The Commerce Commission has cleared home loan break fees charged by National Bank, ASB, SBS Bank and Bank of New Zealand, saying they’re likely to comply with consumer finance law.

The health insurance market appears to be weathering the global economic storm well, according to figures released today by the Health Funds Association of New Zealand (HFANZ).

Wellington

Nearly half of private investors have now joined KiwiSaver with a further 22% intending to join in the next quarter, a survey from ING says.

Equity markets look significantly more attractive than cash or bonds, according to AMP Capital Investors, which manages around $11 billion in New Zealand and has boosted its stock holdings at the expense of fixed income and property.     

Peter Conroy has joined Asteron to head up their distribution support team.

Finance company Viaduct Capital, which lost its government guarantee last week, has returned to the market offering investors higher interest rates than before.

Southern Cross Medical Care Society has had its A+/Stable rating confirmed for the seventh consecutive year by Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

Dave McMillan is stepping down as chief executive of the Professional Advisers Association (PAA).

NZ Post finance company raises $200m; Injunction filed against Propertyfinance trustee; Strata investors covered by guarantee

Kiwibank confirms funds' strategy; BT Global Return Fund terminated; Fifty point rate cut predicted.

It's easy to see what was the biggest story of the week, and that was progress on sorting out the rules around adviser regulation and some discussion is starting on measuring competency.

Guardian Trust has signed up Cathy Stephenson, Stephen Stewart and Philip Morgan-Rees to its national team.

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The Institute of Financial Advisers Disciplinary Committee has heard another compliant over how one of its former members invested client funds into finance companies and has ruled that the adviser can keep practicing, albeit it under certain conditions.

All the recent thinking and commentary on what to do with your home loan may be turned on its head after next week’s official cash rate announcement from the Reserve Bank.