RBA set to hike rates - 2004-02-01
The mortgage belt should prepare for a hike in interest rates this week as the Reserve Bank tries for a third time to knock out worrying signs of an overheating economy.

Economists are divided on whether the RBA, which raised rates twice, to 5 per cent in November and 5.25 per cent in December, will lift rates again when it holds its first board meeting of the year tomorrow.
Read the full story at The Mercury

Clean up mortgage endowment mess - 2004-02-01
Four of the largest life insurers have been warned to increase their pace of handling the mortgage endowment* mis-selling* complaints or face huge fines from the City regulator. The financial giants have until the end of April to remedy the situation.

The tough stance by the Financial Services Authority* follows last Tuesday's dressing down of insurance bosses by John McFall, chairman of the powerful Treasury Select Committee, over widespread endowment mis-selling and the failure by the industry to clean up its act.
Read the full story at This Is Money