An ex-real estate agent allegedly used fake paperwork to secure bank mortgages in other people's names as part of an elaborate property scam involving more than $10m.

"Many mum and dad investors have lost large sums of money because of the poor investment advice they've received," blurted Simon Power.

Auckland and Queenstown have again been confirmed as having the most unaffordable housing for locals.

Kiwibank accounted for 40 per cent of new residential mortgages written by the major banks in the June quarter.

Finance Minister Bill English has asked banks and the Inland Revenue Department to be flexible with Christchurch earthquake victims.

The average NZer is spending $45 less a week than before the recession in a bid to wipe out debt and inject equity into their homes.

ASB has announced it will be the first major NZ bank to offer asset rich but cash poor customers reverse equity mortgages.

Credit crunch has changed the landscape for residential building, writes Kevin Atkinson

Equities on Wall Street and across Europe fell after a US home sales fell a record 27 per cent in July.

A report prepared by business researcher Infometrics is predicting house prices will fall 4.1 per cent by next June.

Kiwibank has joined ANZ, Westpac and TSB today, moving to increase floating mortgage rates and cut longer term fixed rates.

The first of the big banks has hiked its floating mortgage rate after the Reserve lifted the Official Cash Rate by 0.25 per cent last week.

A banker at the centre of an alleged multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud has been ordered to pay nearly $1.3m in damages to his ex-employer.