Property

• Canterbury can't be left with asbestos legacy - Dyson (6 December 2013)
• EQC home repair programme target slips (3 December 2013)
• Tasman has highest rate of home ownership - Census (3 December 2013)
• Southland high on home ownership but mirrors declining trend (3 December 2013)

KiwiSaver & Saving

Concern increased retirement contributions could result in backdoor education cuts

The education sector union NZEI TE Riu Roa is calling on the government to come clean about how increased employer contributions to Kiwisaver and other retirement schemes will be funded for the education sector.

• Key --- for mandate read mockery (25 May 2011)
• KiwiSaver cuts put further pressure on Health budget (24 May 2011)
• Public mandates one of four major Budget policy proposals (22 May 2011)
• English takes Budget message to investors (20 May 2011)

Home Loans

• ASB offering two year home loan rate of 5.99% (8 November 2013)
• New LVRs 'mean home buyers should seek professional advice' (30 September 2013)
• Borrowers urged to talk to their bank as lending limits loom (27 September 2013)
• Kiwibank makes changes to mortgage rates (6 September 2013)

Employment

• Medium-long term employment outlook released (29 November 2013)
• Job vacancies increase for the second month in a row (20 November 2013)
• Federated Farmers' simplify hiring migrants (20 November 2013)
• Long term unemployed numbers go up - Moroney (6 November 2013)

Tax

• Draft minimum requirements 'give taxpayers more certainty' (13 November 2013)
• 'English doesn't know' what sales are hit by tax on traders (12 November 2013)
• Changes to tax treatment of employee and accommodation (12 November 2013)
• Labour will simplify small business tax - Cunliffe (8 November 2013)

Prices & Spending

Discretionary spending increases

Figures released today by Paymark, which processes around 75% of all electronic transactions in New Zealand, show that Kiwis spent a total of just over $4.6 billion in December via Paymark's network, pushing the annual growth rate up slightly to 3.4 per cent.

• Electronic card spending up again in October (9 November 2011)
• Oily Rag by numbers (16 September 2011)
• Tomatoes and green vegetables lift food prices (25 August 2011)
• Core retail card spending up (9 August 2011)

Investing

• Akaroa Gallery to reopen once earthquake repairs completed (5 April 2013)
• Motorcyclist killed in Marlborough crash named (3 April 2013)
• Social housing is Chch Council's shame - Brownlee (14 March 2013)
• Sharples praises Taradale initiative to bring history alive (30 October 2012)

Business

• Statistics reinforce resilience of dairy farmers (6 December 2013)
• Crown research institutes show small surplus (6 December 2013)
• 58 jobs gone in Wellington as Unilever sends work to Aust (4 December 2013)
• NZFC announces new Chief Executive (3 December 2013)