I recreated all my favourite TV tropes, from crawling through pipes to being two kids in a trenchcoat
HSBC sells UK life insurance arm in latest European retreat July 3, 2025 Banking juggernaut HSBC has marked its latest retreat on European operations after selling its UK life protection arm to insurance firm Chesnara. HSBC have offloaded the division for £260m, which Chesnara will fund through a combination of external resources, credit facility and a equity raise. The move comes amid Georges Elhedery‘s sweeping changes at the [...]
Secure Trust Bank: Jobs at risk as lender exits motor finance July 2, 2025 Specialist lender Secure Trust Bank has announced a “strategic pivot” away from its motor finance division in a bid to boost returns. The group said it will pause new lending within its vehicle finance division and “run off” its existing book, meaning it will manage its current portfolio until it naturally winds down. The bank [...]
British banks shed workers at fastest pace since 2018 July 2, 2025 British bankers were on the chopping block in 2024 as UK lenders marked the steepest drop in headcount since 2018 amid an industry-wide digital push. Total employee numbers at British lenders slumped 5.25 per cent to 580,371, falling to the lowest number in a decade. Standard Chartered and HSBC made the biggest culls at 4.5 [...]
Santander snaps up TSB Bank for £2.9bn July 1, 2025 Santander UK has acquired high street bank TSB in a landmark £2.9bn deal that will significantly beef up the lender’s market share. The bank’s bid for an all-cash takeover from its Spanish peer Banco Sabadell values TSB at five times its expected 2026 net income. TSB will add five million customers, £34bn in mortgages and [...]
Standard Chartered slapped with $2.7bn lawsuit over fraud scandal July 1, 2025 Standard Chartered has been hit with a $2.7bn lawsuit over its alleged role in one of the world’s largest financial fraud cases, known as the 1MBD scandal. The London-headquartered lender is being accused of helping move and hide billions of dollars that were stolen from Malaysia’s 1MDB fund, by not sufficiently checking to see where [...]
Government accused of ignoring SMEs as firms fight for survival June 26, 2025 Three in five small business owners feel ignored by the government, according to a fresh survey, an increasing amount firms raise the alarm on their fight to stay afloat. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are calling on Westminster to take further measures to support businesses after 57 per cent fear for their survival in the [...]
The best current account switch offers June 25, 2025 It’s easy to neglect your current account. Perhaps you’ve been with the same bank since you opened your first account, and you haven’t reviewed it since. Or maybe you bank with a particular bank because your parents do. Or perhaps you have considered switching, because you’ve heard that some banks are handing profits back to [...]
FCA reviewing bank risk appetite to boost home ownership June 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has said it will review lenders’ risk-taking in its bid to boost home ownership. The City watchdog said it was seeking a “public conversation” on the “future of the mortgage market” as it looks to support economic growth through an overhaul on mortgage rules. An update to “responding lending rules” was [...]
Saga shares jump after revealing banking tie-up with Natwest June 24, 2025 Shares in over-50s group Saga rose on Tuesday after the firm revealed it was in “final negotiations” with FTSE 100 juggernaut Natwest for a banking partnership. The London-listed company quickly climbed three per cent in early trading to 176.80p. The firm posted the update ahead of their AGM on Tuesday, confirming it had “agreed heads [...]
Zopa: Fintech bank takes on HSBC and Lloyds with current account June 24, 2025 Digital bank Zopa is parking its tanks on the lawns of the UK’s top lenders – with a new high interest current account. The London-based fintech has launched “Biscuit,” which it said will allow customers to make £256 in cashback and interest per year. The current account offers two per cent AER interest on balances, [...]