14 January 2010
Research by Treasury economists casts doubt on the conventional view that we are hopelessly improvident and feckless. The conventional view is founded on estimates of household saving rates which show households year after year spending more than they earn - $1.14 for every $1 of income in the year to March 2009. But saving rates are slippery things to grab hold of and measure.
30 October 2009
The Treasury has issued a "choose your poison" challenge to the Government, warning that if serious consideration is not given to pegging the costs of superannuation other public services will suffer.
16 October 2009
Surprisingly strong inflation in the September quarter has cast further doubt on the Reserve Bank's stated expectation that it will not start raising interest rates until the latter part of next year.
15 October 2009
The Treasury is bracing itself to pay out $816 million to investors under the Retail Deposit Guarantee within the next 12 months, having identified entities that are "more likely than not" to fail or otherwise trigger demands on the guarantee.
16 September 2009
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on that the worst US recession since the Great Depression was probably over, but the recovery would be slow and it would take time to create new jobs.
22 June 2009
First the good news: Since the Retirement Commission last assessed our financial intelligence back in 2006, we have got smarter.
29 May 2009
Automatic Government contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund will be suspended for 11 years. And KiwiSaver mortgage diversion facilities will be closed to new applicants from 1 June.
18 February 2009
Finance Minister Bill English says his first Budget will be delivered on May 28. Mr English told a select committee today New Zealand was facing tough economic circumstances and the extent of the world wide recession was still unknown.
18 February 2009
The global market downturn is worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s, according to Auckland investment consultant and superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen, though New Zealand is well placed.
22 May 2008
The Minister of Finance Hon. Dr. Michael Cullen today delivered his 9th consecutive budget. The government is introducing a $10.6 billion programme of tax cuts from 1 October 2008, with further changes scheduled to take effects from 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011.