Kiwibank has today launched a six-month fixed home loan rate of 4.79 per cent, the bank's lowest rate in its 11-year history.

Three weeks since ASB kicked off competition among banks for the year, Westpac has this morning announced cuts to three of its fixed mortgage rates.

The man who went on the run with a bank's millions has been declared bankrupt - and there is no word on the money he owes.

Banks are slashing their long-term mortgage rates, with customers tied up for longer periods likely to save thousands.

Aucklanders' rates have given a $46 million boost to 10 rescue, safety, arts and cultural groups in the past four years and a further $14 million gift is proposed for the 2013-14 year.

The face of New Zealand business changed over 2012 with a series of senior appointments made to some of the country's top jobs.

Banks have united to keep mum on how often they give customer details to police without a warrant.

One person has been injured after an explosion in a lift in the Westpac building on lower Queen St in downtown Auckland this morning.

Banks are going into battle for new customers with free tablet computers, contributions to house painting and cash handouts all up for grabs.

Peter Jackson is said to be enthusiastic about monitoring off-set conditions for animals used in film productions, writes John Drinnan.

New Zealand's mostly Australian-owned banks are not as profitable as they appear, despite very strong earnings, the NZ Bankers Association says.

Police got personal banking details of Kim Dotcom and his staff without getting a search warrant in a move that has implications for bank customers.

Is the IMF over-stating any potential economic growth for New Zealand. One leading economist thinks so.

Kara Hurring - ex-partner of the 'Runaway millionaire' - says home detention is no "walk in the park'' and she is counting down the days until the sentence ends.

How would you feel if someone muscled in front of you in the queue at the bank? How would you feel if the manager actually encouraged queue-jumping? Bernard Hickey looks at bank assets.

The four Australian-owned banks earn more out of NZ than banks in most other countries, but that's the price of a sound financial system, says Alan Bollard.