Blackwell confirmed as Sir Win’s replacement as Lloyds chairman December 2, 2013 LLOYDS Banking Group confirmed yesterday that Lord Blackwell, one of the bailed-out bank’s non-executive directors, will be promoted to chairman. Blackwell, a former consultant for McKinsey and the chairman of Lloyds unit Scottish Widows as well as FTSE 250-listed Interserve, will replace Sir Win Bischoff in April. He advised Margaret Thatcher’s government and served as [...]
Surrey begin against Glamorgan November 26, 2013 CRICKET: Surrey will begin the revamped Division Two County Championship season against Glamorgan at the Oval on 6 April. Counties will now earn five points for a draw instead of three and 67 per cent of matches will begin on a Sunday. The 50-over Royal London One-Day Cup replaces the YB40 competition, while the renamed [...]
Piggybanks back to hog children’s cash November 24, 2013 FOR all those mums and dads wanting their junior spenders to start hogging their cash, NatWest has a squeally good idea. The bank, which clearly has no desire to reinvent the wheel, is giving away a piggybank – now dubbed a Pigbybank – to young savers. And if something else is looking a bit familiar, [...]
First five star score for RBS and Natwest November 20, 2013 A SURVEY of financial wellbeing released today has given the first five star rating to a bank’s product since it began in 2010. Research by the Fairbanking Foundation, which looks at savings accounts, currents accounts, credit cards and personal loans, gave RBS and NatWest’s instant saver with savings goals a five star rating, the first awarded for [...]
Co-op launches board inquiry November 18, 2013 CO-OP bosses are looking for evidence of drug taking at the group’s banking arm, the group said yesterday, after evidence emerged of former chairman Reverend Paul Flowers taking drugs including cocaine, crystal meth and ketamine. The board will also look at whether it is still practical for local members to be elevated to the board [...]
Claims ministers backed Co-op merger spree November 6, 2013 THE CO-OPERATIVE bank’s ill-fated expansion plan was quietly endorsed by senior ministers, the bank’s ex-chairman claimed yesterday. Reverend Paul Flowers, chair of Co-op Bank from 2009 until this summer, said Ed Balls, Mark Hoban and Vince Cable had all given “considerable nods and winks” about moves to takeover rival lenders during its four year acquisition [...]
City Moves for 28 October 2013 | Who’s switching jobs October 27, 2013 Barclays The bank has announced the hire of Geoff Parry as UK head of global corporates in its trade finance team. He joins from National Australia Bank, where he was head of trade finance for south east Asia. Prior to that, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered and NatWest. PwC The professional services firm [...]
City Index hires chairman as it rejigs managers October 14, 2013 CITY Index, the spread betting group two-thirds owned by Michael Spencer of Icap, is bringing in an executive chairman to try to improve its performance and to focus more on international expansion. The group is hiring Mark Preston, a banking industry specialist, who quit Lloyds Bank before its ill-fated merger with HBoS. Preston will work [...]
Santander joins mortgage plan as prices rocket October 10, 2013 SANTANDER became the sixth bank to join the Help to Buy scheme, yesterday promising to offer mortgages with a government guarantee in the New Year. But the announcement came as new data revealed the housing market is already growing strongly, adding to fears that the guarantee scheme could promote a bubble in some areas. House [...]
Lenders fear bubble if UK does not get more houses October 8, 2013 MORTGAGE lenders yesterday warned house building levels are still dangerously low, as the government’s new Help to Buy scheme launched with the backing of five banks, including HSBC. The scheme gives a government guarantee to buyers with a small deposit saved up, making banks more willing to lend and increasing the range of mortgages on [...]