The world is awash with debt, and the world's bond markets are starting to get nervous. The so-called bond vigilantes want a higher interest return for what they perceive is a higher risk. And when the world's biggest borrower has to pay more to find buyers, interest rates everywhere feel it — including on New Zealand mortgages and farm lending.

In this article, Pita Alexander explains what a bond actually is, who owes what around the world, who has lent money to the United States, and what is pushing US bond yields higher. He finishes with what New Zealand should learn from it all.

On 19 August 2026, the United States government debt moved through US$40 trillion. A milestone of sorts.

Numbers that big tend to slide straight past us, so Pita Alexander has put the world's largest government debt into New Zealand terms: per person, per second, and against our own government debt. He also looks at what rising US bond yields could mean for interest rates, mortgages and farm lending here at home, and offers a few frank thoughts on what New Zealand should (and shouldn't) learn from the Americans.

How many New Zealanders are there, what do we earn, what do we owe, and how far is it from Christchurch to Moscow? Pita Alexander has pulled together the numbers worth keeping in your memory bank as a New Zealand taxpayer in 2026. They cover population, housing, debt and farming, plus a few facts just for interest. Have a read and see how many surprise you.

The New Zealand government, and perhaps 35% of New Zealanders, are living beyond their income at the moment. How did we get here, and what does it mean for households, farming families and the wider economy? Pita Alexander works through the numbers, from government debt to KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals, and gives his frank view of what needs to change. Read on for the figures and what they may mean for you.

New Zealand goes to the polls on Saturday 7 November 2026 — and with the election just weeks away, Pita Alexander takes his usual light-hearted (and unashamedly cheeky) look at what politicians say versus what they actually mean. Alongside the political humour, Pita also turns his attention to the everyday realities of money, marriage, farming and life in New Zealand. As always, these comments are 100% Pita's own doing — so don't blame anyone else for them. Read on for a laugh, and maybe a wry nod of recognition.

Fifty years ago, New Zealand looked very different. A loaf of bread cost 30 cents, the average house cost around $24,300, and Robert Muldoon had just swept to power as Prime Minister. Pita takes a nostalgic — and occasionally eye-opening — look back at 1976, covering everything from the cost of living and interest rates to politics, sport and world events. It's a reminder of just how much has changed, and how much still feels familiar.