Exclusive: Lloyds and Barclays bleed millions in complaint fees July 7, 2025 Lloyds and Barclays were among top UK banking giants paying millions to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) in administrative fees in the last year. The banking industry’s ‘Big Six’ – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Natwest, Santander and Nationwide – paid the FOS a combined £38.8m in admin fees for the year ending March 31. [...]
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 [...]
Exclusive: Revolut, Octopus mull joining Pisces July 2, 2025 Revolut, Octopus and Oaknorth are among billion-pound businesses weighing joining the new Pisces private stock market after being courted by prospective operator London Stock Exchange Group, City AM can reveal. The fast-growing firms were part of a group of around two dozen major businesses who attended a private conference hosted by LSE boss Julia Hoggett [...]
FCA ‘concerned’ over number of takeovers leaked to press July 1, 2025 The UK’s financial watchdog has expressed its concern after fresh figures found nearly two in five takeovers were reported in the press before being formally announced. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned the leaks, which can constitute a breach of market abuse rules, were triggering “price moves…caused by financial analysts or the media correctly predicting [...]
City watchdog takes on advice gap to unlock growth June 30, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a new form of financial help dubbed ‘targeted support’ in a bid to encourage greater consumer participation in financial markets and unlock more investment-led growth. The City regulator will target consumers with common financial characteristics, such as unsustainable pension drawdown, inadequate retirement savings and excess cash not being [...]
City regulators must work more constructively with businesses, experts say June 26, 2025 City regulators have been urged to work more constructively with businesses to ease compliance costs, experts have said amid plans for major regulatory reform by the government. Regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) were frequently too slow to respond to messages from businesses and were often deliberately [...]
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 [...]
FCA vows to take action faster amid jump in whistleblower reports June 24, 2025 The UK’s financial regulator has said it is “closing reports faster” after receiving more whistleblower reports than ever during its latest financial year. The Financial Conduct Authority said it had received 1,131 reports in the 12 months to end March, a small increase on last year and a jump of 8 per cent on five [...]
AIM turns 30: Delistings, doubt and a dose of optimism June 19, 2025 AIM turns 30 today, but birthday celebrations are bound to be overshadowed by swathes of bleak data on the market’s performance. London’s junior stock market has had a woeful period, with projections indicating the index will shrink by a fifth as a result of delisting plans. The number of companies listed on the City’s Alternative [...]