All appears quiet in the world of crypto.   The roaring optimism we saw last year has died down considerably. With bitcoin falling 50% to US$9,900, the headlines are no longer shouting, ‘It could hit 1 million’. And as for the other all-star coins, well, they haven’t been faring much better either.

Feb 28, 2018  - Public disclosure is a cornerstone of the Reserve Bank’s approach to prudential regulation and supervision.

Feb 16, 2018  -  Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed the bright-line test on residential property sales will be extended from two years to five years in legislation currently making its way through Parliament.

Dec 21, 2017  -   The Reserve Bank today registered China Construction Bank Corporation to provide banking services in New Zealand. China Construction Bank Corporation is incorporated in the People’s Republic of China and will operate in New Zealand as a branch. A New Zealand subsidiary of the China Construction Bank Corporation has been registered to provide banking services in New Zealand since July 2014. There are now 25 registered banks in New Zealand. More information: Register of banks. | A RBNZ release  ||  December 21, 2017   |||    

Dec 20, 2017  - New Zealand's seasonally adjusted current account deficit for the September 2017 quarter narrowed to $1.3 billion, Stats NZ said today. This is $183 million smaller than the June quarter's deficit and was driven by a fall in imported goods. The current account balance records the value of New Zealand’s transactions with the rest of the world in goods, services, and income. When we have a current account deficit, it implies foreigners earn more from New Zealand than we earn from overseas economies. It is an important measure of the health of the economy. Goods deficit smallest…

Dec 13, 2017  - The appointment of Adrian Orr to be the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) appears to be a good move by the Minister of Finance. To be really effective, however, Mr Orr will need to take seriously the issue of our sustained overvalued exchange rate over the last decade which has played a role in holding back export growth. “We are hopeful the appointment of someone from has worked inside the RBNZ, but also had a very successful career outside since, signals a willingness for reform within the bank, given the review…

Nov 29, 2017  -  New Zealand’s financial system remains sound and risks to the system have reduced over the past six months, Reserve Bank Governor Grant Spencer said today when releasing the Bank’s November Financial Stability Report.  “Momentum in the global economy has continued to build over the past six months, reducing near-term risks to financial stability. However, the New Zealand financial system remains exposed to international risks related to elevated asset prices and high levels of debt in a number of countries. “Domestically, LVR policies have been in place since 2013 to address financial stability risks arising from rapid…

Nov 28, 2017  -  New Zealand FinTech startups need to be braver and take advantage of rapid innovation and change happening in Asia, says a Kiwi-Asian business and technology trade expert working to attract Asian FinTech startups to take part in version 2.0 of Kiwibank’s FinTech Accelerator, run in partnership by Kiwibank and Creative HQ.  Darshan Shetty, of Auckland and Beijing-based Xing Cheng Xing (Rising Star), says Kiwi startups can learn much from what’s happening in FinTech markets in China, India and Vietnam. Many Kiwi ventures are too focused on breaking into the United States and European markets, Shetty says.…

Nov 27, 2017  -  New Zealanders increasingly think we're moving to a cashless society. So why has the amount of cash held in New Zealand more than trebled in the last 20 years? Lynn Grieveson looks at whether criminals, tradies or abusers of migrant workers are responsible.  Half of New Zealanders think that we won't be using cash in ten years' time, and over two-thirds rarely carry cash now, yet new research shows that the amount of cash in circulation has grown over the past decade, outpacing the growth in GDP. The Federal Research Bank of San Francisco released research…

Nov 21, 2017  -  The FMA has today published KiwiSaver data in an interactive format to prompt discussion, engagement and debate on the relationship between investment risk, returns and fees.  The FMA KiwiSaver Tracker uses the information KiwiSaver providers give investors through their quarterly fund updates and via the Companies Office’s Disclose Register. These updates are a legal requirement and the Tracker will automatically incorporate the new information every three months. The Tracker is part of the FMA’s ongoing focus on using disclosure to drive good conduct by providers and informed investor decision-making. The tracker complements other existing independent sources…

17 Nov 2017  -  The Reserve Bank today published a consultation paper proposing an enhanced mortgage bond standard aimed at supporting confidence and liquidity in the financial system.  This follows a review of domestic and international mortgage bond collateral standards. When the Reserve Bank lends to banks and other counterparties it does so against ‘eligible collateral’ (usually lower risk financial assets). Mortgage Bonds are a key form of eligible collateral in many countries with the Reserve Bank first accepting them in response to the global financial crisis when its lending to the banking system increased significantly. In New Zealand mortgage…