Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee has decided against pursuing an inquiry into retail interest rate margins after National, ACT and Maori Party MPs shot down the proposal.

In its latest report, the Privacy Commission poured water on insurers' access to medical notes, stating they could be risk breaking the law if they seek too much information.

UPDATED: Savings and investment product providers need to lift their game in helping the industry shed its image of distrust with the public and have been too keen to push their own agenda. Financial advisers need to lift their game in helping the industry shed its image of distrust with the public and have been too keen to push their own agenda, Finance Minister Bill English told a seminar in Wellington

Hanover loses chief executive; Competition heats up for three-month deposit rates; Bridgecorp's Fijian resort on the block; Propertyfinace Group suspended from exchange; Dorchester looks to break even; Five Star manager gets five year ban.

Premium incomes for health insurers rose last year as the rising cost of healthcare pushed up claims by policy holders.

New Zealand superannuation funds are less concerned about the impact of hedging and the value of the currency when altering benchmarks than Australian managers, according to a survey of funds across Australasia.

ASB Bank is warning long-term certainty will be at a premium for mortgage holders, with the five-year rate set to be more expensive than short-term rates for some time.

The recession has caught up with Auckland Mortgage Trust, which has begun winding down its business after failing to secure a government deposit guarantee as access to credit dried up.

The housing market will continue to prosper after net migration increased to its strongest rate in nearly six years last month, as migrants stoke demand for new property.

The Securities Commission is warning ING investors to consider the offer they received from ING New Zealand last week carefully after receiving a large number of complaints over the proposal.

A recovery in property prices will be delayed by rising deposit rates as they put pressure on long-term lending costs, according to the ANZ National Bank.

PSIS says it has had to cut the margin between its floating lending rates and term deposit specials as the credit crisis took hold.

RaboPlus has slashed its entry fee on managed funds as the economic climate makes diversified assets more attractive than returns offered by deposit rates.

Boutique wealth manager Newton Ross has raised concerns about cash Portfolio Investment Entities, or PIEs, and warned investors to make sure they've done their homework before putting their money into a cash PIE.

The steepest yield curve in 13 years is set to continue in New Zealand, mirroring the US and other major economies, as governments worldwide ramp up bond sales while central banks hold short rates near record lows.

Geneva Finance, the finance company that won support from investors for a debt-to-equity swap to stave off collapse, pared its full-year loss as it cut costs and restructured its balance sheet.