Mortgage rates: Banks warn of more ‘financial difficulty’ – but arrears increase will be small July 11, 2023 Leading bankers have said that an increasing number of customers will face financial difficulties as mortgage rates rise, but remained confident that both consumers and lenders could withstand the pressure. Bradley Fordham, mortgage director at Santander, said that with rates at six per cent, the average increase in monthly payments for customers coming off a [...]
Mortgage rates climb to 15-year high following surprisingly strong wage growth July 11, 2023 The typical rate available on a two-year fixed mortgage has climbed to a 15-year high, surpassing the levels seen last Autumn in the wake of the disastrous mini-budget. According to Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate hit 6.66 per cent, marginally higher than the 6.65 per cent seen last October. This was the [...]
SVB Financial sues US regulator to recover $1.93bn seized in rescue July 10, 2023 SVB Financial Group has sued the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) to recover the $1.93 billion the regulator seized during its takeover of the failed Silicon Valley Bank in March, according to a filing in a bankruptcy court on Sunday. The lack of access to the funds was impeding SVB Financial’s reorganisation, it said, [...]
Watchdog opens fewer cases than last year but still keeping close eye on wrongdoers July 9, 2023 The number of enforcement cases opened by the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) dropped last year, but experts suggested the regulator was not resting on its laurels. According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by law firm Reed Smith, in the year to March, the number of cases opened against firms dropped 67 per cent [...]
OneSavings Bank shares plunge by nearly a quarter after £180m hit from ‘step change’ in customer behaviour July 7, 2023 Shares in OneSavings Bank (OSB) plummeted this morning after the lender revealed it would take a hit of up to £180m from a “step change” in customer behaviour. In a statement released after market close last night, the FTSE 250-listed bank said customers in a certain part of the loan book were choosing to refinance [...]
Savings rates: Banks recognise they need ‘to do more’ after meeting with regulator July 7, 2023 Bank bosses admitted to the regulator that they needed to “do more” to help customers access the best deals on savings products. In a statement after yesterday’s meeting, the regulator said “those in the room recognised that they needed to do more to help their consumers access the best rates.” Savings rates have lagged the [...]
Former UBS banker convicted of Libor rigging wins chance for court appeal July 6, 2023 The former UBS banker convicted of Libor rigging in the UK will see his conviction referred to the Court of Appeal in a major development in his campaign to prove his innocence.
‘Blatant profiteering’: Bank chiefs hauled in front of FCA to discuss failure to pass on interest rates to savers July 6, 2023 Bank chiefs are meeting Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) officials on Thursday to discuss concerns surrounding interest rates for savers lagging behind the cost of mortgages. Bosses from HSBC, Natwest, Lloyds and Barclays are expected to attend. According to data from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, the average easy access savings rate on offer on Thursday is 2.49 per cent. [...]
Challenger banks win customers on back of better savings rates than big boys July 6, 2023 More generous savings rates at challenger banks are seeing customers flock to newer players in the market, as pressure grows on big banks
Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia: Menopause, Richard Branson and carving out a path for women’s success in the City July 6, 2023 Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia speaks with Morning Wire on Richard Branson, the menopause and carving out a path for women's success in the City