Savings include KiwiSaver clawbacks while big spend is on quake and education.

Beleaguered Bridgecorp investors could soon get their first distribution from the failed property lender's receivers, nearly four years after the company collapsed.

Former finance company owner Mark Hotchin says he was personally "misled" by a group of con-artists.

The first big decision of the new Financial Markets Authority is whether to lay criminal charges against any of Hanover Finance's directors.

Labour has called the Govt's revised $1.2b South Canterbury Finance bill a "disaster of epic proportions", saying Finance Minister Bill English "grossly mishandled" the situation and should resign as a result.

The government's finances have taken a $331 million hit, largely due to problems recovering money from failed South Canterbury Finance's tangled set of related party loans.

Prime Minister John Key was called a liar when he fronted a meeting in Timaru last night packed with vocal Allan Hubbard supporters. The PM was forced to defend the Govt's handling of South Canterbury Finance to a bositrous 500-strong crowd

The value of large frauds brought before the courts rose to $100 million in the second half of last year.

John Hepburn raises valid points on the Hotchin debacle and media coverage of it.