Latest fromBest of Business Analysis

Diana Clement: Top 6 life insurance mistakes Kiwis make
Diana Clement looks at the six biggest life insurance mistakes that Kiwis make.

Brian Fallow: NZ, where the kids are alright
Kiwis are better off than you might have thought, suggests a study of teens' living conditions.

John Drinnan: All in the family for screen sector
How long before one super-agency promotes film and TV alike?, asks John Drinnan.

Caseload: Selfless judge jets off for jolly hoot
Jock Anderson on play-acting in London, real judging for Simon Moore, trustworthy-looking lawyers and more.

Inside Money: Demented demographics - the world's number what problem?
David Chaplin, editor of financial services industry website Investment News looks at growing old and retirement funding.

Time and motion study - out with the Ark, or relevant today?
Time and motion study helps us not waste time by majoring in minor things, writes Robyn Pearce.

Fran O'Sullivan: Kiwis the TPP deal-fixers
Playing the TPP soft cop cannot be allowed to blind Groser and his senior negotiators to NZ's own interests.

Fonterra at crossroads
Pressure is building on Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings as the dairy industry faces up to a winter of discontent, writes Liam Dann.

NZ laid project groundwork
Tim Groser shared a rare insight into the unique partnership that New Zealand forged with the United States on the TPP at a recent forum.

Get Sorted: Caught in the balance
Chuffed because you can easily see your KiwiSaver balance with your other savings accounts? They're actually radically different.

Debbie Mayo Smith: Your biggest excel database mistake
Your database can be used to increase sales but many businesses make a crucial mistake. Debbie Mayo Smith explains.

Why Chinese buyers are good
The reason the Chinese are singled out is because of a handful of well-publicised transactions, writes Christopher Niesche.

Jamie Gray: Crunch time draws near
Jamie Gray writes: For Fonterra's farmers, investors and employees the severity of the dairy downturn will become clear early next month.

Bernard Hickey: Hope in special treatment for zombies
It's encouraging to see the govt is entertaining the idea for "Special Economic Zones" in an attempt to deal with our so-called zombie towns, writes Bernard Hickey.

Buying off plans an easier option under new rules
Getting your first home got a bit easier with some changes to KiwiSaver. It's now possible to buy an unbuilt home, opening up the possibility of buying off the plans.

Property buying can mean big risks
Investors must be sure they won't be forced to sell at some point, because that's when hefty losses can hit.

Fonterra gets out of the big smoke
Having its main office in Auckland is a big part of the dairy giant's problem, writes Brian Gaynor.

John Drinnan: 'These are challenging times'
"I am hoping that when we launch our new 7pm current affairs show, Story, it will give us a boost," Mark Jennings says.

Caseload: Next Chief Justice
Jock Anderson on the clear leader in the scramble to succeed Dame Sian Elias as the next Chief Justice, and more.

Brian Fallow: Why the economy might be OK
A key industry is suffering, but other economic signs paint a happier picture, writes Brian Fallow.

Toshiba mess shows Japan failing
Toshiba's CEO and two other top executives resigned after presiding over a US$1.2 billion accounting scandal. Well and good, but when do we see some criminal indictments?

Eric Crampton: Auckland's property has hit defcon Homer - we now have a 'crisitunity'
There has never been a better time to pull out his term "crisitunity", writes Eric Crampton.

Inside Money: NZX mounts rear-guard action with global ETF deal
Personal finance columnist David Chaplin on exchange-traded funds and the NZX taking a big punt.

Brian Fallow: Wheeler has struck the right note
Wheeler struck the right note in this morning's official cash rate announcement: appropriately dovish but not alarmist.

How to reduce interruptions in the office
Interruptions in the office can be minimised simply by shifting the position of your desk, writes Robyn Pearce.

Juha Saarinen: UFB makes sense to Netflix 4K adopters
Fibre link is proving its worth for devotees of high definition streaming services, writes tech blogger Juha Saarinen.

Mark Lister: Gold optimists on rise
Gold prices have been weak lately, recently falling below US$1100 ($1516) an ounce for the first time since 2010, writes Mark Lister.