Banks to avoid surge in delinquency even as average interest rate on credit card hits highest level this millennium July 19, 2023 The average rate of interest on UK credit cards hit their highest level in nearly 30 years last month, but experts suggested there would not be a surge in delinquencies. According to Bank of England data, the average rate of interest on a credit card surpassed 23 per cent in June for the first time [...]
Insurance chiefs back new Solvency II investment forum to help deliver £100bn in investment July 19, 2023 The heads of the UK’s major insurance firms have written in support of a new Investment Delivery Forum to help drive investment following the reforms to Solvency II. Established by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) earlier in July, the forum is designed to tackle the investment gap preventing investment from the insurance and long-term [...]
Banks must tell savers if better deals are available under Consumer Duty, FCA says July 18, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned banks that they must inform savers if better deals are available once the new Consumer Duty comes into force at the end of the month. In a letter to the Treasury Select Committee, the FCA said it is “more critical than ever that borrowers and savers are offered [...]
Bosses from Natwest, Shell and Sainsbury’s join PM’s new taskforce to boost growth July 18, 2023 Top bosses from firms including Barclays, Aviva and Shell have joined the Prime Minister’s new business council aimed at supercharging the UK’s growth. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will chair the first business council meeting at No10 today, followed by a glitzy reception for scores of industry bigwigs to celebrate UK enterprise. CEOs including Alison Rose [...]
FTSE 100 close: Slowing China economy sends London index into red as Barclays and NatWest jump July 17, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a fresh week today in downbeat fashion, dragged lower by signs that China’s economic recovery from the pandemic is whittling away. The capital’s premier index shed 0.38 per cent to close at 7,406.43 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
FTSE 100 close: Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds all surge after Bank of England gives clean bill of health to lenders July 12, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was yanked higher today by Britain’s biggest banks surging after being given a clean bill of health by the Bank of England this morning. The capital’s premier index notched one of its best days in weeks, surging 1.83 per cent to 7,416.10 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is [...]
Banks breathe ‘sigh of relief’ as Supreme Court backs Barclays in APP fraud case July 12, 2023 Banks will not face extensive new duties to prevent authorised push payment (APP) fraud after the Supreme Court sided with Barclays in a closely watched case. The ruling means banks will not be held liable for fraudulent transactions requested by customers, avoiding a potential wave of fraud litigation. “There will definitely have been some deep [...]
Bank of England says UK’s big banks passed stress test and are ‘resilient’ to rising rates July 12, 2023 The UK’s largest lenders passed the Bank of England’s stress tests with flying colours, even as concerns grow around the health of the mortgage market. In its latest stress test, the Bank of England concluded that banks were “resilient”, enabling them to withstand persistently higher inflation and a deep global recession. “The UK banking system [...]
Shell anticipates ‘significantly lower’ gas trading as investors ‘sit on hands’ July 7, 2023 Shell said it anticipates “significantly lower” gas trading in its second quarter results, but questions remain about the energy titan’s claim it’s linked to ‘seasonality’. Ahead of their 27 July results, the firm claims its expected dip was down to “seasonality” in the market, while stressing that the performance would be “in line” with the [...]
Brits overestimate costs of making homes greener July 6, 2023 Brits vastly overestimate both the cost and time to install green upgrades in their homes, according to a new study from Barclays and Ipsos.