Interest.co.nz
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden says new whistle-blowing service offers bank staff ‘a safe and independent channel to sing out and raise concerns’
03/03/2021
The banks themselves support the dashboard and whistle-blowing service, with both projects having the backing of bank lobby group the New Zealand Bankers’ Association, the Financial Markets Authority and the Reserve Bank.
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RNZ
Bank closures: Mayors deliver plea for more bank branches to Beehive
03/03/2021
“During the Covid-19 lockdowns, banks helped thousands of New Zealanders get better at using online and mobile banking. Those customers aren’t looking back. However, we know that some customers still prefer face-to-face banking, and that’s what this banking hub trial is designed to test.”
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TVNZ
Communities demand Government inquiry into rural bank closures
02/03/2021
New Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said: “Branches are closing in some regional communities due to lack of demand. These changes are occurring because customers are banking differently – they can go online, call their bank or use an app.”
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NZ Adviser
Government compels RBNZ to “consider housing” when setting rates
26/02/2021
“There’s no single solution to our current housing affordability issues, which is a complex challenge,” said Beaumont. “Potential responses include addressing both supply and demand issues. Today’s announcement is more about managing the demand side, and what mechanisms the Reserve Bank has available to do that.
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KPMG
Delivering in a crisis
22/02/2021
Our banks played a role as part of the ‘team of five million’ coordinated response. Working with the government, the Reserve Bank and credit reporting agencies, banks moved quickly to offer loan repayment deferrals and reduced loan repayments for customers financially affected by the pandemic. That provided immediate relief for many. Around $70 billion in...
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Stuff
Bank closure irks Waimate District councillors
28/01/2021
NZBA chief executive Roger Beaumont said the hub trials will run for 12 months and “Only then will we be able to assess if the communities where the trials are based found them useful, and whether they could form the basis of banking services in places where branches are no longer viable due to lack...
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Stuff
Provincial mayors call for rural bank branches to be made mandatory
23/01/2021
New Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said customers now preferred other ways of banking and the branches were no longer viable, “In some cases there may be fewer than 10 customers a day in these branches. That’s simply unsustainable.”
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Stuff
Banks are phasing out cheques too soon for rural communities
19/01/2021
Bankers’ Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said fewer than1 per cent of customers used cheques and the move to digital services was driven by customer preference.
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Stuff
Reserve Bank hack: Adrian Orr admits bank ‘fell short’
15/01/2021
Bankers’ Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said on Monday that it understood why the Reserve Bank had been unable to say much at that time.
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Stuff
Pity the term deposit-holders: How to navigate low interest rates
11/01/2021
Roger Beaumont, chief executive of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association, said it was an ongoing challenge and banks recognised it was tough for older customers in particular, who had larger amounts of money in the bank and depended on the income it earned, to subsidise their living costs.
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