An interim report published by the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) has said more competition is required in retail banking. The ICB, which was established in June 2010, has until September 2011 to make its recommendations about the banking industry to the Government and one of its suggestions is for banking giant Lloyds to sell-off [...]
Employers’ group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has today warned about the implications of breaking up the country’s banks. Its warning comes as the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) continues to look into the possibility of splitting up the big banks – a move which could increase competition and choice among high street banks. [...]
A report by the BBC has established that bank’s lending targets have not been met and pressure is now mounting for bank bosses to reduce bonuses and increase lending to businesses and homeowners. After talks, the Treasury has made it clear that the Government will threaten to break up big banks unless they agree to [...]
Mervyn King, the Bank of England’s Governor, has expressed his support for breaking up banks – measures that would shake-up the UK’s banking industry. Mr King’s comments come shortly after the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) said it was looking at ways to increase competition and choice among high street banks. One option could see [...]
In a further massive shake-up of the UK’s banking industry, the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) is looking at ways to increase competition and choice among high street banks. One option could see existing banking giants broken up and new names enter the industry. The ICB, which is headed by Sir John Vickers, was established [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is 70% owned by the taxpayer, has announced it is to eliminate 3,700 positions among its branch staff. The bank, which along with Lloyds Banking Group is to be broken up, said the redundancies are the equivalent of 14% of its workforce and the job losses are in addition [...]
Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member, Adam Posen, has warned that the UK is facing a Japan-style lost decade. Japan, which is the world’s second largest economy, endured a so-called “Lost Decade” in the 1990s, whereby economic expansion grinds to a halt. In a speech, Mr Posen warned that Britain’s dysfunctional banking system [...]
Lloyds Banking Group is in discussions with the Government with regard to its participation in the Asset Protection Scheme (which insures against losses arising from toxic assets). The banking giant, which is 43% owned by the taxpayer, enrolled in the scheme in March and planned to put £260 billion of loans and investments into the [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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