Jenee Tibshraeny

ANALYSIS: Nicola Willis will try to prevent NZ's finances from worsening in the Budget.

Non-bank lenders are disappointed they've been left out of a new government scheme aimed at making it easier for businesses to get the finance required to invest in reducing their reliance on gas.

Accountants are hopeful the Government will use the Budget to do something about the quasi-wealth tax those with offshore investments are currently paying.

The Government has delivered a sensible Budget, with few gimmicks and spending focused on health, defence, transport and education.

S&P Global Ratings is underwhelmed by the Government's efforts to get the books out of the red.

The owner of TSB has agreed to sell the bank to Heartland for $620 million to create a “larger New Zealand challenger bank”.

Higher mortgage rates have given the Reserve Bank a “bit of breathing space”, its chief economist says.

Licensed finance companies, credit unions, building societies and some financial technology companies will soon be able to call themselves “banks”.

ANZ has lifted its mortgage rates to levels above its competitors. The country's largest bank today hiked all its rates by 20 basis points (bps), except for its one-year rate, which it lifted by 10bps.