The government-owned Kiwibank's mortgage book continued to grow much faster than its market share in the March quarter but its momentum appears to be slowing.

If financial advisers don't take continuing professional development (CPD) requirements seriously they run the risk of having possibly inappropriate training courses forced upon them or being forced to belong to qualifying financial entities (QFEs).

Embattled NZF Group has posted a $16.2 million annual loss, reflecting its finance company's receivership, the sale of its home loans division to Resimac and ongoing net losses from continuing operations.

The smallest of New Zealand's home lending banks, HSBC, saw its mortgage book shrink in the March quarter for the third successive quarter while profit rose modestly.

Economists haven't changed their official forecasts of expecting a rate hike early to mid-year in 2013 but a number of them are talking about an outside chance the Reserve Bank will cut rates this side of Christmas, largely depending on how bad the European crisis becomes.

ANZ Bank's best quarter in the mortgage market since 2007 was the result of a lot of hard work going back several quarters, says retail division managing director Kerri Thompson

Blue Star Group says major sharehold CHAMP Funds has formally begun the process to convert a $10 million loan plus $2.7 million in accrued interest into equity.

ANZ Bank grew its mortgage book for the first quarter in a year and increased its share of the mortgage market for the first quarter since probably 2007.

Fisher & Paykel Finance's results were again the star in its parent company's annual results, outshining the supposedly "core" appliances business.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia-owned ASB Bank's mortgage book grew for the first in eight quarters although it continued to lose market share in the March quarter.

National Australia Bank-owned Bank of New Zealand appears to have held its own in the mortgage market during the March quarter although its net new mortgage growth slowed to its slowest pace in two years.

Evidence suggesting rates won't rise any time soon continues to pile up.

Evidence suggesting rates won't rise any time soon continues to pile up.

Bank of New Zealand is redeeming its $350 million of subordinated callable bonds five years early but is encouraging investors to reinvest the money in other BNZ securities.

NZF Group says the receivers of its former finance company won't let it pay interest on its capital notes.

It was a huge week in the mortgage market with banks slashing fixed-term rates across the board and, if Friday's sharp move lower in wholesale interest rates is any guide, there should be further cuts in the coming week.