A lack of accountability and a "few bad apples" mindset is plaguing Australia's largest corporations and is behind the mishandling of scandals and widespread misconduct in the financial services sector.

More parents are putting their assets on the line to guarantee their childrens' home loans, two major banks say, as rising prices prompt first home buyers to take on bigger debts.

Australia's banks need more than pledges from CEOs to improve their culture following a series of scandals at their financial planning and insurance arms, a leading finance expert has warned.

• COMMENT

Around this time of year, bosses of the big four banks steel themselves for a showdown over the billions of dollars banks lend to fossil fuel projects.

Commonwealth Bank has sliced a range of term deposit interest rates, the second round of cuts since it three months ago trumpeted rate rises on deposits as a win for savers.

Westpac is dismissing concerns of a looming apartment glut in Sydney and Melbourne, arguing neither city will face an oversupply of housing next year when thousands of new units come onto the market.

• ANALYSIS

Governments and big corporations no longer have borrowed money on tap at the lowest interest rates on record.

HSBC is looking to cash in on the rising number of business people making multimillion-dollar fortunes through closer ties with Asia, launching private banking services in Australia.

A series of companies associated with high-flying Sydney accountant have been found to have avoided paying tax by the High Court, in a case that the tax office has described as 'blatant tax evasion'.

CommSec has paid a $200,000 fine for allowing the relative of a deceased client to trade shares on the dead person's online account.

National Australia Bank has denied rigging the key inter-bank lending rate and described parts of Australian Securities and Investments Commission's case as overly simplistic and "embarrassing".

The cost of locking in a fixed-rate mortgage is tipped to rise thanks to a surge in global bond yields, which has gained momentum after Donald Trump's election win.

• EXCLUSIVE

ANZ Bank has again been hit with allegations of sex bar bragging and male managers telling their female colleagues they 'can suck my d--k'.

As one major Australian bank prepares to leave western Sydney, another is preparing to move in with the NAB likely to become an anchor tenant at Parramatta Council and Walkercorp's Parramatta Square project.

Citi is getting rid of cash in its Australian bank branches, because it is no longer worth offering the service that is used by less than one in twenty customers.

• COMMENT

The rise of big data should make financial services cheaper, but also raises risks for consumers.

National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Thorburn's pay packet rose to $6.7 million last financial year - about 80 times the average full-time wage of $81,900.

National Australia Bank is eyeing a lift in home loan revenue thanks to a recently-completed technology overhaul that it says is already turning more customer inquiries into loan sales.

DONALD TRUMP'S plan for sweeping tax cuts and deregulation will spur a US economic boom that could "last for generations" if the president-elect resists a lurch towards protectionism

Something unusual happened to the banks' profits this year. For the first time since the global financial crisis, they fell.

The Commonwealth Bank made 1400 investigations into suspected staff misconduct over the last year, with 59 cases involving executive managers.

An employee from the Australian Securities Investments Commission is facing up to 10 years in jail after being charged with money laundering offences.

• COMMENT

Wednesday's marked the day of the shareholder revenge - shareholders democracy in action.

Laws in Australia that prevent whistleblowers speaking out need to be changed, according to the lawyer running the class action on behalf of Christmas Island detainees.

Commonwealth Bank has withdrawn a controversial resolution asking shareholders to approve changes to its bonus scheme for chief executive Ian Narev, which would have introduced new performance hurdles relating to people and culture.

Westpac chief Brian Hartzer was paid $6.7 million last financial year - less than its predecessor Gail Kelly, but still about 80 times as much as the average Australian worker.

Cash Converters will refund almost $11 million to payday loan customers after the corporate watchdog caught it failing to check if borrowers could afford to pay back the loans.

US-style whistleblower laws don't just pay bounties, they stop companies retaliating against workers doing the right thing by society, US lawyer Jordan A. Thomas says.

CBA notched up a $2.4 billion profit in its first quarter, unchanged from a year earlier, as higher funding costs and falling interest rates weighed on profit margins.