Bank of New Zealand is looking to raise as much as $3 billion of new funds through a covered bond programme, a first for the country.

Allied Nationwide, whose parent company bought the Hanover and United loan books in a debt-for-equity swap last year, has led the charge for longer-dated money this week, and boosted its deposit rates for terms of more than a year.

South Canterbury Finance’s push to attract investors to help it get through its wave of maturing debentures is changing the market’s pricing dynamic, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Looming liquidity pressures stemming from the end of the government's retail deposit guarantee and the imposition of tougher regulations later this year will cause more finance companies to collapse this year, according to Standard & Poor's.

[UPDATED] Fisher & Paykel Finance is enjoying strong reinvestment rates on its book which is seen as positive as more than two-thirds of its debentures are due to mature in the next six months.

Property prices are still under pressure as households keep debt repayments as a top priority for the year ahead, according to the ANZ New Zealand property gauges.

Allied Nationwide Finance, the subsidiary of Allied Farmers which bought the Hanover loan books in a debt-for-equity swap last year, will tap its parent for more support to cover any losses on existing and future impaired loans.

NZF Group has securitised $100 million of its loan book and plans to launch the country’s first residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) in almost three years to institutional investors.

Another month has come and gone and the Commerce Commission is still sitting on its decision over ANZ New Zealand’s promotion of the ING’s diversified yield and regular income funds.

Investors in Bridgecorp-related Compass Capital will have to rely on insurance for any pay out.

Residential property investors will get another chance to claim depreciation on fit-out and maintenance costs with Inland Revenue reviewing these costs after the government followed through with its threat to remove property owners’ ability to claw back depreciation on buildings.

Investors have developed an appetite for corporate bonds are there is strong demand for the securities this year as the level of new issuance continues to subside.

The looming end of the government's retail deposit guarantee is a threat to finance companies' liquidity, and the Reserve Bank is expecting more consolidation in the sector as firms struggle to attract funds.

The insurance sector, which is set to come under Reserve Bank supervision later this year, poses "little systemic risk" to the country's financial system, according to the bank regulator.

Regulatory risks and bad policy are the biggest threat for investors in Australian and New Zealand markets, according to Mint Asset Management’s Shane Solly.

The Institute of Financial Advisers has whittled down its hunt for a new chief executive to a single digit number and will hold extensive interviews next week.