How to get on the property ladder as national confidence lifts — and what it means for Taupō.

First of all the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) who issue licenses to advisers prefer the word adviser to broker, hence we’re called licensed financial advisers now, same thing.

The FMA protocols are set around consultative rather than transactional engagement with measures in place to ensure clients best interests always come first with levels of skill and competence maintained engaging in continued professional development and with the FMA regulated by the Reserve Bank, we follow protocol.

With Reserve Bank expectations for economic growth increasing from -0.5% in Sept 2025 to 2.8% in March 2027 to climb through 3.1% in 2028 and inflation to fall from 3% to 2.2% then 2.0% and economists stating ‘this is what the markets have priced in’, we’re back in positive territory and heading in the right direction.

Congratulations NZ, we’ve finally done it!

We’ve shaved 3.25% off the Official Cash Rate ( OCR ) in nine steps down from 5.5% 15 months ago to settle at 2.25% on 26th Nov to take us through to the next announcement on 18th Feb, the big question on everyone’s lips is ‘where to from here’?

It’s the age old question and the answer is – it depends!

New Zealand’s proposed new earthquake-rating framework is set to reshape the commercial property landscape, altering how buildings are valued, financed, and insured — and offering a possible lifeline to one of the country’s most iconic heritage structures, the Chateau Tongariro.

In New Zealand’s dynamic property market, commercial property mortgages continue to play a crucial role in supporting business growth and investment. From office buildings and retail spaces to warehouses and rural assets, commercial lending provides the financial backbone for enterprises seeking to expand or secure long-term premises.

As peak season approaches, many businesses face the familiar cash flow crunch — suppliers demanding upfront payment while customers take weeks to settle their accounts. It’s a common roadblock that can stall growth, tie up capital, and limit your ability to take on new opportunities and scale, right when demand is highest.

Starting and running your own business is the dream of a lot of people, the thrill of being your own boss, doing it your way and the freedom to create what you want, its exciting and scary all in one and when you finally achieve success you wonder why you didn’t do it years earlier, speaking from experience here.

In the current economic climate it may seem like its taking forever for the economy to get going, with GDP still low and OCR / interest rate easing taking a while to take effect, it was always going to be a long slow pull. Getting through is key but how?

Since the start of this year we’ve said that 2025 will be all about easing while everything settles down, setting us up for a recovery starting late 2025, through 26 and into 27.

As much anticipated, The Reserve Bank has today reduced the Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points from 3.0% to now sit at 2.5% with potential for more decreases to come taking us well into stimulative territory.

Kicking off our sector on business finance is Invoice Finance, also known as factoring, while popular overseas it’s a highly underutilised facility in NZ.

While it’s great to have access to insurance facilities and indeed essential to many parts of our lives, there are guidelines we need to adhere to in order to protect our access to it.

General insurance is one of the quiet cornerstones of financial security in New Zealand, protecting households and businesses alike from the unpredictable twists of life. Unlike life or health cover, general insurance focuses on property, possessions, and liability, providing a safety net when the unexpected strikes.

In business, people are often the most valuable asset. When a key individual – such as an owner, director, or senior employee – suddenly becomes unable to work due to illness, injury, or death, the financial impact can be devastating. This is where key person insurance plays a critical role, offering a financial safety net that helps businesses survive and recover.

As there are many facets to insurance its easy to get bewildered about what you need and don’t need and what’s even available out there, that’s where Infinance is qualified to provide the cut through you need. An analysis of your requirements paired to comparative software can produce just the right result you’re looking for.

What a difference a year makes with 2.5% shaved off the OCR in 12 months since August 2024.

New Zealand is well regarded for its public healthcare system, which provides hospital treatment and emergency care at little to no cost for residents. However, while this system is accessible and of a high standard, it does come with pressures.

While we go about insuring our lives and income so others are taken care of if something happens to us, there’s also our own needs to think of in the event we are no longer able to function as we once did.