were predicting that it would be mid to late 2022 before we see the Reserve Bank raise the Official Cash Rate (OCR). This situation has rapidly changed with the market now pricing in a 90% chance that..

Thinking about and planning for our death is understandably a subject that most people prefer not to think about. It comes as no surprise to us because we see it every day, that many people just simply do not plan for what happens to their..

Middle class, sometimes low net worth people run our labour force, including the public sector for essential services. Police, fire fighters, teachers, nurses, even doctors, are struggling to get a home in supply-starved Auckland – so they move to the regions. Net result: our schools,..

KiwiSaver is a voluntary, work-based savings initiative to help New Zealanders with their long-term saving for retirement. It's designed to make it easy for people to get into the habit of saving regularly. Effective from 1 April 2009, changes were made to the KiwiSaver Scheme. ..

From the first pay period on or after 1 April 2013, the contribution rates for both employees and employers increased from 2% to 3% of gross salary.  However, employees will still be able to select a higher employee contribution rate of 4% or 8%.All employer cash..