NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Companies / Banking and finance

Risk to savings if bank fails

NZ Herald
19 Mar, 2013 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Reserve Bank has the power to freeze bank deposits but up to now has lacked the technical infrastructure to implement it. Photo / Thinkstock

The Reserve Bank has the power to freeze bank deposits but up to now has lacked the technical infrastructure to implement it. Photo / Thinkstock

Kiwis with money in the bank could see their nest eggs and savings dwindle in a government move the Greens say is a "Cyprus-style solution" to help out failing banks.

New Zealand banks are readying their IT systems for Open Bank Resolution, a Reserve Bank policy that in extreme cases like insolvency would see a bank's losses shouldered in part by its shareholders and creditors - including everyday depositors.

The Reserve Bank has the power to freeze bank deposits but up to now has lacked the technical infrastructure to implement it - hence their requirement for banks with retail deposits of more than $1 billion to change their systems and meet their requirements by July 1.

Under the policy, which can only be activated by the Minister of Finance, if a bank fails a statutory manager is appointed to calculate the bank's liabilities.

The statutory manager can then freeze a percentage of customers' bank deposits to cover those liabilities before it reopens the next trading day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But the Green Party's co-leader Russel Norman said OBR was a "Cyprus-style solution" that would see small depositors suffer to fund big bank bailouts. "Bill English is wrong to assume everyday people are able to judge the soundness of their bank," he said. "Not even sophisticated investors like Merrill Lynch saw the global financial crisis coming.

"If he insists on pushing through this unfair scheme, small depositors can be protected ahead of time with a notified savings threshold below which their savings will be safe from any interference." Dr Norman questioned the Government's insistence on pursuing OBR when virtually no other country in the OECD used it.

He said most OECD countries run deposit insurance schemes that protect people's deposits up to a maximum ranging from $100,000 to $250,00.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"A deposit insurance scheme is a much simpler, well-tested alternative to Open Bank Resolution. It rewards safe banks with lower premiums and limits the cost to taxpayers of a bank failure."

Prime Minister John Key said the OBR policy was a "last-resort facility" and when told that few people seemed to know about it he responded that it was unlikely to be used.

"The basic principle is, what would you do in the event of a catastrophe, how would you recapitalise the bank and it's reasonable logic to say that is one way through that.

"This is really in the event a bank was in such a terrible mess that it fell over and had to start again," he said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Boost on farms pushes up output

18 Mar 04:30 PM
Official Cash Rate

IMF cautions against tinkering

18 Mar 04:30 PM
Banking and finance

NZ dollar gains vs US in overnight trading

18 Mar 07:55 PM
Opinion

Bryan Gould: Cyprus outrage not too far from home

19 Mar 04:30 PM

When asked about deposit insurance, Mr Key said there were significant costs involved. "The argument is it is so unlikely to happen that this is a cheaper way through it."

Auckland University Professor of Banking and Financial Institutions David Mayes said OBR was an efficient and simple method to deal with failing banks that would not see chaos caused in the banking system or costs passed on to the taxpayer.

New Zealand Bankers Association chief executive Kirk Hope said an IMF report showed New Zealand had a strong, stable and well-capitalised banking system with plenty of liquidity and Kiwis could feel confident.

What is open bank resolution?

Reserve Bank policy to ensure the losses of a failing bank are taken on by its shareholders and creditors - including depositors - rather than taxpayers, and to ensure the bank is open for business the next trading day. If a bank fails it can be closed for 24 hours while a statutory manager is appointed to calculate liabilities and then freeze a percentage of customers' bank deposits to cover liabilities.

Why have it?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In the absence of the OBR policy, the options for responding to a bank failure are limited to liquidation, government bail-out or takeover by a competitor. If a private sector solution is not available the government must choose between allowing the bank to enter the liquidation process, or providing public support.

Which institutions are covered?

All locally incorporated banks with over $1 billion of retail deposits are being required to participate.

Why aren't deposits guaranteed?

The Government placed temporary guarantees on retail deposits. But in 2011 the Minister of Finance announced that further guarantees would not be provided following the expiry of the existing scheme.

* Read the Herald's live news blog here.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Banking and finance

Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Nicola Willis should challenge the RBNZ on prudential rules

13 May 12:00 AM
Business|personal finance

‘Rip-off’: App developer and Consumer say fees will stifle open banking

08 May 11:00 PM
Premium
Business|companies

ANZ NZ's first-half profit edges up to $1.16 billion

07 May 11:39 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Banking and finance

Premium
Opinion: Nicola Willis should challenge the RBNZ on prudential rules

Opinion: Nicola Willis should challenge the RBNZ on prudential rules

13 May 12:00 AM

The minister should interfere in RBNZ regulation, say Simon Jensen and Andrew Body.

‘Rip-off’: App developer and Consumer say fees will stifle open banking

‘Rip-off’: App developer and Consumer say fees will stifle open banking

08 May 11:00 PM
Premium
ANZ NZ's first-half profit edges up to $1.16 billion

ANZ NZ's first-half profit edges up to $1.16 billion

07 May 11:39 PM
Premium
NZ banks face repaying $9.2b in cheap Covid loans in coming months

NZ banks face repaying $9.2b in cheap Covid loans in coming months

07 May 09:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP