Banking and insurance to drive financial M&As after 2025 frenzy Banking Deals in the financial services sector are expected to be “robust” in the year to come, following a burst of activity from the banking and insurance sector in 2025. UK banks, insurers and asset managers publicly disclosed 337 deals last year. Whilst this dipped down from the record high of 378 in 2024, the value [...]
Housing market ended 2025 on ‘softer note’ after ‘resilient’ year Property The UK housing market rounded off 2025 on a softer note after remaining “resilient” through a volatile year, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index. Annual house price growth slowed to 0.6 per cent in December from 1.8 per cent in November, with a 0.4 per cent fall in prices. This took the average UK [...]
HSBC follows Nationwide with branch pledge in bid to woo customers Banking HSBC has promised it will not shut any branches in the UK until at least 2027 as the bank ramps up its efforts to appeal to customers. The FTSE 100 titan, which is Europe’s biggest lender, will invest £55.8m into its 327 branches in 2026, a 30 per cent increase on the £42m it spent [...]
Nationwide hit with fine after failing to flag Covid furlough fraud December 12, 2025 Nationwide had been slapped with a £44m fine by the City watchdog for failures in its financial crime controls. The building society giant has been blasted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for missing opportunities to identify fraudulent Covid furlough payments. The FCA said one customer received 24 payments, totalling north of £27m, over 13 [...]
The best cash bonus deals for switching current accounts October 30, 2025 UK banks and building societies are handing out hefty cash bonuses to entice customers to switch accounts, with Nationwide among the sweetest offers. The building society recorded 54,347 switches between April and June, largely driven by its £200 switch incentive. Its Fairer Share scheme, which offers a one off bonus payment of £100, was also [...]
Londoners paying £42,700 premium to live near Tube and train stations September 23, 2025 Home buyers in London are paying as much as a £42,700 premium to live close to a train station. According to research from Nationwide Building Society, there is a stark pricing gulf between houses within 500 metres of a station compared to 1,500 metres. Londoners face a significantly higher premium compared to other major urban [...]
Five top paying savings accounts – earn up to 7.5 per cent August 8, 2025 Savings accounts are staging a fiery comeback as UK providers battle to attract customers. With the cost-of-living still rumbling on and interest rates beginning to shift, there’s prime opportunities to put money to work. A number of top accounts have upped rates in recent months – some over seven per cent – helping in a [...]
Nationwide wins big in mass switch from FTSE 100 banks July 30, 2025 Nationwide has raided the customer base of Britain’s banking titans as current account switchers flocked away from legacy firms. The building society welcomed nearly 73,000 switchers in the first three months of the year, compared to 17,000 outflows, according to Pay.uk data. This comes after the mutual returned billions to customers in 2024, whilst the [...]
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. [...]
Nationwide to Greggs: King’s honours list champions UK business leaders June 14, 2025 Entrepreneurs and company chiefs in tech, recruitment and banking have been recognised for their contributions to UK business in the King’s birthday honours. Microsoft UK boss Clare Barclay and ceramics founder Emma Bridgewater, dubbed the “queen of pottery”, received damehoods for services to business. Nationwide chief executive Debbie Crosbie, who led a £2.3bn takeover of [...]