Led by the US, markets are increasingly factoring in higher-for-longer interest rates. This is a negative force as it reduces company valuations (particularly property), and, when the cost of money goes up, companies and individuals spend less…

Cyber Smart Week is CERT NZ’s annual cyber resilience awareness campaign which runs from 30 October – 5 November 2023. Learn how you can become more cyber resilient and feel free to pass it on to friends and family…

So, you're at that stage where you're planning for retirement or perhaps you’ve already traded the 9-to-5 for a bit of R&R. It's a pretty exciting time, but also one where your financial decisions matter a whole lot…

The biggest question for investors is not how high interest rates will go but how long they will last? Meanwhile, the so called “Magnificent 7” Tesla, Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet, have roared this year on the excitement around AI.…

'Ethical investing', 'responsible investing', 'green finance', 'sustainable investing', 'social investing', 'ESG'. Whatever you call it, many of us are keen to align our investment choices to our values and that’s the theme for this year’s World Investor Week here in New Zealand...

A soaring US share market, unrealised losses, and steady cash returns were the main features in portfolio performance over the last year. And decarbonisation of the aviation industry is our topic of interest for the month…

A good reminder to be alert to investment scams. Feel free to pass it on to friends and family…

21 – 25 August 2023: make the most of your money this Sorted Money Month with the 5-day Maximise your Money Challenge from Financial Advice NZ…

It's never too early (or too late) to think about managing your money. Take time to make the most of your money with Financial Advice New Zealand’s 5-Day Maximise Your Money Challenge during Sorted Money Month. And pass it on!…

The US Federal Reserve raised its rate by 0.25% to a new target range of 5.25% to 5.50%, and in New Zealand the OCR is 5.50%. There are signs that inflation is moderating but both central banks have indicated two further rate rises of 0.25% will be needed. The general view is interest rates will remain high for some time…

Inflation continues to be a big story in markets, but it seems it is now under control. US inflation cooled to 4% for the year to 31 May, and, as generally predicted, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 5.00 to 5.25% and signalled a 0.50% increase later this year. Our Reserve Bank boss, Adrian Orr, says he’s confident that further rate increases are not needed…

The global battle against high inflation, rising interest rates, and fears of economic recession influenced investment returns over the last year. Markets do not like worries and uncertainty - the AI arms race, and US government debt ceiling negotiations are current issues that investors are mulling over…