The OCR has risen, but does that automatically mean your mortgage rate will rise with it?

Economist and commentator Bernard Hickey explains what really drives fixed mortgage rates, why New Zealand’s banks remain exceptionally profitable, and whether the Reserve Bank has moved too soon while the economy remains weak.

He also decodes the jargon surrounding monetary policy — including hawks, doves, neutral rates, LVRs and DTIs — and considers whether New Zealand can build a functioning economy without relying on house prices to keep climbing.

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Mike Casey from Rewiring Aotearoa says solar can now pay off faster than many households realise, but the biggest savings come from understanding how your home actually uses energy. From gas hot water to EVs, batteries and green loans, Mike and Nadine break down what to weigh up before going electric.

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Think back to 1996.

Dial-up internet, bulky desktop computers and no KiwiSaver.

Investing looked very different. And most New Zealanders had never even heard of Exchange Traded Funds.

In this special episode of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins sits down with PJ Harding to explore 30 years of investing in New Zealand, how access has changed, and how kiwis can get started on their investing journey to build wealth for the future.

For 30 years, Smart’s been helping New Zealanders invest and grow their wealth, including launching NZ’s first Exchange Traded Fund back in 1996. Find out more at smartinvest.co.nz

This episode is brought to you by Smart.

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The government currently spends about a billion dollars a fortnight on superannuation payments, it's a growing problem that we're running out of time to address. So who shouldn’t be counting on getting the pension in future?

Shamubeel Eaqub, Simplicity chief economist and head of policy, joins Nadine Higgins with some hot takes about the future of NZ's pension scheme and his thoughts on proposed changes to KiwiSaver.

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Landlords, capital gains tax and the future of property investing. Owner of 43 properties and founder of Opes Partners, Andrew Nicol, joins Nadine Higgins to explain why he thinks mum-and-dad investors have become an easy political targe and why he still has faith in housing despite the market slump.

He also shares his thoughts on what New Zealanders should be doing to prepare for retirement and where he stands on the idea of a capital gains tax.

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SpaceX has gone public in the biggest IPO in history, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow.

Together, the three companies could be worth more than US$3 trillion. So are they the investment opportunity of a lifetime, or the next great tech bubble?

Fisher Funds portfolio manager Sam Dickie joins Nadine Higgins to break down the hype, the risks and what investors need to know.

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Could an old job be holding money you’ve forgotten about?

In this episode of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins speaks to NZBritannia founder Alun Rees-Williams about the UK pension money many Kiwis lose track of after working overseas. Some people discover multiple pension schemes from different jobs, and in rare cases, the amounts can be life-changing.

They discuss why these funds are so easy to forget, how UK pensions differ from KiwiSaver, what to consider before transferring money back to New Zealand, and why the worst mistake is simply losing track of what exists. Even if you’ve never worked in the UK, it’s a useful reminder to keep tabs on every retirement account attached to your working life.

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The IRD is ramping up crypto enforcement and some investors are discovering they owe tax on gains that have long since disappeared. Crypto tax specialist Tim Doyle joins Nadine Higgins to explain why even small investors are now in the IRD's sights, the mistakes that create nightmare tax bills and what to do if you've fallen behind.

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