Dr Michael Cullen's Speech notes for Business Breakfast, Westport.

UPDATED: Bridgecorp exploring fund raising options in Oz (again), Hugely popular bonds list, Speirs changes view on its performance.

Infrastructure bonds a hoax, New name for rater, New designation hits market, Direct access to AHL and CDO sails back to negative.

Mortgage Express and Mortgage People have formed a new joint venture company for the nationwide distribution of mortgages and insurance.

Taiwan

Another week, another financial planning firm sold. It seems at the moment that there is at least one financial planning firm a week being gobbled up by large corporates.

MFS has picked up another South Island advisory firm to add to its growing Vestar chain.

Weekly Home Loan Report: Most lenders have now re-priced their mortgage ranges in response to the latest increases to the cost of their funding but some are fine-tuning and others are still catching up.

Platinum Asset Management, an Australian fund manager popular with many New Zealand advisers, is seeking to raise A$561 million ($636 million) in an IPO.

Guardian Trust's funds just keep getting nominated and keep on winning awards. Of course 2006 was no different to any previous year. Guardian Trust was very pleased with their performance in the 2006 FundSource New Zealand Managed Funds Industry Awards when they came out as a two times winner as well as a runner up within the sector awards.

Christchurch

Wellington

Mid-sized finance company Instant Finance has secured a $50 million funding facility to help it fund expansion plans.

We have been highlighting over recent months how the markets have been relatively calm and that it was likely that such a state would not persist.