Money Matters
Lifeline for Air NZ as market crashes
By Frank Newman on 27th March 2020
For the second time in 20 years the government has bailed out Air New Zealand. Last time was in 2002 when the government stumped up with $885 million – $300 million in interest bearing equity (preference shares) at 24 cents a share and $585... Read more
Budget 2019
By Frank Newman on 9th June 2019
Here are some key observations from Budget 2019. Government spending is expected to increase $25 billion over the next four years. This year’s surplus of $3 billion is expected to fall to $1.3 billion next year. Crown debt is expected to be $5... Read more
The pros and cons of short-stay rentals
By Frank Newman on 2nd February 2019
In previous columns I have mentioned the rapid growth in short term rentals, and the opportunity it presents, especially in tourist hot spots. The growth in the number of properties listed on sites like AirBNB has been phenomenal. Some of the new... Read more
A worst best keep secret
By Frank Newman on 26th January 2019
It has remained one of those vexed questions for eternity: Why are some people wealthy while others are poor? What is remarkable about the question is that it continues to be asked, when there are many generations of examples that provide the... Read more
The year that may be
By Frank Newman on 1st January 2019
It’s been a good year for property investors in the provinces and Wellington, but less so for Aucklanders. Speculators are no longer dominant and the Auckland property market is settling into a sideways pattern as often happens after years... Read more
The year that was
By Frank Newman on 25th December 2018
2018 has been a good year for local property investors. Property values have continued to increase while interest rates remain at very low levels. There are no signs that this will change in the year ahead and I personally remain confident about... Read more
GST and online purchases
By Frank Newman on 9th December 2018
This week the Labour led government introduced an omnibus Bill to Parliament that when passed into legislation will, among other things, collect GST on low value imported goods. The GST change will apply to imported goods valued under $1,000. The... Read more
Getting paid
By Frank Newman on 14th September 2018
There was an interesting story in the media last week that is worth a mention. It was a story about a company going into liquidation and owing good hard working folk some $70,000. There appears to be little prospect of recovery. The story itself... Read more
Budget 2018 – key points
By Frank Newman on 21st May 2018
A strong and growing economy is the real story behind the Coalition Government’s 2018 Budget. This is very evident from the Time Series of Fiscal and Economic Indicators which projects Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to grow $17 billion in the... Read more
Warning signs and social housing
By Frank Newman on 18th February 2018
Interest rates Last week the Reserve Bank left the official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at 1.75 per cent. That was not a surprise, but as is often the case, the commentary was a useful pointer of things to come. Acting Governor Grant Spencer said he... Read more