Having a baby is life-altering in every respect - and your finances are no exception.

But there are ways to navigate how much growing your family can turn your finances upside down.

Stephanie Pow is the founder of Crayon. She’s on a mission to make it easier for parents to effectively manage the dollars and cents alongside the nappies and sleepless nights.

She joins Nadine this week to discuss what people need to know about parental leave, including some 'quirks' in the law that can be surprising - and costly - for parents.

If you have a question you want answered, or a financial story to share, get in touch at nadine.higgins@nzme.co.nz

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past, overseas investment in New Zealand has been seen as a privilege – rather than a right.

But – could that all be about to change with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s latest push for economic growth?

He kicked off 2025 by announcing the establishment of a foreign investment agency – similar to those seen in Ireland and Singapore.

The Government’s holding a ‘global investment summit’ next month – with sovereign wealth and major asset management fund managers expected to attend.

So, how does foreign investment work now? And can we emulate the success of another country, like Ireland, where foreign investment accounts for much of their GDP and private sector employment?

Today on The Front Page, Glenn Shewan, will take us through what foreign investment looks like in New Zealand now – and what could change.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from Centrix reveals that the number of homeowners behind on their mortgage increased by 1,100 in December alone.

With the interest rates dropping significantly recently, why is it that homeowners are falling behind?

LISTEN ABOVE

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This afternoon the Prime Minister announced New Zealand will be relaxing immigration settings for investors.

Two new immigration categories will be created to encourage wealthy foreigners to invest in Kiwi businesses.

Investors will need to invest a minimum of $5 million over three years, or $10 million over five years.

The visa's English language requirement will also be stripped, which Luxon claimed had scared off potential investors.

LISTEN ABOVE

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is replacing the current visa settings with two new categories that will see visa settings relaxed.

In a bid to encourage more foreign investment, the Government is introducing the balanced category and the growth category, the latter requiring a minimum a $5 million invested for a minimum of three years.

Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges explains the change to Andrew Dickens.

LISTEN ABOVE.

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we speak to Max Ferguson who started Lumin in 2010 to address a growing need for a robust, cloud-based way to edit and share portable document format files, better known as PDFs.

15 years on and Lumin has over 100 million users worldwide and is successfully rolling out more document collaboration products and features, managing to find success with the often-tricky freemium model.

Plus, what's the latest on Deepseek, and the unpacking the NZ government's plans for using generative AI.

Reading list

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curiosity has brought us this far, but the journey is just beginning. Join me as we explore the latest trends, insights, and opportunities shaping the future.

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is talking up the fact it’s exploring ways of making the tax system more business-friendly, with details of potential changes to be unveiled at the May 22 Budget.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wary that at 28 percent, New Zealand’s corporate tax rate is above the OECD average of 24 percent.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates what the Government might be planning ahead of this year's Budget.

LISTEN ABOVE

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.