Speculation that a major bank would shift into a new 26-level high-rise office tower in Auckland has been dashed.

Former bank manager Vanessa Adams' family and friends sobbed openly in court as she was sent to prison for stealing more than $200,000 from customers' accounts.

One of the accidental millionaires, Kara Hurring, has appeared in court and will fight eight charges of money laundering and one charge of theft of $6,782,000 from Westpac Bank in 2009.

The Reserve Bank should have waited for more data on the true impact of the earthquake and put a bit more faith in the resilience of the New Zealand economy.

A pale and exhausted Kara Hurring last night spoke of her isolation as she faces up to her fugitive past.

BNZ and Kiwibank have joined the other banks and cut mortgage rates.

Sister banks ANZ and National have cut mortgage interest rates.

ANZ New Zealand says its plans to put the ANZ and National Banks onto one IT platform and restructure management by laying off 45 staff and establishing a new structure will cost it a total of $220m.

Kiwibank says half year profits fell 41 per cent as bad debt provisions more than doubled.

Tourism Holdings says it has resolved a banking covenants breach issue with its banks.

Nuplex Industries will pay $3m to shareholders as part of a settlement with the Securities Commission after failing to disclose it breached a debt covenant in 2008.

Decision to let banks go under looks smarter by the day, in contrast to Ireland's costly bailout, reports Yalman Onaran.

No one likes to hear the name of his bank and the phrase "possible credit rating downgrade" in the same sentence.