Kiwibank has the "ambition" but not the "capability" currently to take on the role of Government bank.

National lacks the courage to tackle Australian banks which have saddled NZ with billions in debt, says Greens co-leader Russel Norman.

Kiwibank has revealed it borrowed $927m on short term 'hot' European money markets in five months and has quickly lent on much of it into the housing market.

NZ Post says it has ambitious plans for its subsidiary Kiwibank to take a bigger slice of the business banking market.

More than half of New Zealand's $168.2b of mortgages are now on floating rates, says the Reserve Bank.

A deal between a market researcher and Fair Go is bad for the consumer watchdog TV programme.

New housing statistics have identified increasing numbers of Auckland suburbs that are out of reach for first-time buyers, with childless big-earners the most likely to be able to buy now.

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

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

Lending to customers at New Zealand's banks grew by a meagre 0.7 per cent in the second half of their financial year, a new report shows.

In the first mortgage rate cut of 2011, Kiwibank has dropped its one-year mortgage rate to 6.15 per cent from 6.45 per cent per annum.