Kiwis are splashing out on wining, dining and big-ticket items such as new cars and household furniture as consumer confidence hits a nine-year high.

Women. Watch your language. "Just" is a four-lettered word. And uttering the words "I think" could be career limiting.

Editorial: It can be easy to jump to assumptions about statistics, especially if they appear to support a particular agenda.

The former New Zealand boss of JPMorgan Chase is locked in "full-blown adversarial litigation" with the bank where he is seeking $170,000 in damages.

There's nothing like an interest rate increase and the promise of many more to focus the mind.

Rate rises can seem a bit baffling, but the formula is pretty simple and the Reserve Bank has seldom been more explicit, writes NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann.

This OCR hike is just the start of the cycle, says Herald economics editor Brian Fallow.

One of the big drivers of economic potential is productivity, which historically has not been a strong point in New Zealand, writes Brian Fallow.

Oil company Anadarko won't confirm claims its exploration off the Otago coast has been unsuccessful.

Should employers keep unsuccessful job candidates' details private? Can they? A recent case highlighted by the Herald might have left doubt in some minds.

ANZ says its Truckometer indices suggest the economy is settling in for a sustained period of growth at least until the middle of the year.

Mortgage brokers are urging borrowers to fix the interest rates on their loans and say it's not too late despite an expected increase in the official cash rate tomorrow.

The days of written references for job seekers are mostly over with the majority of employers now preferring to talk to two or three nominated referees.

New Zealand house prices rose in February reversing the falls of December and January, according to just released REINZ figures.

Jobs growth in February is expected to have bounced back after a weak result in January, but not enough to bring down the unemployment rate.

A company wanting to mine ironsands from the seafloor says the plan will mean $150m extra spent in the area each year.

The law is not always an ass but it can produce an absurdity. The decision to allow a failed job seeker access to his competitors' CVs is one of them.

From a Chinese perspective it makes perfect sense. After more than 20 years of rapid export-led growth it is time to fine-tune the economy, writes Liam Dann.

Interest rate rises this week will dampen demand for housing and could signal the end of Auckland's housing boom, according to an economist.

China has overtaken the UK for the first time to become the largest source country for total permanent migrants to New Zealand.

Marcel van den Assum has been appointed chairman of the New Zealand Angel Association (AANZ).

Auckland property sales figures from the region's biggest real estate company find steady prices for Feb, but an increase in listings.

Taking on the world and embracing it will make New Zealand stronger and sustain its sovereignty, writes David Hisco. Our Aussie mates will then have to try even harder to catch up with us.

The impact of the Reserve Bank's curbs on mortgage lending at high loan-to-value ratios (LVRs) on the housing market has been pretty modest so far.

A leading law firm is calling for changes to how leave is calculated and paid out but a union leader is warning workers could lose out.

If the issue of inequality and poverty is to loom large in this election year there are a couple of cherished beliefs on both sides of politics that need to surrender to evidence, writes Brian Fallow.