Everyone who cares about the future of the economy, interest rates and house prices needs to circle two dates in their calendars this year.

COMMENT: Owning too much stuff has serious financial consequences. The more you own the more you pay for insurance.

COMMENT: NZME has "first mover" advantage when it comes to the shakeup of the New Zealand media industry.

COMMENT: Alarm bells are ringing and danger signs are looming large. You can "safely" invest in large international companies, but not this way.

COMMENT: The proposed merger between NZME and Fairfax NZ is a further sign that media companies continue to look for viable business models.

COMMENT: The Reserve Bank was radiating signals this week that its next intervention in the housing market may well target debt-to-income ratios.

COMMENT: Two media giants into one? Changed market makes NZME-Fairfax tie-up a real prospect.

One thing is for sure - the technology that underpins Bitcoin has got stock exchanges, clearing houses, banks and central banks talking.

A great way to boost sales for many businesses is to make your product or service very easy to use, Graham McGregor writes.

COMMENT: Broadly the banks have strong balance sheets but New Zealand's private debt levels are high and rising.

Learning software better is a surefire way to boost productivity + Win Outlook or Excel boot camp prize for your staff...

It's not the prettiest of terms, but we may as well get acquainted with the challenges of "decumulation", Tom Hartmann writes.

COMMENT: The life of a CEO can be tough and Weldon's demeanour at the GeoOp meeting clearly showed that the MediaWorks job had got the better of him.

COMMENT: Did you hear the one about the inheritance that went to the father's second wife's new husband's next-door-neighbour?

COMMENT: Many foreigners living here agree that you really need $40,000 stashed away somewhere in case of emergencies.

COMMENT: Mark Weldon may have been the smartest guy in the room but that's seldom enough.

COMMENT: Radio New Zealand may sell some of its property portfolio to replenish its coffers.

COMMENT: CEO Mark Weldon might be out, but MediaWorks radio operations are good earners and TV3 won't be going anywhere, writes John Drinnan.

Like many people I prefer to start Sunday's slowly, with a cup of good coffee and a read of the newspaper's business section, writes Brent Sheather.

Happy Star Wars Day! The power of compound interest is undeniable, but it certainly has its dark side.

Once again, the geek monde is abuzz with news that Australian businessman Dr Craig Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto, inventor of bitcoin - or is he? Juha Saarinen writes.

When it comes to marketing there are literally hundreds of different places that you could spend your hard earned money on to improve your results, Graham McGregor writes.

COMMENT: Barry Ritholtz checks out a report that does something he likes the least - makes a forecast.

So much of what we say about money shows how we think about it, and of course how we think about it influences how we act with it.

Debbie Mayo-Smith writes. is it me being stupid or are the vast majority of small businesses just plain lazy when it comes to marketing?

Liam Dann was among the 40,000 shareholders and fans who braved freezing rain and 6am queues to attend the Berkshire Hathaway AGM in Omaha this weekend.

COMMENT: It's too easy to get judgmental about how others spend their money - although I suppose it's fair enough if they complain about their inability to save.

COMMENT: It doesn't pay to be a snob. Literally. Many people think they "need" the latest labels, whether or not they can afford them.