📢 Desmond Lachman identifies the main risks that could drag down the US president's favourite economic indicator

📢 Erin Lockwood parses the confusion over the winning bets on Time's Person of the Year and explains why it matters

📢 Angela Huyue Zhang explains why techological dominance hinges less on models and chips than on economy-wide dissemination

📢 US jobs data soft ahead of payrolls report; US trade data weaker; China property declines; German factory orders jump; air cargo rises fast except in the US; UST 10yr at 4.18%; gold on hold; oil firms; NZ$1 = 57.5 USc; TWI-5 = 61.5

📢 The loud views of pessimists may dominate the headlines or social media, but the evidence suggests that moral decline is not happening

📢 Gemma Cheng'er Deng and Jim O'Neill think the United States and its traditional allies lack a coherent strategy for gealing with emerging powers 👉 Report issues, make suggestions

📢 US hiring weak, job openings at 14 month low; US services PMIs differ; China to follow loose monetary policy; Australia CPI dips; UST 10yr at 4.14%; gold dips from highs; oil down a 5yr lows; NZ$1 = 57.8 USc; TWI-5 = 61.8 👉 Report issues, make suggestions

📢 Barfoot & Thompson's sales and selling prices were both lower in December on seasonality factors but lower prices ate into their mountain of stock as both sellers became more realistic, and more townhouses became available 👉 Latest bot: NZ Transport Agency - Auckland & Northland

📢 Lynda Moore has a fun imaginative holiday exercise, one that will tell a lot about how you feel about earning, spending, and holding money

📢 Commodities surge, including dairy prices; US services sector cools, car sales modest; China car sales hit record; notable China climate shift; UST 10yr at 4.18%; precious metals all up sharply; oil lower; NZ$1 = 57.8 USc; TWI-5 = 61.8

📢 Stephen Roach thinks effective diplomacy will be impossible so long as the current US president is in office

📢 Stock of houses for sale hits a 10-year December high. But average asking prices barely match year-ago levels, barely match general inflation over the past decade

📢 US factories contract; US flu season 'moderately severe'; China service sector expands slower; EU fully adopts CBAM to international grumbles; UST 10yr at 4.16%; gold up sharply; oil low & stable; NZ$1 = 57.9 USc; TWI-5 = 61.9 👉 Report issues, make suggestions

📢 Brian Easton's latest column is a response to the complaint that we have poor economic performance because we have summer holidays. It praises them

📢 Chris Trotter puts the Trump Venezuelan adventure into historical perspective, finding unsettling parallels to the throwback populism and stark racism of the early 20th century

📢 Test yourself with our quiz. Go on, you've got the time. Join the hundreds each week who are up for the challenge

📢 Roger J Kerr sees more confidence around getting a resurging NZ economy in 2026. But overhanging that will be US jobs data that will set the tone for Fed interest rate decisions

📢 China pushes internal growth plans, restricts silver exports; Korean exports rise fast; US factories stutter; Aussie house price growth shows signs of exhaustion; UST 10yr at 4.19%; gold up slightly; ditto oil; NZ$1 = 57.7 USc; TWI-5 = 61.7

📢 Ross Stitt notes Australian retirement savings now exceed AU$4.5 tln, and these investors got better average returns in their super funds than the market average, bolstered by rising house prices

📢 Nouriel Roubini warns that Europe faces a future of relative economic backwardness as global competition intensifies

📢 US trapping itself in stagflation; China stuck with subsidies for internal growth; Korean exports star; India holds expansion; EU turns down; UST 10yr at 4.19%; gold little-changed; oil stays low; NZ$1 = 57.6 USc; TWI-5 = 61.7 👉 More news/weather bots

📢 After three straight years of building back term deposit balances, savers took a break in 2025. Lower rate offers and better alternatives caused the pause

📢 US Fed minutes show expected divisions, likely 2026 rate cuts; regional surveys negative; Korean data dips; China moves on local support; UST 10yr at 4.13%; precious metals recover some; oil stays low; NZ$1 = 58 USc; TWI-5 = 62.1

📢 2026 is likely to be a year of growing instability in global financial markets, washing over our shores in stronger waves. Time to record your 2026 predictions - and check how you did last year

📢 Silvia Sgherri thinks the US needs to help build an open, interoperable, standards-based monetary order for the 21st century

📢 Thinking outside the box: Marcelo Santos suggests replacing the progressive income tax with a progressive consumption tax could bring a range of extra benefits, especially if multi-year averaging was adopted too

📢 Before you buy car insurance - from your broker, or just rolling over with your existing insurer - use the online tools many insurers offer. You are likely to be surprised at the wide range of premiums quoted 👉 Latest bot: NZ Transport Agency - Auckland & Northland

📢 US data mixed; Japan eyes virtuous cycle; India factories busier; UST 10yr at 4.12%; gold drops back with other precious metals; copper and nickel climb; oil firms; NZ$1 = 58.1 USc; TWI-5 = 62.1, bitcoin heads for -7% annual drop

📢 Chris Trotter notes that power is other people. What they can do for you. What you can do for them

📢 China takes another crack at juicing its domestic demand; US data mixed; Taiwan still the Asian star; precious metals keep rising; eyes on retail reports; UST 10yr at 4.13%; oil retreats again; NZ$1 = 58.3 USc; TWI-5 = 62.3

📢 It is a perfect lazy week to try our latest quiz. Join the hundreds who are now regular quizzers in our unique weekly event

📢 Lynda Moore finds a subtler side to money in relationships, the unspoken habits, the little interactions, and the ways we emotionally connect (or disconnect) around finances. If nurtured, these can strengthen your relationship and reduce money stress

📢 Arvind Subramanian explains how both the United States and China are making life harder for developing countries

📢 interest.com.au needs an experienced, business or economics journalist to cover the Australian economy

📢 Michael Spence points out that the returns on today's investments depend on economy-wide adoption, not frontier development

📢 US data mixed; mixed Asian industrial production data; China beef producers call for protection from imports; freight rates hold; UST 10yr at 4.14%; metals prices rise; oil retreats sharpy; NZ$1 = 58.3 USc; TWI-5 = 62.3

📢 Kenneth Rogoff highlights the risks created by policy uncertainty, geopolitical instability, and weak fundamentals 👉 Report issues, make suggestions

📢 It has been hard to win home loan market share over the long run - only BNZ and Kiwibank have managed to do that

📢 First home buyer activity is flat but record numbers are taking out low equity mortgages to get into homes of their own

📢 US consumers & factories downbeat, but official data surprises with sharp gains; Taiwan exports orders leap; semaglutide now in pill-form; UST 10yr at 4.17%; precious & other metals prices surge; oil rises; NZ$1 = 58.3 USc; TWI-5 = 62.4

📢 The IMF's Chart of the Week visuals illustrate major developments during a year of uncertainty - and resilience

📢 Payments network Worldline reports consumer spending picked up in the third week of December, but spending overall continues to remain below year-ago levels so far this pre-Christmas shopping season

📢 Precious metals star; US retail turns uncertain; Canada PPI rises; Japanese rates rise; China hits EU dairy with duty penalties; India & NZ agree FTA; UST 10yr at 4.17%; gold & silver zoom; oil rises; NZ$1 = 58 USc; TWI-5 = 62.1

📢 Here are the key changes to know about in the New Zealand equity market; Gainers dominate with a2 Milk, EBOS, Fletcher Building and Property for Industry lifting lift while Kathmandu, Scales Corp, Vulcan Steel, and Serko decline

📢 Gold's volatility rise in 2025 but from a low base, back to normal levels. Despite the rise, adding gold to a diversified portfolio continues to help reduce overall risk

📢 Kiwibank's final fixed home loan rate changes set it as the bank with the lowest six month rate, and the highest three year rate, otherwise similar to its main rivals

📢 Despite easing overall demand, New Zealand logs get higher China market share. Also poised for gains in India. Demand from local sawmillers is expected to gradually improve 👉 Latest bot: Bluesky AI Bot Mention me in your post to involve me as your AI bot.

📢 If not by the people, then in the people’s name. Chris Trotter spells out how Christopher Luxon and his coalition can win in 2026

📢 Brian Easton notes that the government is still borrowing for consumption and suspects neither Nicola Willis nor Ruth Richardson actually understand what is behind their recent public spat

📢 It's always busy just before the holidays. But take a mind break and do our quiz