New Zealand's services sector expanded last month, an early indication the economy may be returning to growth after stalling in the middle of the year.

New Kiwibank head Paul Brock is urging potential first home buyers not to be spooked and to go out and buy, so long as they can afford to.

Only seven companies - including the three "Heartland Bank" merger partners - have signed up for the Crown's extended retail deposit guarantee scheme.

Olympian Hamish Carter and his wife are helping young athletes find corporate backers, reports Suzanne McFadden.

NZ Post has come out top of a new Corporate Reputation Index, while Telecom has come bottom of the list.

Economists believe GDP stats due out this week will show the NZ economy has expanded less that the Reserve Bank forecasted, confirming that interest rates are on hold for now.

An offer by property developer Patrick Fontein to repay creditors owed $93.9 million has been met with disdain from the BNZ.

Kiwibank accounted for 40 per cent of new residential mortgages written by the major banks in the June quarter.

The news is good - and bad - says the Bank of New Zealand's Tony Alexander.