John Key says estimates that the assets sales loyalty scheme could cost the taxpayer hundred of millions of dollars are "farcical".

Offshore investors are unlikely to take much interest in the partial SOE sales, says the head of Tower Investments, Sam Stubbs.

Wellingtonians are earning tens of thousands of dollars more than Aucklanders in most professions - but highly paid Queen City bankers are skewing the trend.

Thousands of Kiwis chasing a cut in their home loan interest rate have caused a jam in the banking system.

The statutory managers of Aorangi Securities said they may now be unable to return almost 100c in the dollar to investors.