Higher-income borrowers will be able to access the KiwiSaver subsidy and Welcome Home Loans under changes announced today by the Government – but they will have to stump up more of a deposit.

UPDATED: Soft commissions and RFAs advising on KiwiSaver are in the sights of the Code Committee for Financial Advisers as it begins consulting on proposed changes to the Code of Professional Conduct.

The Code Committee for Financial Advisers has released a consultation paper on changes it is considering.

Consumers still have no way of being directed to “good” financial advisers,  industry participants say.

The chief executive of the biggest mortgage broking group in New Zealand is leaving the role.

Big financial planning organisations such as those that disappeared from the New Zealand market over the past 10 years are likely to return as the investment advice market grows, says the chief executive of NZ Funds, Richard James.

Most registered financial advisers have taken some of the steps required to become authorised, the PAA says.

New Zealand’s dollar has soared against the Australian over recent days but intervention is not the best way to deal with it, commentators say.

Westpac says a controversial investment in “pick or pay” notes issued against life insurance policies ticked all the usual boxes, however the scheme's promoter has complained to the FMA over the bank's actions.

Financial sector reforms and regulation have not improved the public’s faith in advisers, one commentator says.

Westpac’s new "Family Springboard" is promoted as being a tool to help first homebuyers, but others look at it as a way around impending new restrictions on low equity mortgages.

Increasing regulation of investment clients’ custody arrangements should not just be for DIMS providers, industry participants say.

New Zealand would be better served by a change to banks’ capital requirements rather than loan-to-value restrictions, a panel of experts say.

Code Committee chairman David Ireland says the three recent consulation papers issued by the Financial Markets Authority fit in with work being done on update the financial advisers' Code of Conduct.

Westpac has launched an offset home loan product to go up against those offered by BNZ and Kiwibank.

One of the questions that’s been asked this week is how much responsibility the Financial Markets Authority should really be expected to shoulder for the collapse of Ross Asset Management.