Wellington, Feb 13 NZPA - The housing slump continues to deepen with the Real Estate Institute (REINZ) reporting that the number of residential property sales in January reached their lowest monthly level since 1992.

Wellington, Feb 13 NZPA - New Zealand banks about to foray back into world markets to raise money they need to continue lending here should be able to source the funds they need, says the Reserve Bank (RBNZ).

Wellington, Feb 12 NZPA - Tenon, a seller of New Zealand timber mouldings and appearance grade lumber to the US housing market, is putting a positive spin on a bottom line $US1 ($NZ1.93) million interim profit.

Wellington, Feb 12 NZPA - Lombard Group, which has already put its finance company into receivership, today said Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has made an application to wind up its Tasman Mortgage Brokers Ltd unit.

Wellington, Feb 11 NZPA - ANZ National Bank is lowering the interest rates it charges on credit cards.

Wellington, Feb 5 NZPA - ANZ National Bank unveiled further cuts to its fixed mortgage rates today.

Wellington, Feb 5 NZPA - The National Bank unveiled further cuts to its fixed mortgage rates today. The one-year fixed rate is being reduced by 20 basis points to 5.79 percent. The four-year and five-year rate is being reduced to 6.5 percent from 6.95 percent.

Wellington, Feb 4 NZPA - Rapid falls in home mortgage interest rates are thought to be bringing some confidence back to the Auckland residential property market.

Finance Minister Bill English's office has failed to move Kiwibank over its high fixed-term mortgage break fees. Last week Mr English said the state-owned bank could expect a call after reports put its fee higher than some other banks.

Wellington, Feb 3 NZPA - Finance Minister Bill English's office has failed to move Kiwibank over its high fixed-term mortgage break fees. Last week Mr English said the state-owned bank could expect a call after reports put its fee higher than some other banks.

Prime Minister John Key has declared the Australian and New Zealand banking sector to be in good health after meetings with banking bosses last week.

Wellington, Feb 1 NZPA - Westpac New Zealand today announced cuts of between 0.60 percent and 1.20 percent. to its main consumer credit card products. The cuts bring interest rates for purchases on its standard and gold credit cards down from 21.15 percent to 19.95 percent.

Wellington, Jan 30 NZPA - The pressure is on banks to lower fees for customers wanting to break from fixed-term mortgages as home loan interest rates head south.

Finance Minister Bill English said while the recession was hurting New Zealanders they were resilient and not paralysed by fear. "You get the sense right across the board in New Zealand that people are pretty resilient around this recession," he told reporters.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Now is the time to buy, a vendor of home mortgage finance said as Kiwibank and Westpac led the latest round of mortgage rate cuts.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Finance Minister Bill English said while the recession was hurting New Zealanders they were resilient and not paralysed by fear.

Finance Minister Bill English says Kiwibank can expect to hear from the Government about its high mortgage loan break fees. The bank is government-owned but Mr English indicated he would not be moving to require other banks to lower fees.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Finance Minister Bill English says Kiwibank can expect to hear from the Government about its high mortgage loan break fees. The bank is government-owned but Mr English indicated he would not be moving to require other banks to lower fees.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Now is the time to buy, a vendor of home mortgage finance said as Kiwibank and Westpac led the latest round of mortgage rate cuts.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - The Official Cash Rate (OCR) could hit 2 percent later this year, say banks following the Reserve Bank's latest razor job.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Kiwibank and Westpac have both cut their mortgage rates following the Reserve Bank cut in the official cash rate (OCR) this morning. Locally-owned banker Kiwibank quickly announced its one-year fixed term rate down from 5.99 percent to 5.69 percent.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - Locally-owned banker Kiwibank provided the first response to the Reserve Bank's cut in the official cash rate (OCR) by cutting all its home-loan rates.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has today cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to a record low of 3.5 percent, from 5 percent, with Governor Alan Bollard saying he believes the move can stimulate a stagnant economy.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 5 percent to 3.5 percent. Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard this morning announced the reduction, to its lowest ever level, since it was introduced at 4.5 percent in 1999.

Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - The good news is that the bad news is all out there.

Labour leader Phil Goff is calling on the Government to clamp down on banks charging exorbitant fees to people wanting to break their mortgages due to hardship.

Wellington, Jan 27 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff is calling on the Government to clamp down on banks charging exorbitant fees to people wanting to break their mortgages due to hardship.

Wellington, Jan 25 NZPA - With official interest rates expected to be cut another big notch on Thursday, economists are starting to look at what can be done when such moves no longer have much impact.

Wellington, Jan 23 NZPA - The outlook for prospective house buyers keeps getting better, as does the size of the relief for owners renewing mortgages. Today, Kiwibank and BNZ became the latest banks to cut rates in response to falling wholesale funding costs.

Wellington, Jan 23 NZPA - Farm lobbyists say banks are milking farmers by charging unnecessarily high interest rates on overdrafts provided to farmers.