Government launches Britain’s largest ever retail investing campaign April 23, 2026 The government has unveiled its industry-backed push to encourage households to plough their savings into the stock market, in what is set to be the largest retail investing campaign of its kind in Britain’s history. Starring a red squirrel called ‘Savvy’, the Invest for the Future campaign will seek to “drive a step change in [...]
Eight London sites raided in peer-to-peer crypto trading bust April 22, 2026 The City watchdogs, working with HMRC and the Regional Organised Crime Unit, have carried out the first crackdown on illegal crypto trading across multiple London locations. The enforcement targeted eight premises in London suspected of illegal peer-to-peer crypto trading by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The traders were issued cease-and-desist letters at each site, notifying [...]
FCA crypto U-turn – everything retail investors need to know April 22, 2026 After banning crypto Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) for retail customers in January 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reversed its position in October 2025, meaning retail investors can once again purchase exchange-listed crypto instruments, such as ETNs. According to FCA research, conducted in conjunction with YouGov, 91 per cent of UK consumers are aware of cryptoassets. [...]
FCA: Changes to SM&CR regime aren’t deregulation, they’re better regulation April 22, 2026 The FCA is delivering practical improvements to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime will make accountability smarter and simpler, says Sarah Pritchard Senior accountability is the foundation of building trust and confidence in UK financial services. But leaders being on the hook for their actions doesn’t need to mean they get tangled in red tape. [...]
Barclays and Lloyds picked for City watchdog’s AI live testing April 21, 2026 Barclays has joined the second cohort of firms selected by the UK’s financial watchdog to get a safe run at testing AI as banking giants battle to bulk up their tech capacity. The FTSE 100 constituent will join its peer Lloyds Banking Group – which will be represented by its subsidiary Scottish Widows – as [...]
S&U takes ‘Margaret Thatcher’ approach as profit swells April 21, 2026 Specialist lender S&U recorded a major bump to profit in the last year as the bank said it was following the teachings of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The London-listed bank – which was founded in 1938 and once known as Sports and Utilities – posted a pre-tax profit of £31.8m in the year ending 5 [...]
UK chief executives scramble as Anthropic expands London AI hub April 16, 2026 Anthropic is expanding its London footprint with a new office for up to 800 staff, as UK bank bosses ramp up engagement with the firm over concerns about its latest AI models. The US-based company said it will scale up from its current base of more than 200 employees in the capital, with the new [...]
Santander UK tipped for ‘large’ hike to motor finance provisions April 16, 2026 Santander UK is expected to top up its provisions for the motor finance scandal following the final outline of the financial watchdog’s redress scheme. The Spanish-headquartered banking giant has been one of the most vocal critics throughout the scandal, which relates to the use of discretionary commission arrangements (DCAS) in car financing. Banks were accused [...]
Exclusive: Treasury and regulator to hold crunch talks with UK fintech unicorns April 16, 2026 Top fintech bosses will lock horns with Treasury and watchdog officials next week as the industry lobbies for key regulatory reforms, City AM can reveal. Several of the nation’s fastest-growing companies are set to meet City Minister Lucy Rigby on Tuesday as part of a flurry of key summits in UK fintech week. The City [...]
The FCA’s new targeted support regime risks further confusion for consumers April 15, 2026 The FCA’s new “targeted support” regime, introduced to bridge the gap between generic guidance and regulated financial advice, risks being more complex and less effective than the system it replaces, says Matthew Bowles Last Monday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) formally introduced its new “targeted support” regime. This is an attempt to bridge the long-discussed [...]