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

World share prices surged overnight, bolstered by solid data from US, China and a good European growth forecast.

It's strange that the National Australia Bank's (NAB) final knockback in its attempt to take over AXA has received such little airplay in the New Zealand press.

A senior staff member at a Whangarei bank has been sacked for fraud involving thousands of dollars.

The Christchurch earthquake means the Reserve Bank is now unlikely to raise the Official Cash Rate (OCR) again until next year, ASB economists say.

Shares on Wall St and in Europe rose overnight, after the US Federal Reserve indicated economic growth was still happening, though at a slower rate.

The New Zealand dollar opened firmer this morning as anxiety about the global economy eased.

The Christchurch earthquake is expected to provide a much-needed lifeline for NZ's beleaguered construction sector.