Christchurch, Oct 30 NZPA - Labour will remove restrictions on the unemployment benefit as part of a $50 million transitional assistance package for those who lose their jobs as a result of the faltering global economy, Prime Minister Helen Clark has announced.

Wellington, Oct 30 NZPA - Westpac bank's New Zealand operation reported a 6 percent rise in full year net profit to $484 million, as it focused on fundamentals such as expense and margin management.

Christchurch, Oct 30 NZPA - Prime Minister Helen Clark is expected to unveil Labour's transitional assistance package in Christchurch this afternoon.

Wellington, Oct 29 NZPA - Finance Minister Michael Cullen expects some managed funds to be covered by a deposit guarantee scheme, but says all such schemes are "fraught with difficulties at the margin".

National's planned support package for workers laid off in the wake of an expected global recession could include loans and cash assistance, the party's leader John Key says. National will announce the package later this week. National will announce the package later this week.

Wellington, Oct 26 NZPA - National's planned support package for workers laid off in the wake of an expected global recession could include loans and cash assistance, the party's leader John Key says. National will announce the package later this week.

Wellington, Oct 26 NZPA - The Reserve Bank has approved the purchase of billions of dollars worth of residential mortgage-backed securities from two major banks as security should they run short of money.

Wellington, Oct 24 NZPA - GE Money is withdrawing from the home loan, car finance and small business market in New Zealand.

Wellington, Oct 24 NZPA - ANZ is cutting its variable home mortgage rate by a full percentage point to fully reflect the cut in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Wellington, Oct 23 NZPA - Kiwibank was the first bank to react to Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard's cut in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by making a matching 1 percent cut to its variable home loan rate. Dr Bollard cut the OCR today from 7.5 percent to 6.5 percent.

Wellington, Oct 23 NZPA - The move by the Reserve Bank (RB) to slash interest rates by an unprecedented 1 percentage point is being widely welcomed amid continuing global financial turmoil.

National and Labour today welcomed the Reserve Bank decision to slash the official interest rates an unprecedented 1 percentage point to 6.5 percent.

Wellington, Oct 23 NZPA - Kiwibank was the first bank to react to Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard's cut in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by making a matching one percent cut to its variable home loan rate.

Wellington, Oct 23 NZPA - The Reserve Bank (RB) today slashed official interest rates an unprecedented 1 percentage point to 6.5 percent, opening the way for cuts to mortgage rates but also highlighting the grim outlook facing the global economy.

(eds: corrects h849, terminology in intro, correct update already wired)

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - Christchurch-based mortgage lender Propertyfinance Group is proposing to exchange existing preference shares, which it is unable to redeem, for new ones to raise capital.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - Bank of New Zealand boosted underlying annual net profit by 9 percent to $657 million, but warned that provisions had increased for impaired loans.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - United Future leader Peter Dunne has played the "sensible" card, saying only his party can moderate ACT or the Greens' influence over the next government.

Wellington, Oct 21 NZPA - The Banking Ombudsman is investigating the fees banks charge when customers want to pay off fixed-rate mortgages early.

Wellington, Oct 16 NZPA - Labour says its plan to put cheap homes in reach of low income families is a breakthrough which National's policy doesn't match.

Wellington, Oct 16 NZPA - Labour leader Helen Clark is campaigning in Hamilton today while National's John Key visits Dunedin to launch another of his party's policies.

Auckland, Oct 15 NZPA - Jesse Ryder is poised to inherit the No 3 batting position that Stephen Fleming practically held a mortgage on during his test cricket career. New Zealand play and Bangladesh meet in the first of a two-test series which begins at Chittagong from Friday.

(Eds: correcting h4066, correcting figures used by Helen Clark in 13th par on advice from Housing Minister's office) By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Prime Minister Helen Clark today said the Government would make Crown land available for people on modest wages to build homes on. National has a similar policy. The key difference is National would allow homeowners to eventually buy the land while Labour will not.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Auckland, Oct 15 NZPA - Prime Minister Helen Clark today said the Government would make Crown land available for people on modest wages to build homes on.

Wellington, Oct 14 NZPA - Falling interest rates and flat house prices pushed home affordability to a two-year high in September, a survey shows.

Sydney, Oct 14 AAP - The Rudd government's $A10.4 billion stimulus package to protect Australia from the fallout in global financial markets will help minimise the effects of a possible recession in 2009, economists say.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told elderly in Paeroa today that he didn't want to scare them over the international financial crisis -- but they would be first to be hit when things got tough.

By Maggie Tait of NZPA Paeroa, Oct 13 NZPA - New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told elderly in Paeroa today that he didn't want to scare them over the international financial crisis -- but they would be first to be hit when things got tough.

Wellington, Oct 13 NZPA - Following a week of turmoil on world financial markets, ANZ bank is predicting official interest rates will drop as low as 4.75 percent next year.