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 [...]
Hike in conduct breach reports to FCA ahead of new rules rollout March 23, 2026 There has been a substantial increase in reports of conduct breaches made to the financial watchdog, with the spotlight on City behaviour amid ongoing legal proceedings regarding the disgraced financier Crispin Odey. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) received 10 per cent more complaints in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the law firm [...]
Revolut poised to hit Natwest and Lloyds in deposit war March 20, 2026 Revolut’s long-awaited UK banking licence approval is set to trigger a “deposit war” that could hand a major blow to incumbent giants Natwest and Lloyds. The $75bn fintech juggernaut finally bagged its full-fat UK banking permit earlier this month after a four-year tussle with regulators. Analysts are expecting the move to send ripples across the [...]
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 [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares sink as Iran tensions drag FTSE 100 into red March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 was treading slightly above the 10,000 mark on Thursday as fears grew that the index could slip underneath the milestone. London’s blue-chip index fell 2.7 per cent by the afternoon to lows of 10,002.30p. It came as shares in a number of the City’s banking giants led the FTSE 100’s downturn this [...]
Owner of collapsed lender MFS hit with freezing order March 19, 2026 The owner of a collapsed shadow bank has been hit with a worldwide freezing order after his firm faced fraud allegations. Paresh Raja, founder of Market Financial Solutions (MFS), has been told by courts in London and Dubai to give details of all his assets worth more than £10,000 and cannot spend more than £5,000 [...]
Treasury reforms to banks ombudsman threaten independence, MPs warn March 18, 2026 The Treasury’s reforms to the banks ombudsman threaten to upend the body’s independence, a group of influential MPs have warned. The government revealed its overhaul proposals for the financial ombudsman service (FOS) on Tuesday in a bid to curb concerns it had behaved as a “quasi-regulator”. But a fresh letter to City minister Lucy Rigby [...]
Bank of England ‘should wait’ before cutting interest rates, City AM Shadow MPC says March 17, 2026 The Bank of England should “wait and see” how long the war in Iran goes on for before cutting interest rates again, leading economists on City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee have said. The crisis in the Middle East has pushed up energy prices and heightened fears that the UK economy is heading for a [...]
Is AI the future of work? March 17, 2026 Technology leaders say artificial intelligence (AI) is the future of work, but the reality for business leaders is more complicated. The world of work is clearly moving in this direction, as the government recently announced plans to offer free training to British adults on how to effectively use AI in their work. But researchers have [...]
Shadow bank collapse floods London with hundreds of luxury properties March 17, 2026 London’s super prime property market is set to be flooded with hundreds of luxury homes following the collapse of one of Britain’s biggest shadow banks. Mansions in Kensington, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair are being put on sale by administrators for Market Financial Solutions (MFS), all of which were controlled by individuals with links to the [...]