Personal finance lender Instant Finance tripled its net profit last year as it wound down its retail deposits, and accused the government’s guarantee of distorting the market.

The receiver for failed financier Lombard Finance and Investments have secured enough cash to make a 2.5% payment to investors, and is hoping to double that.

The government will take another two months to consult with industry to make sure it gets the regulation right to let category two advisers strive for authorisation.

Marac’s planned merger with Canterbury Building Society and Southern Cross Building Society could be completed this year.

St Laurence investors do not need to worry about any prior ranking creditors eating into their meagre returns.

Dorchester Pacific head Paul Byrnes was "humbled" by the support debenture holders gave to the firm's plan to escape moratorium, given the problems in the Allied Farmers-Hanover deal.

Goldman Sachs JBWere Capital Markets has been issued an A2 credit rating with a negative outlook, ending its exemption from the Reserve Bank’s regulation for non-bank deposit takers.

Ministry of Economic officials supported extensions to qualifying financial entity (QFE) rules for related parties, though stopped short of endorsing proposals to let advisers act as nominated representatives for more than one QFE.

South Canterbury Finance has extended its 8.25% offer for existing debenture holders to reinvest their cash for 12-, 15- or 16-month terms after investors rallied around the troubled finance company.

The successful NZF securitisation programme has been welcomed by non-bank deposit takers, with new funding avenues good news for firms struggling to attract cash amid intense competition for deposits.

The Ministry of Economic Development is seeking comment on whether it should exempt investment recommendations from independent financial advisers from securities law.

Dorchester Finance will give debenture holders securities that trade on both the NZX and Unlisted bourses if its plan to exit its moratorium is agreed to by investors.

Court action against ANZ New Zealand and ING New Zealand over the promotion of its diversified yield and regular income funds wouldn't have been worth the punitive fine, and a record $45 million settlement was the "best outcome," according to the Commerce Commission.

Allan Hubbard, the embattled owner of South Canterbury Finance, has flagged an offshore investor as a likely partner to inject capital into the finance company.

Officials gave Parliament's Commerce Committee plenty of advice on the legislative changes to financial adviser regulation, though nothing specific about carving mortgage brokers and insurance advisers out of the regime.

It was a quiet week on the deposit rate front in a week where ASB hiked its variable lending rates by 25 basis points, and flagged its on-call deposits would follow suit next week.