A range of changes to Partners Life policies reflects an increasing focus on "living benefits" in insurance.

A high-level, principles-based code of conduct may be hard to apply across the financial advice sector, commentators say.

Southern Cross Health Society says it has strengthened its workplace wellbeing expertise to help meet growing demand from Kiwi businesses for robust programmes to support the health of their people.

AIA Australia and New Zealand is to trial a corporate health programme provided by mental health technology company Medibio, with its staff.

Former All Black Cory Jane has helped give out some of $50,000 in sports grants awarded to schools to mark the end of the six-week New Zealand’s Healthiest Schools Challenge, supported by AIA and Sovereign.

Shayne Elliott, the chief executive of ANZ, has conceded its bank branches are “not terribly efficient” for mortgage origination, adding most of the lender's business comes from mortgage advisers.

Developers are increasingly seeking to maintain control of embedded networks in apartments and that means both buyers and body corporates need to know what to watch out for, Auckland District Law Society president Joanna Pidgeon explains.

Advisers who have been the subject of regulatory action could have a hard time transitioning to the new regime.

A financial adviser has been fighting through the courts to reinstate his contracts with an insurer, which cancelled them because of his inappropriate behaviour.

Insurance advisers' commissions have come in for heavy criticism again, this time from the Reserve Bank. 

[UPDATED + COMMENTS] The Financial Markets Authority has issued a public warning about a registered financial adviser after dealer group Preferred NZ alerted the regulator about his dodgy practices.

Advisers say the Reserve Bank’s decision to loosen LVR restrictions will boost homebuyers, but warn tighter credit and loan servicing conditions will restrain volumes.

The Reserve Bank has loosened LVR restrictions, with changes coming into effect in January. Banks will be able to provide 20% of their owner-occupier loans to borrowers with a deposit of less than 20%. While lenders will be able to allocate 5% of new investor loans to borrowers with less than a 30% deposit. 

The Reserve Bank says it will ease LVR restrictions. Here's what it said with the release of today's Financial Stability Report.