The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness

Coverage characteristics

Data are in millions of New Zealand dollars and are collected as at the last business day of the quarter.

Figures are aggregates of each data cell of the actual survey templates returned by NBLIs with total assets of $100m or more at December 2004 and subsequent quarters. The SSR obtains balance sheet data from NBLI respondents using the same template as for registered banks, with lesser completion requirements. The aggregate SSR presents survey data in four tabs in an Excel workbook.

NBLIs are classified as: savings institutons, deposit-taking finance companies and non-deposit-taking finance companies. There is an SSR for the aggregate of each group, and for the total.

The ‘liabilities and assets’ tab of the SSR presents a summarized balance sheet, excluding securitised loan assets and counterpart funding. The funding tab provides a breakdown of NBLI funding by maturity. The claims tab presents total claims, classified by maturity, with counterpart subsectors of banks and non-residents. The final ‘sectoral analysis’ tab provides a breakdown of funding and claims by sector, defined by ANZSIC code..

Full documentation for series descriptions is also provided in the guidelines sent to institutions.

Balance sheet figures reported by the surveyed financial institutions conform to generally accepted accounting practice adopted by the institutions. In particular, values may be at book or ‘marked to market’ according to appropriate practice for the instruments involved.

Where possible the resident/non-resident distinction in these tables is based on the geographical location of respondents and counterpart transactions. To facilitate statistical reporting however, the New Zealand income tax rules on residency are accepted as an approximation, and are the predominant definition.

Periodicity

Quarterly, as at the last business day.

Timeliness

On or before the last business day of the month after the end of the reference month.

Access by the public

Advance release calendar

The “Advance Release Calendar” is also updated and released each Friday on the website. This is a long-term plan of scheduled releases.

Integrity

Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality of individual responses

Data are collected under Section 36 of The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989 (The Act).

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand publishes only aggregated data. Individual institutional data is confidential.

Provision of information about revisions and advance notice of major changes in methodology

Provisional data are italicised. Data are deemed provisional when a series is under review. New data, or revised data, are in bold font. Revisions are generally published when the table is next due to be updated and released. Should revisions need to be made more promptly, a note is posted on the Internet website under “Revisions to Tables”.

Any major changes in methodology are posted on the website as a note.

A history of changes to the Money, Credit and Financial statistics tables is provided, and outlines breaks which affect series in these tables.

Quality

Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics

All NBLIs with total assets of $100m or more at December 2004, and at subsequent dates, provide data on a quarterly basis.

An Excel Template is completed and returned each quarter by NBLIs. This template incorporates a “Help” screen that specifies completion directions and data definitions for survey respondents.

Dissemination of statistics that support statistical cross-check and provide assurance of reasonableness

Deposit-taking finance companies and savings institutions provide prospectus disclosure annually, in addition to statutory reports. In aggregate, these enable checks for reasonableness.