The Global Credit Crunch had relatively little effect on the New Zealand banking sector. In part, this fortunate stability was a result of the health of the country’s financial market and lending sector, which always faced much sterner regulation and control than many other countries during the boom years between 2002 and 2007. For such reasons, since the 1990s, New Zealand has been the destination of choice for global investors, who have been well rewarded for their faith.