Westpac Banks says it's time to fix mortgages, ANZ says it's best to wait a bit.

NZ banks may follow their Australian parents and hike floating mortgage rates before any official move, but will struggle to justify it.

New Zealand consumers are feeling the heat of global economic conditions, with optimism falling for a fourth month in the lead-up to the important Xmas shopping period.

Chorus, now officially demerged from Telecom, has just secured a $1.35b bank facility. Photo / Supplied

ANZ Bank has won an employment fight against 114 workers from ProvencoCadmus, who are trying to get $1.6m in unpaid wages.

ANZ Bank has reported a 25 per cent rise in annual profit in New Zealand, beating the $1 billion barrier with the help of a 59 per cent fall in bad debts.

No one is confessing to being the economist who authored an email about Standard & Poor's that has landed Prime Minister John Key in hot water.