In the last year, Auckland house prices were up 16 per cent and it is expected pressures will build up house prices even more.

No central banker today will raise interest rates without looking carefully at Sweden's example.

The NZ dollar has touched a fresh record against the Aussie, after Federal Reserve meeting minutes suggested officials may favour keeping US interest rates lower for longer.

The softness of Japan's rebound shows PM Abe's challenge to revive the economy from two decades of stagnation.

The expected price for smaller Auckland homes is continuing to increase, with Trade Me reporting a 26.5 per cent jump for properties of one and two bedrooms.

Having chugged along through the financial crisis, China's huge expansion in debt now threatens to destabilise the economy.

The NZ dollar has edged closer to its record against the Australian dollar overnight - briefly touching 96.29 Australian cents this morning.

Walt Glazer asks whether Auckland should become the Hong Kong of the South Pacific or remain a Kiwi oasis of security for the future.

Salvation Army says housing shortage adding "incredible stress" to families as its State of Nation report shows Auckland's crisis worsened by a record near-4000 houses last year.

The global growth scare that's gripped financial markets is looking overblown to some economists.

Finance Minister Bill English has responded to a warning about a “sharp correction” in the housing market, saying that skyrocketing house prices “cannot go on forever”.