Hanover Finance shareholders have been urged to put aside the company's poor performance and any animoisty towards its directors when they vote on the Alllied Farmers deal.

Perceived cost and inconvenience are the main reasons people hold back from switching banks.

Stock exchange operator NZX plans to split its shares four ways, and change the way it calculates dividends.

New Zealand house values rose 1 per cent in the 12 months ended November 30, up from a 0.20 per cent gain in the period through October, says QV Valuations.

Lombard Finance receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers says investors will receive a repayment later this month of 6.5 cents for every dollar invested.

Auckland's house price surge has prompted a warning that over-valuations are creating a bubble that will burst.

Allied Farmers says it is confident it can realise more value in Hanover's loan books than the failed finance company can operating under its moratorium.

The company behind Wellington's $100 million Holiday Inn has collapsed.

In a move that reverses changes during the 1990s, Westpac is opening 10 new community branches in Auckland.

Official interest rates are likely to stay on hold next week, says Deutsche Bank economist Darren Gibbs.