Might the plunge in the value of the New Zealand dollar in the past five weeks make you poorer? The reason for asking is that, on September 29, a New Zealand dollar bought 5.1% fewer US dollars than on August 24, 3.1% fewer Australian dollars and 4.6% fewer units of the Reserve Bank’s basket of currencies. Read more

This month’s big housing story was not the Reserve Bank’s rate rise, whatever the media coverage suggested. Mortgage rate rises, the effect on house prices, whether the spring market will stall – all of it was reported, correctly, as housing news. Read more

If Labour forms government after the election, it will forgive a portion of some student loans. The policy announced on Sunday aims to leave graduates “with less debt, more of their income in their pocket, and a better chance to build their lives here in New Zealand.” The policy will certainly reduce the outstanding student loan balances of eligible borrowers. Read more