National Finance boss Allan Ludlow has been sent to jail for six years for a $3.5m fraud - after investors that included his own parents lost $21m when the finance company collapsed in 2006.

Allan Ludlow has been sentenced to six years in jail, for his part in a $3.5m fraud.

The High Court trial of Rod Petricevic and fellow Bridgecorp directors has been delayed by another two weeks.

Macquarie analyst says greater cost may come in the long term.

The New Zealand dollar may extend its decline this week as investors, nervous about the slow progress being made on Europe's escalating sovereign debt crisis, sell growth-linked currencies for the relative safety of the greenback.

New Zealand financial markets markets were in a holding pattern today after Europe's debt woes sparked a wave of selling around world last week.