ASB Investment Podcast

Host Nigel Grant is joined by Lee Marshall, Managing Partner at Hunter Campbell and founder of the Mood of the CFO report, and Scott Maud, CFO of Halter, to unpack the headline findings from the 2026 edition of New Zealand's most comprehensive survey of finance leaders. They explore why NZ businesses are outperforming expectations despite a darkening global outlook, how CFOs are balancing cost discipline with genuine investment in growth and AI, and what the data says about succession planning as a persistent blind spot. Scott also shares what it looks like to scale AI in practice inside a fast-growing tech business, and why the CFOs thriving right now are the ones who've made peace with uncertainty rather than waiting for it to clear.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by Jessica Palalagi, Director of The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi and Amehl Smith, ASB's Head of Private Banking and lead for the bank's new partnership with the Foundation, to explore another type of investing that extends far beyond markets and portfolios - the investment in art, creativity, and people. They explore why ASB chose to back the Foundation, what makes investing in artists different to funding a specific project, and the surprising parallels between building an art collection and building a portfolio. Jessica also shares practical ways anyone can start supporting the arts, no matter their budget, and why simply showing up might be the most powerful investment of all.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by author and gender equity specialist Angela Meyer, co-founder of Hi Money and co-author of best selling book Money, Money, Money - to unpack why women consistently retire with less than men and what's really behind it. They explore the emotional and psychological side of money, the systemic barriers that compound over a lifetime, and what financial institutions could be doing better. Angela also shares practical first steps for women at any stage of their financial journey, and why talking about money openly might be the most important thing you can do.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Senior Economist Chris Tennent-Brown to make sense of a week that gave Kiwi plenty to digest. They cover the RBNZ's split committee vote that may signal rate hikes are closer than many expected and turn to the 2026 Budget, which Chris describes as "prudent and boring" (and why that might actually be good news). They also explore what rising short-term interest rates could mean for borrowers and savers, and why sticking to a long-term strategy still matters more than trying to pick the top or bottom.

Host Nigel Grant flies solo this episode to strip investing back to its roots. Using [his green thumb] as a guide, Nigel unpacks the core ideas every investor should have in their toolkit: what investing is really for, how to think about risk and return, why diversification matters, and the power of compounding. He also tackles one of the most common investing mistakes and shares why the patient gardener always outlasts the panicking neighbour.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Senior Economist Kim Mundy to unpack the latest ASB Housing Confidence Survey. They explore how the Middle East conflict has rapidly shifted interest rate expectations, cooled house price optimism, and put a lid on a recovery that was starting to gain momentum with Auckland feeling the sharpest impact. Plus, Kim shares why despite the uncertainty, there's a silver lining for one group of Kiwi right now: first home buyers.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Senior Economist Chris Tennent-Brown to unpack the latest ASB Investor Confidence Survey for the March 2026 quarter. They explore why global headlines from the ongoing Middle East conflict to shifting interest rate expectations are rattling investor sentiment, even as share markets push higher. Plus, Chris shares why the gap between how investors feel and what markets are actually doing is one of the most important things long-term investors need to understand right now.

In this solo episode, Nigel Grant answers some of the most common investment questions, using storytelling to unpack market volatility, interest rates, timing decisions, and more. Along the way, we explore:· Why markets react so strongly to headlines (and what Chicken Little can teach us)· The real risk of “waiting it out” vs staying invested.· What’s actually going on with interest rates and why you can’t control them.· The danger of chasing the “next big thing”.· How to think about balancing your mortgage and investments.