Interest rate fears dampen UK house buying demand Property Brits held off inquiring about buying new homes last month as fears over higher mortgage rates dampened the market. Housing demand dropped in September, according to a survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which found that 22 per cent of property professionals saw buyer inquiries fall last month. That figure was up [...]
‘Serious concern’: City watchdog accused of withholding information in motor finance row Banking The City watchdog is coming under pressure to release its communications with the Treasury and modelling data for its controversial motor finance redress scheme, City AM can reveal. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is facing legal challenges from the finance arms of Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz as well as French-owned CA Auto Finance over its [...]
Stages of tax grief: Is it time for bankers to bargain? Banking Banks are in the firing line at the Budget and in a meeting with bosses on Tuesday chancellor John Healey played coy on any increased rates. In this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what trade-off could be made. Also on the cards, fresh data shows fintechs are lurching ahead of the incumbents on customer [...]
UK bank bosses and John Healey set for tax showdown October 5, 2026 When banking lobbyists geared up for an offensive ahead of the 2025 Budget, a tax cut barely made the wishlist. Modest in their ambitions, advocates were preparing to settle for anything that didn’t see their already eye-wateringly high tax bill rise. That is until, City AM understands, officials advised them to make a cut a [...]
‘Disastrous’: Average five-year fixed mortgage rate surges to six per cent October 5, 2026 The average five-year fixed mortgage rate has broken the six per cent mark for the first time in three years after a fresh raft of lenders hiked prices. The typical five-year agreement has hit six per cent, according to Moneyfacts, while the average two-year is a whisker behind at 5.98 per cent. It is the [...]
Aldermore puts jobs at risk in retreat from invoice finance market October 1, 2026 Aldermore is weighing a round of layoffs as it consults on plans to scale back its invoice finance business ahead of a sale, City AM can reveal. The Reading-headquartered lender is discussing plans to shrink its invoice finance division and slash the amount of customers it serves in the market, sources told City AM. The [...]
UK bank lending growth to fall to three-year low October 1, 2026 Growth in UK bank lending is forecast to stall in the coming years as borrowers feel the pinch of uncertain economic conditions. Lending growth is expected to slow this year to 2.9 per cent before dropping to a three-year low of 2.2 per cent in 2027, according to figures from EY. The figures mark a [...]
Close Brothers raises cost-cutting target as job cuts begin September 29, 2026 Close Brothers has dialled up its cost-cutting plans and said it was “well into next stage of restructuring” after revealing it would slash its headcount by around 20 per cent earlier this year. The FTSE 250 bank said on Tuesday it had delivered £36m of savings in its latest financial year, coming ahead of the [...]
Revolut and Monzo urge Healey to raise bank tax threshold September 28, 2026 Revolut, Monzo and Shawbrook are among a raft of challenger banks calling for John Healey to raise the threshold at which UK lenders are hit with an additional tax grab. The group – which also includes Investec, Aldemore and OSB – have written to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget in a bid to remove [...]
Santander and BMW in High Court spat over motor finance dispute September 16, 2026 Santander and Volvo are taking BMW to the High Court over a dispute related to motor finance deals, City AM can reveal. The Spanish banking giant, along with Volvo Financial Services, is claiming the carmaker caused damages after auto dealers unlawfully re-sold the same luxury vehicles to BMW, leaving both firms claiming ownership over the [...]