Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’ January 18, 2026 Nearly two years ago Close Brothers chief executive said the bank would take “decisive actions” to strengthen its financial standing. The bold overhaul of the lender’s capital structure came amid the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into the motor finance industry – a sector which made up 20 per cent of its £9.5bn loan book [...]
Lloyds shares to offer best cash-back rate in Europe, analysts say January 9, 2026 Lloyds shareholders are set for a bumper few years as analysts predict the bank will continue to splash cash on dividends and buybacks. The bank has been tipped to move to a half-year buyback, in a move that will majorly ramp up the money it hands back to investors. In 2025, Lloyds beat out its [...]
Banking and insurance to drive financial M&As after 2025 frenzy January 7, 2026 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 [...]
Lloyds shares surge past 100p to 17-year high January 6, 2026 Shares in Lloyds Banking Group surged past 100p on Tuesday morning amidst a wider rally in the London stock market’s blue-chips. The FTSE 100 banking giant jumped over one per cent at the opening bell to 101.30p marking a 17-year High before parring back some gains to close 0.8 per cent higher at 100.75. Lloyds’ [...]
Jaguar Land Rover sales tumble after cyber attack disruption January 6, 2026 Sales at Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover tumbled in the last quarter of the year after a massive cyber attack wreaked havoc with the carmaker’s production plans. Wholesale volumes were down by more than 40 per cent to 59,200 in the three months to the end of December, while retail sales slumped 25 per cent to [...]
Brits borrowed more despite Budget unease January 5, 2026 British consumers took out more in credit over November than expected despite suggestions that Budget speculation would have held people back from taking risks, official data has shown. Economists widely predicted that weeks of speculation over tax rises dampened consumer sentiment and prevented people from borrowing more. But the Bank of England has revealed that [...]
Chery Tiggo 9 CSH review: 7-seat family SUV goes big on value January 1, 2026 Chery is the biggest car company you’ve never heard of. It has been China’s top automotive exporter for the past 22 years, selling vehicles in countries as far-flung as Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Israel and Turkey. Now, Chery has finally planted its flag on British soil – and its progress so far suggests it won’t remain [...]
The winners and losers of the FTSE 100’s record year December 31, 2025 In what has been a record year for the FTSE 100, a number of London’s blue-chips missed out on the rally and were left in the dark. The FTSE 100 is poised to close 2025 just shy of the 10,000 mark after rising 20 per cent over the course of the year, led by strong [...]
Motor finance: What’s next for banks and consumers in 2026? December 29, 2025 The City watchdog wrapped up the consultation on its motor finance redress in December but the two-year long scandal threatens to rumble on into the new year. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pushed the deadline for feedback on its scheme to 12 December after it was originally pencilled in for 18 November. The delay came [...]
Who still gets hired in the 2026 workplace? December 28, 2025 Britain’s labour market has probably never felt more precarious than it does now, as the struggling economy and the rapid rise of AI take effect. Redundancies are at their highest since the pandemic, unemployment has risen to 5.1 per cent, and entry-level opportunities, the traditional stepping stones for grads and young workers, have all but [...]