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.

Kiwibank's new chief executive Paul Brock wants to see the banking industry emulate its telecommunications counterpart and introduce bank account number portability.

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

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

APN News & Media, publisher of nzherald.co.nz, is today launching a nation-wide appeal for Christchurch earthquake victims.

The Government has underwritten Kiwibank's growth plans by providing its parent NZ Post with a backup funding facility it can draw on in emergencies.

Kiwibank has undercharged for too long and is reaping the fruits of not being profitable enough, Ralph Norris says.

Mediaworks wants to put TV and radio news operations under one roof.

Kiwibank had slowing growth and shrinking margins in the March quarter, says KPMG.

Kiwibank, which led its rivals in cutting two-year fixed home loan rates last week, has now followed them by reducing its three, four and five year rates.

Kiwibank has launched its own KiwiSaver scheme, promising better disclosure of fees and more direct control by investors.

Lloyd Morrison: We are a very small economy...

Andrew Harmos

All the major trading banks have now lifted their mortgage rates, with BNZ becoming the last to move following the recent OCR hike.

For the past three years Kiwibank has been voted New Zealand's Most Trusted Bank in the annual Reader's Digest poll.