The latest card spending data from November indicates Kiwis are keeping their expenses down for another month.

Kiwibank reports claim the value of spending dropped 2.5 percent in November and new ANZ data shows a drop of 1.2 percent year on year.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says there's hope for the economy - as we're seeing early green shoots ahead of the Christmas season.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

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2024 is nearly over - so which companies did the best on the New Zealand stock exchange for the year?

Tower Insurance leads the pack, off the back of a series of upgraded earnings and regained inclusion back in the NZX50 Index.

Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton unpacked the winners and the losers for the year.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

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The Building and Construction Minister's confident changes to insulation rules will give builders and designers more flexibility. 

Chris Penk's proposed changes to reduce building costs, including examining the whole building instead of individual components. 

Penk told Andrew Dickens he believes there's currently too many regulations. 

He says when you add up the extra costs, it does become significant. 

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

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Most New Zealanders are still keen on using physical cash, a new Reserve Bank consultation has found. 

Their online survey drew in over 18,000 respondents, with many worried digital money would replace banknotes and coins.

The central bank's Director of Money and Cash, Ian Woolford, says people are worried about privacy and control when it comes to money.

"It's a personal choice - money is quite a personal thing and it's quite natural for people to have concerns about people monitoring their use."

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

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Australia's central bank has opted to keep rates on hold in its final meeting of 2024 - the same position it's held all year.

The RBA did soften its language a bit, and revealed the board had 'some confidence' that inflation was heading back to target.

HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham predicted rates would come down by 2025.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

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There's no Christmas gift for Australian mortgage holders - as the central bank has left rates unchanged again.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the OCR in place at 4.35 percent, in line with expectations from economists.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will come as a blow to Prime Minister Albanese - as the cost of living crisis is set to be a hot-button issue for voters ahead of the election.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

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The Finance Minister is determined to ensure New Zealanders get access to more competitive banking services.

A Commerce Commission report on banking has found the sector isn't competitive enough - and the Government is looking to make some changes.

Nicola Willis says she doesn't want to threaten the banks, but she's hoping for better results for Kiwis.

"That means fairer prices, that means more innovative services, that means a better range of services. And what the Commerce Commission - and others - have said is that we lack robust competition in our banking sector."

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

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[VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]. This deep tech hub in Auckland is where entrepreneurs Sir Peter Beck and Sean Simpson started Nasdaq-listed companies. Now new ventures are underway with their guidance.

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is looking to shake up how builders can meet insulation standards for new homes in a bid to reduce building costs.

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has proposed several new changes - with a consultation period set to take place until February.

New Zealand Certified Builders Association CEO Malcolm Fleming says this shows the Government is taking industry opinions into account.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employers are in favour of ACT's plan to allow them to withhold pay for workers on partial strikes. 

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden wants to reverse a previous Government move which prevented pay being docked if workers continued to do some work during a strike. 

Currently pay can only be withheld during a full strike. 

Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Heather du Plessis Allan the current rules aren't working. 

He says they campaigned against the 2018 change out of fear it would lead to more strikes, and it has. 

McDonald says workers have the right to withhold their labour, so employers should have the right to withhold their pay. 

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.