Mizuho Financial Group to Lower Standard Mortgage Rates - 2004-03-01
Mizuho Bank declared Friday it will lower its standard mortgage rates by 0.05 to 0.15 percentage point, starting in March.

The rate on a five-year, fixed-rate mortgage will be lowered by 0.05 point to 2.8 percent per annum, according to the core bank of Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

The rate on fixed-rate mortgages with maturities of 20 years to 35 years will be cut by 0.15 point to 3.15 percent, it said.
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Mitsui Mutual Life, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Team Up in Mortgages - 2004-03-01
Mitsui Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. indicated Monday they have agreed on a tie-up in mortgage loans under which the life insurer will introduce customers looking for such loans to the bank.

Mitsui Mutual is the first Japanese life insurer to arrange mortgage loans by a bank for its customers following a revision to the Insurance Business Law last June that allows life insurers to serve as agents for banks.
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