Economists and the financial markets see virtually no chance the Reserve Bank will lift the official cash rate from 3.5 per cent when it reviews it on Thursday.

Is inflation dead? The annual rate has fallen to 1 per cent, dangerously close to dropping outside the Reserve Bank's target band.

On September 1, I went to the fruit and vege shop and spent $24.03. Twice. Well, that's what the credit card statement said, writes Peter Calder.

New Zealand food prices fell in September, as cheaper cheese and seasonal fruit and vegetables offset rising meat prices.

The NZ dollar slumped to its lowest in more than a year after RBNZ governor Graeme Wheeler jawboned it through a key support level of 80 US cents.

NZ food prices rose in August, paring the previous month's fall, as more expensive tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli offset discounted breads.

The Reserve Bank still sees interest rate increases in our future but fewer and further between than it foreshadowed three months ago, writes Brian Fallow.

NZIER's monetary policy shadow board recommends the Reserve Bank keep the official cash rate on hold at 3.5 per cent tomorrow.

The New Zealand dollar has reached its tipping point and looks to be heading lower after the Reserve Bank fired a warning shot across the bows of the market this week.

The Reserve Bank raised its official cash rate to 3.5pc yesterday, but said it would now remain on hold for "a period of assessment".

NZIER's monetary policy shadow board thinks the Reserve Bank should raise the official cash rate to 3.5 per cent tomorrow, but it is a line ball call.

The Reserve Bank will probably raise the official cash rate again on July 24 while trying not to polish the appeal of a New Zealand dollar.

Economists still expect the Reserve Bank to raise its official cash rate to 3.5 per cent next week.

The Reserve Bank has revised up its estimate of the economy's potential or non-inflationary growth rate next year, but it is still shy of the levels prevailing between the mid-90s and mid-2000s.

It's all eyes on the dollar this week after the effervescent kiwi fizzed to within half a cent of a record high by 5pm Friday, writes Liam Dann.

IAG has been given the final regulator's tick to buy Wesfarmers' Lumley general insurance unit, adding to the dominance of NZ’s biggest general insurer.

T-Mobile, Wal-Mart, Google and a host of other retail, tech and telecom companies are now operating like banks and they are piquing the interest of young people.

The number of people buying homes with a deposit of less than 20 per cent is rising for the first time since the new mortgage-lending limits were introduced.

A capital gains tax would reduce the price it is rational for an investor to pay for a property by as much as 23 per cent, Westpac economists say.

The Reserve Bank is indicating the removal of restrictions on high loan-to-value home loans may be gradual rather than a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't affair.

The strength of the surge in net immigration will influence both the outlook for interest rates and how long loan-to-value ratio curbs remain in place, says Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Grant Spencer.

The contrary view to Labour's plan for monetary policy and savings goes broadly like this: It is a cute idea but it won't work, writes Brian Fallow.

Some economists are interpreting talk by Governor Graeme Wheeler that the Reserve Bank may intervene in the foreign exchange market.

The average Auckland house sale price and volumes achieved by the city's biggest real estate agency dropped from $725,708 in March to $708,603 last month.

What we got from Labour's finance spokesman David Parker on Tuesday was a much broader economic policy than that would imply, writes Brian Fallow.