The Prosperity Project

Buying your first home can feel impossible, but you may be closer than you think.
Mortgage adviser Michelle Isemonger joins Nadine Higgins to explain how to prepare before applying for finance, what banks are looking for and whether you really need a 20% deposit.
They also cover pre-approval, KiwiSaver, auctions, insurance, buying with friends, credit card limits and the common mistakes that can derail a mortgage application.
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The OCR has risen, but does that automatically mean your mortgage rate will rise with it?
Economist and commentator Bernard Hickey explains what really drives fixed mortgage rates, why New Zealand’s banks remain exceptionally profitable, and whether the Reserve Bank has moved too soon while the economy remains weak.
He also decodes the jargon surrounding monetary policy — including hawks, doves, neutral rates, LVRs and DTIs — and considers whether New Zealand can build a functioning economy without relying on house prices to keep climbing.
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Mike Casey from Rewiring Aotearoa says solar can now pay off faster than many households realise, but the biggest savings come from understanding how your home actually uses energy. From gas hot water to EVs, batteries and green loans, Mike and Nadine break down what to weigh up before going electric.
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Think back to 1996.
Dial-up internet, bulky desktop computers and no KiwiSaver.
Investing looked very different. And most New Zealanders had never even heard of Exchange Traded Funds.
In this special episode of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins sits down with PJ Harding to explore 30 years of investing in New Zealand, how access has changed, and how kiwis can get started on their investing journey to build wealth for the future.
For 30 years, Smart’s been helping New Zealanders invest and grow their wealth, including launching NZ’s first Exchange Traded Fund back in 1996. Find out more at smartinvest.co.nz
This episode is brought to you by Smart.
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The government currently spends about a billion dollars a fortnight on superannuation payments, it's a growing problem that we're running out of time to address. So who shouldn’t be counting on getting the pension in future?
Shamubeel Eaqub, Simplicity chief economist and head of policy, joins Nadine Higgins with some hot takes about the future of NZ's pension scheme and his thoughts on proposed changes to KiwiSaver.
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