The former accountant for failed finance company National Finance 2000 has pleaded guilty to SFO charges.

Only seven companies - including the three "Heartland Bank" merger partners - have signed up for the Crown's extended retail deposit guarantee scheme.

How did Timaru businessman Allan Hubbard assemble a top-flight team of lawyers and public relations practitioners to defend his reputation and protect what's left of his dwindling commercial empire?

Many farm businesses believed their loans were personally with Allan Hubbard, not Aorangi.

Auditors have given Allied Farmers' financial statements only a qualified opinion, and have raised concerns about the going concern basis of the company and the carrying value of assets.

Hubbard investors have been told they'll be paid three cents in the dollar this month, but will have to wait till next year for possibly another 20 cents.

Allied Farmers' auditor PwC says it hasn't enough evidence to say whether the company can be viewed as a going concern.

One of NZ's largest and most speculative property investment visions on leasehold land - Albany City Property Investments - is in tatters.

After leaving Christchurch's Xavier College at 16 Eric Watson's first job was as a butcher's apprentice. He later became a sales and branch manager at Whitcoulls, then a manager at Xerox, before beginning a business career.

When Eric Watson boarded an Air New Zealand flight in Los Angeles on September 17, 2008, en route to New Zealand from London, he had a lot on his mind.

After the Hanover debacle, Eric Watson might have hoped for a big win with his latest venture in the US. So far, it isn't working out that way, reports Denise McNabb.

The GPG shake-up is long overdue.