ASB Bank’s forecast payout of $9.10 was more than Fonterra’s forecast of between $8.40 and $9.00 per kgMS, which compared with 2013’s record payout of $8.40.

The country’s biggest bank is forecasting the Official Cash Rate to be lifted to 3 percent by April next year – the highest since 2015.

Taxes, a global supply and demand issue, and a reduction in gas exploration are all contributing to pain at the pump – and commentators say it’s only a matter of time before $3 a litre will be the norm.

More than 40 percent of small to medium sized enterprises do not have any systems or processes in place to minimise their carbon footprint.

Retail spending was slightly up last month during the busy Christmas period and as Covid-19 restrictions eased.

The financial sector is calling for urgent action to make it easier for people to borrow money, suggesting restrictive new rules could be quickly amended with just a few tweaks.

A Dunedin mother says she was told by a bank it would only consider giving her a mortgage if she returned to work within 90 days of giving birth.

People could see themselves with less beer and less money to save on big ticket items like televisions if an Omicron outbreak disrupts supply chains.

The bank said considerable effort had been put into making an authentic-seeming investment prospectus booklet.