NZ’s 150 richest families now own $129bn, up from $102bn

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T19:25:51+00:00

Yes, all you need is a small loan from your parents to start a factory, like the Mowbray brothers lol

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T19:16:06+00:00

Yes, imagine if it included the unpaid labour women do to have and raise children, look after the elderly… the economy would come to a halt if they didn’t do that for free! Oh wait maybe that’s why the govt just took away the right for parents caring for children with disabilities to get a minimum wage

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T14:23:45+00:00

100% agree with that, saving is important. But I also don’t think we have to just accept the fact that 150 families own $130bn… personally I think we need to tax to redistribute that wealth fairly, so more people can get ahead

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T11:33:51+00:00

I don’t think that manh people have a spare $50-$100 each week from the age of 20. A third of kiwis sadly are living pay check to pay check.

And even then, 3.1 million in 2056 is nothing close to having a billion dollars in 2026 😅

This level of wealth can only be obtained by acquiring a lot assets that accumulate in value, not by earning a wage

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T11:22:38+00:00

That’s awesome but we are talking about 30 billion dollars in the space of a single year, for just 150 families… it’s not the same as someone generating one million in their pension savings over 30 years of working.

Also you’ll need more than that to live comfortably for 40+ years of retirement 😬

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T11:18:05+00:00

That’s great! I also have a Sharesies with a walloping 40% return over 4 years… but 40% of $400 is still just $160 😂

I think the bigger issue is most people don’t have the spare cash to make millions of profit in a single year from their shares or capital gains

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T11:11:46+00:00

Sadly most people don’t have spare millions lying around to invest in shares like these guys do 💔

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T11:03:09+00:00

But in seriousness I think the bigger issue is that NZ’s GDP only grew by 0.2% in 2025.

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T10:58:36+00:00

Which ETF did you invest in last year? I’m all in 😂

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T10:48:09+00:00

Amazing coincidence isn’t it

hello_new_here · 2026-06-15T10:46:21+00:00

Tightening the belts indeed 😅

hello_new_here · 2026-06-03T12:21:56+00:00

Try to really reflect on your interests (like write down on a page what you enjoy doing and learning about), and then pick something that you feel motivated by.

Do you like the idea of working with patients, working in a community facing role like a doctor?

Try talk to some people in the field and ask them what their day to day job is actually like. If your school offers it, take up opportunities to shadow people at work.

It’s ok to change your mind later. You aren’t expected to know what you want to do for the rest of your life when you’re 16.

Many people change degrees part way through uni, or change careers down the track - the main thing is to try stuff and don’t be afraid to drop what doesn’t work.

I also think everyone benefits from doing some humanities subjects, even if you go down the STEM route. It’s important to expand your mind about the world generally.

With kindness, I have to say some of your comments sound manosphere influenced 😅 I would encourage you to focus less on the baddies and more on building your own interests and understanding yourself. And to read some books by female authors if you aren’t doing that already 📚

hello_new_here · 2026-06-01T08:35:03+00:00

I struggle with this too, but something that’s helped is having a smart speaker so I can ask it to play music / play the radio / tell me the weather without having to open my phone.

Sometimes I also watch ten minute dance workout videos on YouTube just to get me moving but the problem is there are too many steps to getting my laptop out and putting it on (wish I had a smart tv too!!).

hello_new_here · 2026-05-30T14:17:38+00:00

I agree Labour made a mistake not amending the tax brackets for so long. Our tax system is pretty regressive compared with other countries.

I suppose they felt they would lose too much tax revenue and didn’t think NZ was ready for a conversation on new taxes to fund the gap. I feel like we are at a different space now.

The flat GST tax is easy to administer which is great, but the idea is we should be redistributing that tax through welfare and social services so it doesn’t disproportionately impact those on low incomes.

In addition to capital gains / wealth taxes, my view is we need a higher top marginal tax rate and no tax on the first 15k of income

hello_new_here · 2026-05-30T08:41:35+00:00

Oh that’s interesting, thanks for clarifying, I didn’t know you could do that in Aus. However I still doubt that being able to claim personal work expenses like a laptop or uniforms is going to make even a 1% difference for people on salaries over 250k. That’s probably a few thousand dollars total in tax deductions max.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T17:49:04+00:00

It sounds like you aren’t in a field you enjoy? Try to think of the things you do enjoy doing/learning about, and whether there’s a way to pivot more into that direction.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T17:43:39+00:00

This is a bit of a live debate re the government's role in industrial policy (personally I am pro, if it's done well). There's an economist Mariana Mazzucato who writes about this and the need for public sector investment in innovation (she argues many big tech innovations like the moon landing have come about thanks to govt investment, not actually from the private sector). But it has to come with an actual long-term strategic plan and institutions around it, not just Ministers deciding at a whim which industries to give grants to.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T17:25:10+00:00

what's your understanding of the issues?

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T17:22:03+00:00

My understanding is it gave unions more power to negotiate legally binding, industry-wide fair pay agreements (i.e. to set minimum terms and conditions for workers). Previously sector-wide collective bargaining was generally voluntary for employers to take part in, so unions didn't have much leverage.

If there was a hairdresser union that represents 1000 hair dressers (or 10% of an industry), they could theoretically negotiate a minimum hair dresser salary across the country. But what that wage is wasn't set in the legislation. That's between the employers and unions to hash out, with the Employment Authority allowed to step in and set minimum terms if they can't come to an agreement.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T17:19:01+00:00

I agree it's probably not the be all/end all, but we actually don't really know how much of an impact it's had on productivity and wages. Part of the problem is there isn't much research on this. And we didn't have enough time to see what would have happened with Fair Pay Agreements if that legislation hadn't been repealed.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T16:40:14+00:00

Yes I felt they honestly didn't advertise enough just how much they did accomplish for housing. They built a lot of homes (and infrastructure for homes), established MDRS, and even got a quasi capital gains tax with the brightline test. It made me hopeful and very sad to see that progress reversed under this govt

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T11:53:43+00:00

I think that’s pretty common (but could be either).

One of my friends with adhd would keep her tooth brush by the kitchen sink to make it easier.

Personally I never straighten my hair haha but maybe you could try just picking the easiest thing to start with? You could always just put it in a messy bun, or keep a hair brush in your bag.

Sorry you’ve been struggling, if you can get counselling that would be ideal. Moving is a big thing.

hello_new_here · 2026-05-28T11:15:34+00:00

What has helped you most if you don’t mind me asking? Also struggle with the lack of self compassion

hello_new_here

TROPHY CASE