Barclays is changing its bonus system for 18,000 branch and call centre staff, following a similar move by the Co-operative bank. Barclays is ending the practice of awarding staff commission for selling financial policies. Like the Co-op, Barclays will now provide bonuses for good customer service rather than for meeting sales targets. Antony Jenkins, who [...]
The Co-op’s long-awaited deal with Lloyds Banking group has taken a major step forward with the sealing of a Heads of Terms agreement, under which the Co-op will pay around £750m for 632 Lloyds branches. Lloyds Banking Group was ordered to sell the branches under the terms of the bail-out it received from the government [...]
The Co-operative Bank will stop offering interest-only mortgages from next Tuesday, but the decision will not affect existing customers. A recent report by the Independent on Sunday suggested that a quarter of a million people with interest-only mortgages will reach retirement age by the end of the decade with a substantial capital debt still to [...]
NBNK Investments Plc, which was formed in 2010 to create a new British bank, has submitted a new offer to buy 632 Lloyds TSB branches from the Lloyds Banking Group. Lloyds is required to sell the branches under European Commission competition regulations. In December it named the Co-op Bank as preferred bidder for the so-called [...]
The Co-operative Bank has announced plans to increase its standard variable mortgage rate (SVR) by 0.5 percentage points to 4.74 per cent from 1 May. The increase means that 54,000 mortgage borrowers will have to pay an average of £15 a month more on their mortgage. The bank has increased its rates to help offset [...]
More than three quarters of savers are unaware that everyone aged 16 and over is allowed to put £5,340 into cash ISA this year, according to research from uSwitch. Only half of savers are planning to put any money at all into a cash ISA, and just a quarter are using their total allowance, the [...]
Seven in ten UK adults are in debt but many are choosing to ignore the problem instead of seeking help before it gets out of hand. Research by The Co-operative Bank found that 29 per cent of people refuse to confront their debt problems. Many do not admit that they are in debt until borrowing [...]
The Co-operative Bank and Britannia today launched a new five-year mortgage at a fixed-rate of 3.99%. The mortgage is available to homeowners with a deposit of at least 25%. Borrowers taking out the mortgage are required to pay a £999 fee. The two providers, which merged last year, also announced a two-year fixed rate mortgage [...]
Mortgage customers with two of the UK’s rescued banks are less than happy with the service they receive, according to new research from Which? Money. The 41% state-owned Lloyds Banking Group has the furthest to go: only 41% of Bank of Scotland borrowers surveyed expressed satisfaction, while the group’s Halifax unit impressed 44% of home [...]
The Co-operative Bank has reported that the number of borrowers paying off their mortgages ahead of schedule has soared 56% in the past year. The trend is at its strongest among variable rate customers who are taking advantage of the record low base rate, at 0.5%. The benefits can be twofold as early repayment reduces [...]
Homeowners get the itch to move house every seven years, new research has discovered. Co-operative Bank found the main reason people move house is to make room for a growing family. Other popular reasons homeowners cited for moving included wanting to live closer to work, and getting bored of their current home. One in six [...]
The Co-operative Bank and Ecology Building Society are two of the best institutions for ethically minded mortgage holders, it emerged this week. Virginia Wallis, money expert at the Guardian newspaper, recommended the two lenders to homeowners with “ethical ideals”. Co-operative’s tracker mortgage charges 2.49% above the base rate, and is available at up to 75% [...]
Britons are regaining their confidence in the UK housing market, with 35% of vendors currently prepared to stick with their asking price, rather than drop to secure a sale. According to new research from The Co-operative Bank, a change in attitude is taking place among sellers, although home buyers are holding back, with only 12% [...]
The Which? Awards, which names ‘the best of the best’ in products and services, has named the Co-operative Bank as the Best Financial Services Provider. The bank has been performing well amid the recession and its customer numbers have increased significantly in recent years because of its ethical investment policy. Since 1992, the bank’s commercial [...]
Home repossessions by the Co-operative Bank halved during the last 16 months, the lender revealed this week. The ethical financial provider said since the start of 2008, it has only carried out 8 home repossessions, compared to 16 home repossessions in the 16 months leading up to 2008. The announcement comes as the Council of [...]
Ethical banking is proving a popular choice for British savers, with record numbers signing up for accounts at the Co-operative. The bank this week revealed that 123% more people have signed up for its current account this year compared to last year. Customers are coming to the Co-operative, which has an ethical screening policy on [...]
The Co-operative Bank yesterday announced updates to two of its mortgage products. Interest charged on Co-operative’s 3 Year Discount Mortgage was reduced to 3.24%, whilst the bank’s 3 Year Fixed Rate Guarantor Mortgage was reissued at a rate of 5.99%. The Discount mortgage has a maximum loan-to-value (LTV) of 75%, and a £995 application fee. [...]
The Co-operative Bank has increased profits by 70 percent (for the year to 10 January) as depositors fled to what has always been seen as the “boring bank” but in troubled times, many savers have warmed to its security. In a period where its competitors struggled, retail deposits increased by 17 percent whilst corporate deposits [...]
The number of mortgage holders making overpayments has increased by half, research by the Co-operative Bank has discovered. Low return on savings, because of recent falls in interest rates, is the main reason for the overpayments, with 80% of overpayers citing this as the key motivation for their decision. In addition, the Bank of England’s [...]
The Co-operative Bank and Places for People, the property management and development group, have been researching potential first-time buyers and have discovered that on average, those hoping to get a foot on the property ladder think they need to save £19,100 before they can buy their first home. The research involved 1,500 potential first-time buyers, [...]
A year has passed since the government replaced Child Trust Funds with Junior ISAs (JISAs) but more than half of parents are unaware that they exist, according to research by friendly society Family Investments Children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 were eligible to open a Child Trust Fund and to receive [...]
PPI costs increase for Lloyds and Barclays
Lloyds Banking Group has set aside a further £1 billion to cover compensation costs for customers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Yesterday, Barclays revealed £700m of PPI costs in the 2012 third quarter increasing its total provision to £2bn. Lloyds Banking Group, which has made the largest PPI provision out of all the [...]
Bonfire Night worst day for burglaries warns Aviva
Insurance group Aviva is warning households to be vigilant over security at this time of the year, as burglaries tend to increase signficantly between Halloween and Bonfire Night. On Bonfire Night the number of burglaries increases by around 25 per cent compared with an average day, according to the company’s research. Aviva also reported a [...]
Consumer confidence hits six-month low
Although the UK has officially emerged from recession, consumer confidence fell to -30 in October from -28 in September, according to market researcher company GfK NOP. This is the lowest level of consumer confidence since April when the UK was in an economic slump. Analysts had expected the index to remain stable at -28. Respondents [...]
100,000 mortgage holders escape negative equity trap
New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reveal that the number of borrowers in negative equity fell 13 per cent to 719,000 between the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The number of borrowers paying a mortgage greater than the value of their property fell despite a further small [...]
Banking commission appoints counsel to cross-examine witnesses
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has appointed counsel to cross-examine witnesses during its inquiry into the collapse of Halifax Bank of Scotland. Barrister David Quest has been appointed to question witnesses in a public evidence session, as part of a sub-committee panel inquiry into the bank. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Commission said: “This [...]
Mortgage approvals increased in September
An increase in the number of mortgage approvals in September suggests that the ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, launched by the Treasury and the Bank of England, may be starting to give the property market a boost. According to Bank of England figures, the number of loans approved for house purchase increased by 2,103 to 50,024 [...]
Five million paid less than living wage
Five million people in the UK are paid less than the ‘living wage’ of £7.20, or £8.30 in London, according to a new report by KPMG. In Northern Ireland, 24 per cent of workers receive less than they require in order to pay for essentials and the situation is little better in Wales where 23 [...]
Commission calls for radical change in housing market
A new study by the Future Homes Commission suggests that the way homes are built in the UK is dysfunctional and needs a radical overhaul. The organisation, which was established by the Royal Institute of British Architects, believes that 300,000 extra homes could be built every year without any input from Government funding. Instead, the [...]
The UK economy emerged from recession yesterday and now leads the way in Europe according to research group Capital Economics. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by one per cent in the third quarter from July to September, the biggest rise for five years, the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. [...]
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