House prices pick up but property outlook remains ‘clouded’ Property House prices picked up in March as the property market gained traction after a slow start to the year, though experts warn the Iran war could “cloud” this momentum. The UK’s house prices rose by 2.2 per cent year on year in March, up from one per cent growth in the year to February, as [...]
‘Mortgage mayhem’: Banks’ rates soar past 5.5 per cent amid Iran war volatility Banking The UK mortgage market has been flipped upside down with Brits facing higher prices to borrow in the short-term as the Iran war rattles the economy. The average five-year fixed deal for a homeowner has spiked to 5.54 per cent this morning, up from 4.95 per cent at the start of March, according to financial [...]
Revolut and Nationwide sharpen swords in battle to bank Britain Opinion If you had ‘Graham Norton sitting on a horse’ on your banking bingo card, congratulations. The BBC chat show host has swapped his famous sofa with a more equine-shaped seat in a TV appearance already sparking chatter among the upper echelons of the banking sphere. But take a closer look and beyond the Irish comedian’s [...]
Mortgage deals shrink by a fifth since outbreak of Iran war March 23, 2026 The number of mortgage deals on offer for homeowners have shrunk by nearly a fifth since war broke out in Iran just over three weeks ago. Just shy of 1,500 fewer residential mortgages were available on Monday morning, compared with March 9, amounting to a contraction of 19.5 per cent. According to financial information platform [...]
Banks keep £100 contactless limit despite new powers March 19, 2026 Britain’s banks will not be lifting the £100 cap on contactless payments despite the regulator giving them the power to do so, citing low demand. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifted the cap on Thursday, leaving it up to banks to increase their own limits – although none of the UK’s biggest banks have decided [...]
Cash incentives keep Brits sticking with the high-street March 18, 2026 Digital banks are luring a number of Brits away from traditional providers, but cash incentives are leading many to stick with high-street banks. Almost 50 per cent of UK adults have now opened a digital only bank account, a near 10 per cent increase from last year, according to the latest report from comparison site [...]
House price growth holds steady in February March 2, 2026 House prices held steady in the year to February and rose slightly from last month, according to Nationwide’s house price index. The average UK house price last month was £273,176, up 0.3 per cent from January, and annual price growth was unchanged at one per cent. A continued improvement in affordability helped drive first-time buyers [...]
Bank of Ireland’s UK arm hit with £3.8m fine for fraud failures February 19, 2026 The Bank of Ireland’s UK arm has been slapped with a hefty fine after failing to hit the deadline by over a year to implement an anti-fraud service. The lender was hit with a £3.7m fine from the Payments Systems Regulator (PSR) for missing the deadline by 14 months for a “vital” service that would [...]
Lloyds to close 95 more bank branches across UK February 11, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group is set to make a further full to its branch network with 95 sites face the shutter. The FTSE 100 banking giant announced the fresh closures on Wednesday, which will affect Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland sites. The closures will take place between May 2026 and March 2027. Lloyds will take [...]
Full map of closures: Santander axes another 44 branches putting 291 jobs at risk January 29, 2026 Santander has made another cull to its branch network as the Spanish banking giant ploughs ahead with its digital transformation. The lender said it would close another 44 branches, which will put 291 jobs at risk of redundancy, as the bank turns its focus to its digital offer to keep at pace with its fintech [...]