Barclays in legal battle with MFS administrators over part of £160m holding August 4, 2026 The administrators of collapsed mortgage lender MFS are taking legal action against Barclays after the bank allegedly refused to hand back millions of pounds sat in its accounts. Alix Partners, which was appointed as joint administrators for Market Financial Solutions in February, filed a High Court claim against Barclays, represented by Latham and Watkins, on [...]
Natwest hikes targets again after jump in profit July 31, 2026 Natwest has upgraded its income targets for a second quarter running as the bank posted better than expected profit and dished out a bumper dividend to investors. The blue-chip lender reported a 20 per cent jump in pre-tax profit in the first six months of 2026 to £4.3bn, up from £3.6bn the year prior and [...]
FCA boss takes aim at motor finance lenders and claims firms July 15, 2026 The boss of the City watchdog has taken a fresh swipe at the parties opposing the regulator’s motor finance redress scheme. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), told the Treasury Committee that he was “concerned about the integrity of the claims management market” and took a shot at lenders for trying [...]
Close Brothers shares fall as motor finance scandal threatens worst returns in Europe July 6, 2026 Close Brothers shares tumbled on Monday morning after a damning broker downgrade warned the bank was poised to deliver the “lowest value-creation” of Europe’s top 50 banks. The FTSE 250 bank’s stock was down nearly nine per cent in early trading to 401.70p as investors scurried for the exit door. The loss came on the [...]
Lloyds accused of debanking left-wing media outlet The Canary June 30, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has been accused of debanking the left-wing news website The Canary in a move that has left the media outlet with “barely any funds”. The bank was slammed by the media firm on Tuesday for allegedly “withholding a substantial amount of our money” and debanking them after nearly a decade of use. [...]
Banks woo the wealthy to ace stable income streams June 17, 2026 As the great and the good prepare to gather at Wimbledon, banks are serving up glamorous treatment to woo the wealthy. In this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at the players looking to call game, set, match. If you want the Centre Court treatment from your bank, you’re going to need to arrive with a [...]
Fintech firms grew four times faster than traditional banks in 2025 June 1, 2026 The explosive growth of the global fintech sector continued in the last year, drastically outpacing its incumbent rivals but faced a challenge in cementing its market share. Fintech firms’ average growth rate was four times faster than that of traditional financial services at an average of 22 per cent in BCG’s Global Fintech Report 2026. [...]
FTSE 100 banks are facing £2.5bn of headwinds – HSBC and Barclays are in the firing line May 6, 2026 The FTSE 100’s Big Five banks toasted a healthy profit stash in the first-quarter, but, says Samuel Norman, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon for the sector. The London market’s five biggest banks swallowed a bitter cocktail of economic risks in the first three months of the year leaving a bumper cash haul overshadowed [...]
Motor finance provider faces administration amid £9bn redress fallout May 5, 2026 Blue Motor Finance is reportedly on the verge of administration after a series of financial setbacks and pressures stemming from the City regulator’s planned £9bn motor finance redress scheme. The independent motor finance provider is said to be facing a redress bill of over £50m, having lent over £1bn to over 120,000 customers – as [...]
Natwest shares slip as bank upgrades income on higher interest rates May 1, 2026 Natwest breezed past profit expectations in the first quarter of the 2026 and is predicting a greater bump to its bottom line on the back of higher-than-expected interest rates. The FTSE 100 giant booked a £2bn pre-tax profit in the first three months of the year, up from £1.8bn in the same period last year [...]