Autumn Budget: Why are banks in Rachel Reeves’ tax crosshairs? October 7, 2025 The “pass the parcel” of Budget speculation has fallen back into the lap of the banking industry with the nation’s top lenders finding themselves as a potential subject of a November cash grab. Fresh reports have indicated Rachel Reeves is actively considering a raid on Britain’s banking giants – even as she continues to make [...]
Stalling Starling revs up Engine in rebrand September 24, 2025 Veteran of the UK fintech industry Starling has overhauled its brand with a fresh colour palette, a new slogan and even a new name. The digital lender announced last week it would drop the word “Bank” from its banking arm’s name in a move analysts have described as a “significant” step in its evolution. The [...]
Natwest and HSBC shares dip as bank tax chatter heats up September 22, 2025 Shares in Natwest and HSBC dipped on Monday morning as traders digested renewed chatter of a tax hike on Britain’s banking giants. Natwest tumbled as much as 1.3 per cent to 506p when markets opened, while HSBC fell 0.6 per cent to 1,022p. Barclays fell nearly 0.2 per cent to 381p. Lloyds was broadly flat [...]
Wise mulls UK banking licence after ditching London listing September 1, 2025 Money transfer firm Wise is looking into a UK banking license following the fintech ditching its primary listing on the London stock market earlier this year. The company has reached out to financial services heavyweights in the last two months regarding roles related to starting a banking business in the UK, according to The Times. [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares lead £8bn plunge amid bank tax fears August 29, 2025 Shares in a number of Britain’s biggest banking giants tumbled on Friday as speculation that Rachel Reeves would use the sector for an easy cash grab ramped up. Natwest topped the FTSE 100’s fallers, losing over five per cent. Meanwhile, Lloyds was down nearly four per cent, Barclays just over two per cent, whilst HSBC [...]
Secure Trust Bank: Deposits hit record high as loan book swells August 14, 2025 Specialist lender Secure Trust Bank posted a bumper first half of the year after customer deposits smashed a record high and lending balances swelled. The firm recorded a 8.2 per cent increase in deposits to £3.5bn whilst net landing balances grew 6.1 per cent to £3.8bn. This helped drive an over 30 per cent jump [...]
Revolut drafts in EY amid banking licence push August 7, 2025 Revolut has tapped accountancy giant EY to replace BDO as its auditor as the firm pushes to secure its UK banking licence. The UK fintech juggernaut said EY will act as the firm’s auditor for the financial year ending December 2026 after a formal bidding process. This comes as Revolut expects to launch as a [...]
Klarna receives regulatory approval to take on Monzo and Revolut July 30, 2025 Swedish fintech Klarna has received an electronic money institution licence from the Financial Conduct Authority, setting the firm up to compete with UK firms Monzo and Revolut. The licence will allow Klarna to offer its 11 million UK customers savings accounts and also pave the way for a debit card launch. Abby Vickers, Klarna’s head [...]
Rachel Reeves at odds with Bank of England over Revolut licence bid July 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves has clashed with the governor of the Bank of England after trying to support Revolut in its protracted regulatory process to secure a full banking licence. The Chancellor is reported to have attempted to secure a meeting between financial watchdogs and Revolut in hopes of pushing forward its banking licence bid. But the [...]
Revolut banking licence bid goes down to the wire as key deadline looms July 8, 2025 Revolut is facing a fresh regulatory headache in the UK amid mounting expectations it may miss a key deadline in the ongoing process to become a fully operational bank. The digital banking juggernaut received the green light for its UK banking licence from Britain’s banking watchdog last year after a three-year wait, which triggered a 12-month [...]