International ratings agency Standard & Poor's has put Auckland City Council's "AA" long-term credit rating on negative watch because of concerns about its rising debt.

International ratings agency Standard & Poor's has cut Telecom's credit rating to "A-" from "A" with a stable outlook following final court orders permitting it to spin off its network business Chorus into a separate company.

Contact Energy has confirmed it will issue 30-year bonds and has increased the maximum amount by $100 million to $250 million.

Lenders are trying to entice borrowers away from floating rates with attractive fixed home loan rates, but will it work? Jenny Ruth investigates.

Heartland New Zealand says it continues to hold more cash than it needs ahead of the expiry of its government guarantee on December 31.

Infrastructure investor Infratil has launched a new issue of up to $50 million of unsecured unsubordinated infrastructure bonds maturing November 2017 with an 8% annual coupon.

Contact Energy says it is considering issuing $150 million of unsecured, subordinated capital bonds "to further optimise its capital structure through increasing financial flexibility and extending its term funding profile."

The receivers of Allied Nationwide Finance (ANF) have repaid only $60 million of the $128.1 million the government paid out to debenture holders under its guarantee scheme, their third report shows.

Allied Farmers (ALF) appears to have found a way to massively dilute the former Hanover debenture holders without the need for a shareholders' vote.

South Canterbury Finance's (SCF) receivers realised a total of $463.2 million from asset sales and loan collections in the six months ended August 31.

The Serious Fraud Office has charged four people associated with Dominion Finance with criminal offences relating to unauthorised related party lending of more than $20 million.

Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard spooked financial markets slightly into thinking he may raise interest rates sooner than they had anticipated although, as expected, he's left rates unchanged for now.

With the outlook for both global and domestic growth deteriorating, economists expect Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard will leave interest rates unchanged on Thursday and financial markets have even priced in the outside chance of a cut.

Former boss of failed car finance company National Finance 2000 Trevor Allan Ludlow has been jailed for six years for false accounting and theft.

Mortgage broking aggregator Allied Kiwi has bought insurance broking company Metro Broker Link for an undisclosed sum.

ANZ National Bank is raising the interest rate it charges on its FlexiPlus revolving credit accounts despite most economists expecting the Reserve Bank will hold off raising its official cash rate (OCR) until well into next year.