The National Bank has announced across-the-board fee removals and reductions, as part of a wide-ranging fees review, benefiting customers by about $30 million a year.

Nationwide

SBS chief sees deposit war going for at least another year; Rabobank Capital Securities rate resets; BNZ five-month special ends, slashes 18-month terms and boosts 12-month

Value Fund elevates; Milestone goes for Infiniti; Capital International fund rated unaffected

This month Tyndall's Peter Lynn comments on the unprecedented rise in the New Zealand Dollar.  "All countries want the lowest currency." Our currency is hurting our exporters and prospects for recovery in our 'real' economy.

We are enjoying increasing optimism over prospects of a global economic recovery. We are less than convinced. In this month's Tyndall Comment, Andrew Hunt explains how much of the recovery in financial markets can be attributed to strong liquidity. This is driven by central bank programmes rather than any improvement in our 'real' economies, which remain weak.

The University of Canterbury plans to raise up to $100 million for major capital projects through New Zealand's first listed philanthropic bond issue.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's rate hike this week is unlikely to provoke a similar response from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) - at least in the short term, says BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander.

Auckland

Westpac faces a tax bill of close to $1 billion after losing one of New Zealand's largest ever tax avoidance cases.