Men aged 18-33 and 49-64 and those in the North Island in particular, are showing signs of potential financial stress, a credit rating agency says.

NZ's 'tepid' recovery from the financial crisis is at risk of being derailed by the relative strength of the NZ dollar, Alan Bollard has warned.

World share markets have risen after the Federal Reserve's $600b plan to stimulate the US economy was well received.

ASB is dropping the CBA name as it seeks to double its market share in the institutional and corporate banking sector.