Westpac moved early and priced high in the mortgage market last week, earning for itself a notional, annual profit gain of $450 million. Not all of this will in practice flow through as additional earnings, since the increased home loan rates will support sharper pricing on deposits and other products. The bank slapped 20 basis points on to the 25 basis point rise in the cash rate of the RBA last week, a step apparently out of line with industry planning if the hesitant response of other banks is any guide.None followed at 45, which obviously was the industry profit maximising strategy and consistent with objectives of the oligopoly that is banking in Australia. The later a bank announced a pricing decision to the market last week, the lower the addition to the RBA base rise, an unusual pricing pattern.CBA opted for an increment of 12 basis points and ANZ ten. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank had the gumption to add only five.This trio will add a notional $280 million, $130 million and $13 million to their 2010 bottom line.Westpac, with little publicity, late on Friday lifted the standard variable rate on St George Bank and Bank of South Australia loans by 39 basis points. With next to no publicity Westpac lifted the lifted the standard variable rate on loans from its Rams brands by only 20 basis points.National Australia Bank played school monitor, sticking to the 25 basis points. Had NAB priced in line with ANZ and CBA it could be pocketing, in theory, $150 million in extra profit next year.But NAB chose to give this a miss. And for what? Some recognition, increased flows (from third parties and NAB's own channels) and gains in market share. Whether any gains will prove of substance, sustainable and profitable is something NAB management will have to demonstrate.One case NAB can point to is the progress of UBank.NAB's baby bank brand of 2008 appears to be the destination for the above-average growth in deposits for NAB over the later months of 2009.With a market leading at-call rate of 5.46 per cent, NAB is the place for savers.And Westpac, maybe, the place for bank investors.