NZ Post says it has ambitious plans for its subsidiary Kiwibank to take a bigger slice of the business banking market.

The four big Australian-owned banks - ANZ National, ASB, Bank of New Zealand and Westpac - are creaming it in New Zealand.

Cutting debt - we'll be hearing plenty about that in next week's Budget, and the election campaign. But how deep in hock are we? Brian Fallow reports.

How long, cold and dark a shadow will be cast by the big build-up of household debt over the past decade?

For 15 straight years until the recession of 2008-09, the New Zealand Government ran surpluses and paid down debt.

More insurance companies may require bailouts as a result of the Christchurch earthquakes.

New Zealand house prices appear to be overvalued by up to 25 per cent, the International Monetary Fund says.

The banks are desperate to lend...

Disappointing US economic data prompted a selloff in oil overnight, which dropped more than 8 per cent. Stocks on Wall Street fell, with losses accelerating towards the close.