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Understanding KiwiSaver: A Complete Guide for 2026
Everything you need to know about KiwiSaver - how it works, choosing funds, and maximizing your returns for retirement.
24 Feb 20263 min read
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Fat Pocket Blog
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Markets
Asking prices fall $50,000 in three months as property market heads into winter
Trade Me Property data shows the national average asking price dropped to $833,800 in May from $883,800 in February, with Auckland down $91,300 over the same period.
10 Jun 20262 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
Card surcharge ban stalls but consumers already seeing the benefit of earlier fee cut
The government's ban on credit and debit card surcharges looks increasingly uncertain, but a separate Commerce Commission intervention has already more than halved the interchange fees retailers pay — and that saving is flowing through.
10 Jun 20262 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
Insurance premiums up 916% since 2000: NZ's largest insurer calls for 15-year government roadmap
IAG NZ, the country's largest insurer, is calling for a clear government roadmap over the next 15 years, warning that natural hazard risk is growing faster than the system's ability to manage it.
10 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
Mortgage top-ups near half of all approvals as property market cools
Reserve Bank data shows mortgage top-ups accounted for 46.5% of new approvals in April, while property purchase mortgages fell to just over a third — the lowest share on record.
10 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
What your appliances cost to run this winter: the numbers behind power bills
With winter driving up electricity costs, a closer look at what specific appliances actually cost to run — from heated towel rails to electric blankets — and where the savings are.
10 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articleEconomy
Power companies to pay for LNG terminal as government drops consumer levy
The government has reversed course on who pays for New Zealand's planned LNG import terminal, dropping a proposed levy on power bills and instead requiring gentailers to cover the costs.
9 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articleInvesting
Why NZ manufacturing startups struggle to attract venture capital
Just 7% of tracked capital investment went into physical product companies in NZ in 2023, with researchers pointing to a mismatch between venture capital timelines and the slower returns from manufacturing.
9 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articleMarkets
NZ house prices inch up 0.3% but remain 14% below peak — QV
The national average dwelling value rose 0.3% in the three months to May to $912,190, but remains 14.2% below the 2022 peak, with a patchy picture across regions.
8 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
Tax refunds under $1 won't be paid: What to know about this year's auto-assessments
Tax assessments have started rolling out for 1.4 million New Zealanders, with refunds under $1 held until they accumulate and debts under $50 written off entirely.
8 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articleMarkets
Tiger Brokers fined $100m: What the record China penalty means for NZ investors
New Zealand's largest online brokerage has been fined more than $100 million by China's securities regulator for illegal cross-border securities activities — the largest penalty ever levied against a NZ business.
8 Jun 20263 min read
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Read articleMarkets
Wall Street's worst day: Why the US market selloff matters for NZ investors
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq had their worst day of the year as strong US jobs data shifted expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes. Here's what that means for New Zealand investors.
8 Jun 20264 min read
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Read articlePersonal Finance
New Zealand's insurance crisis: the decade of critical risk and who should pay
Insurance industry leaders at the ICNZ conference in Auckland warned New Zealand faces a decade of critical natural hazard risk, and that current funding mechanisms are not fit for purpose. A proposal to replace the Fire and Emergency levy with a broader Community Protection Levy is raising questions about who should pay for national resilience.
7 Jun 20264 min read
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