Latest fromWestpac Banking Corporation

Westpac gifts $200 to New Year newborns
Westpac is celebrating its 200th birthday by depositing A$200 into new accounts for babies born in 2017.

Westpac breaches registration conditions
Westpac bank has admitted breaching a condition of its registration relating to how it measures capital adequacy.

Big money learns new tricks
Some of New Zealand's biggest companies are lending their muscle to help start-up businesses get off the ground.

Battle for your savings heats up
Banks have increased term deposit rates in a bid to attract customers and fund further mortgage lending.

Westpac apologises for 'Asian' email
Westpac has apologised for sending an email to a customer containing the greeting "Hello Asian".

Major banks offer financial assistance
Quake-hit customers and businesses have been offered mortgage relief and access to savings.

Call centre delays after quake
Customers of BNZ and Kiwibank may face delays in getting through to the lenders, with both banks' primary call-centres based in Wellington.

Gattung's new bag: Helping women help women
With an already impressive resume, My Food Bag co-founder Theresa Gattung is at work on a fresh new venture.

Teller charged with theft from client accounts
A Westpac bank teller has failed in a bid to keep her name secret after being charged with stealing nearly $12,000 from client accounts.

Sadness on bank's last business day
Ranfurly's only bank closed its doors yesterday.

Banks pay up to settle complaints
New Zealand banks paid out nearly $450,000 in the last year to settle disputes with their customers.

Telcos say they won't volunteer info to spies
Telecommunications companies are concerned about a proposal which will allow companies to volunteer suspicious information about their customers to spying agencies.

Could you do this gruelling obstacle course?
A new charity event in Auckland is the first of its kind in the world.

Bank boss offers switching solution
As Australian banks face the political spotlight one bank boss offers a solution to customers who find switching too much bother.

Alleged illegal drug sales probed
Medicine ads pulled off Chinese language sites after inquiries made.

Interest rate spike biggest risk - Key
John Key has signalled a rapid and unexpected rise in interest rates and "something big that happens internationally" as the biggest threats to the NZ economy.

Technology spells end of branch banking
In just five years, more than 150 branches of NZ's major banks have disappeared, and more are earmarked to go the same way.

Planning for the downturn
The housing market will correct, but it will take a few years, Wespac's David McLean tells Anne Gibson.

Westpac confirms 19 branches to close
Bank closures are expected by early November with 19 branches to shut.

Fate of Westpac branches revealed today
Westpac staff at 19 branches around the country are expected to be told late today whether their branch will close.

Niesche: Big four banks embrace digital world
COMMENT: Westpac is leading the way with its investments in tech startups and the online mortgage broker uno.

Towns shocked by proposed bank departures
The mayors of two towns facing the prospect of two major banks closing up shop within weeks of each other say people are shocked at

ANZ proposing branch closures
ANZ bank, the country's largest bank, could be closing branches around New Zealand.

Tighter bank loans may throttle housing
Auckland property developers fear that a sudden tightening of bank lending may "throttle" new housing projects despite the city's desperate housing shortage.

Agribusiness: Big swings in the farming cycle
Westpac's Karen Silk says the bank is confident the problems facing NZ dairy farmers are cyclical.

Westpac KiwiSaver to exit weapons investments
Westpac KiwiSaver confirms it will exit investments to companies that are involved in the manufacture of cluster bombs, landmines or nuclear explosive devices.

Kiwibank won't replace Westpac branches
Kiwibank says it won't be stepping in to fill the void left by Westpac's proposed branch closures. First Union says Westpac is planning

Small towns stranded if branches close
Three towns will be left with no bank branches if Westpac goes ahead with a raft of planned closures.

Westpac bank branches to close
A union spokesman said up to 19 branches could close, putting up to 100 jobs at risk.