Last week the Reserve Bank dropped the OCR 25 basis points to 2.25%, but their tone was a bit more hawkish than usual. 

Some analysts are thinking it's a signal that rates have gone as low as the RBNZ is willing to drop them - and the new Governor may be wanting to turn a new leaf in 2026. 

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Last week the Reserve Bank dropped the OCR 25 basis points to 2.25%, but their tone was a bit more hawkish than usual.&nbsp;
Some analysts are thinking it's a signal that rates have gone as low as the RBNZ is willing to drop them - and the new Governor may be wanting to turn a new leaf in 2026.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Looking to make sense of your dollars? Newstalk ZB’s Smart Money delves into the deep, dark recesses of unwanted debt, traverses the highs and lows of investments and helps to ensure you money works for you.

Our industry experts give us their top tips on a wide selection of topics including mortgage rates, stock, savings, goal-setting and retirement.

Looking to make sense of your dollars? Newstalk ZB’s Smart Money delves into the deep, dark recesses of unwanted debt, traverses the highs and lows of investments and helps to ensure you money works for you. Our industry experts give us their top tips on a wide selection of topics including mortgage rates, stock, savings, goal-setting and retirement.

Looking to make sense of your dollars? Newstalk ZB’s Smart Money delves into the deep, dark recesses of unwanted debt, traverses the highs and lows of investments and helps to ensure you money works for you.

Smart Money

Andrew Bascand: We've seen the bottom of the rate cycle

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f74ebd21-05e8-4bbd-b4fd-b3ac0052a144/transcript

We got another OCR cut this week - now down to 2.25% - the lowest it's been since June of 2022. 

That was the last one for the year, so a lot of us mortgage holders are trying to figure out whether things are slowing down, and if it's time to fix for a longer term this time around. 

LISTEN ABOVE

We got another OCR cut this week - now down to 2.25% - the lowest it's been since June of 2022.&nbsp;
That was the last one for the year, so a lot of us mortgage holders are trying to figure out whether things are slowing down, and if it's time to fix for a longer term this time around.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Lisa Dudson: Is it time to fix long term?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/eafd3895-4ef2-428f-9c33-b3a500520980/transcript

Queues at budgeting services are getting longer, and financial advisors are finding households with increasing incomes are seeking help. 

Kiwis with a household income of over $200,000 a year and likely with a mortgage are struggling to make ends meet. 

It feels like it was only a few years ago that being on a six figure salary meant you were fairly well off, but it seems it's barely enough to get out of living paycheck to paycheck these days. 

So what actually is a liveable wage these days? Do we truly need to be making half a million a year just to pay our bills and still have a bit left over for savings and fun? 

LISTEN ABOVE

Queues at budgeting services are getting longer, and financial advisors are finding households with increasing incomes are seeking help.&nbsp;
Kiwis with a household income of over $200,000 a year and likely with a mortgage are struggling to make ends meet.&nbsp;
It feels like it was only a few years ago that being on a six figure salary meant you were fairly well off, but it seems it's barely enough to get out of living paycheck to paycheck these days.&nbsp;
So what actually is a liveable wage these days? Do we truly need to be making half a million a year just to pay our bills and still have a bit left over for savings and fun?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Martin Hawes: Higher earners increasingly seeking budgeting help

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0061b8ee-6580-4d8b-b886-b39e00525df7/transcript

Most of us have spent the past few days daydreaming about what we would spend $55 million on. 

Pay off the mortgage, book a holiday, send some off to charity, throw the rest in a term deposit.

Three lucky punters each one a share of the jackpot last night - $18.3 million each. 

Not many of us will have the chance to come across tens of millions in our lives, but most of us will at some point get a large some from inheritance or a bonus or the likes. 

So what's the smart thing to do when you get a big windfall, before the excitement takes over? 

LISTEN ABOVE

Most of us have spent the past few days daydreaming about what we would spend $55 million on.&nbsp;
Pay off the mortgage, book a holiday, send some off to charity, throw the rest in a term deposit.
Three lucky punters each one a share of the jackpot last night - $18.3 million each.&nbsp;
Not many of us will have the chance to come across tens of millions in our lives, but most of us will at some point get a large some from inheritance or a bonus or the likes.&nbsp;
So what's the smart thing to do when you get a big windfall, before the excitement takes over?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Rupert Carlyon: Take a breath before you touch that windfall

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/df6b10fc-c668-4c0e-a54f-b3970052093c/transcript

Andrew Bascand: We've seen the bottom of the rate cycle

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