FeaturedKiwiSaver
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
Financial education and insights for New Zealand investors.
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Markets
Do house prices still double every 10 years? What the data actually shows
The idea that house prices double every 10 years has been repeated so often it's treated as a rule. But historical data shows it's true only about 55 percent of the time — and the 2020s are on track to be the weakest decade in 70 years.
20 Jun 20264 min read
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6% KiwiSaver contributions may be 'excessive' for minimum wage earners — actuaries report
A report from the NZ Society of Actuaries Retirement Income Interest Group finds 6% member contributions may be excessive for minimum wage earners, creating potential hardship without commensurate retirement benefit.
20 Jun 20263 min read
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The market metric that has only been higher once before — and what it means for investors
The Tobin Q ratio, which compares US share values to the cost of rebuilding companies, is now above 2.1 — well above the dot-com peak of 1.47. Economists say it is a yellow light, not a red one, but warrants discipline.
20 Jun 20264 min read
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Why 'suddenly discovered' doesn't mean 'suddenly caused' — the gradual damage insurance trap
A homeowner who fell through a bathroom floor discovered that finding damage suddenly does not make it a sudden event in the eyes of insurers — and the gap between expectation and policy coverage is catching more people out.
19 Jun 20263 min read
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Why some Toyota Prados are worth more used than new — and what it means for buyers
The Toyota Prado is one of the few vehicles in New Zealand that regularly sells for a higher price secondhand than when new, driven by supply constraints, Australian imports with heavy modifications, and strong dealer waitlists.
19 Jun 20262 min read
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Commerce Commission tells fuel retailers to pass on price falls as oil costs drop
The Commerce Commission is watching fuel retailers closely after oil prices fell, saying businesses must pass on lower wholesale costs to pump prices the same way increases were reflected when costs rose.
18 Jun 20263 min read
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Milk price push drives food inflation to 3.6% annual — rents barely moving
Food prices rose 1 percent in May month-on-month, with milk the single biggest driver. Annual food price inflation is running at 3.6 percent, while rents are at record-low increases of 0.3 percent a year.
18 Jun 20263 min read
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Red Bank cuts fixed mortgage rates, heats up competition after ANZ increases
A major 'Red Bank' has cut some of its longer-term fixed mortgage rates, intensifying competition in the home loan market just weeks after ANZ raised all its fixed offerings.
18 Jun 20262 min read
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BNZ fined $2.6m for nine years of incorrect interest on non-profit accounts
BNZ has been fined $2.6 million after admitting it calculated interest on some non-profit accounts using the wrong method for nine years, underpaid 23,103 customers by $5.39m, and has now repaid the full amount plus interest.
17 Jun 20263 min read
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KiwiSaver provider told to pay $500 after 30-working-day delay on hardship withdrawal
A KiwiSaver provider took more than 30 working days to process a woman's hardship withdrawal, prompting a disputes tribunal to order $500 compensation for the stress caused.
17 Jun 20263 min read
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Budget 2026 raises FIF threshold to $100,000 — what that means for overseas investors
The de minimis cost threshold for New Zealand's Foreign Investment Fund rules doubles from $50,000 to $100,000 from 1 April 2026 — the first increase since 2000.
15 Jun 20264 min read
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Fuel Prices Set to Fall as Hormuz Reopens — And Farm Theft May Ease Too
The US-Iran peace deal has sent oil prices lower and could bring relief at the pump for New Zealand households. For farmers, a quieter side-effect may be less incentive for rural fuel theft.
15 Jun 20263 min read
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