MPs pile pressure on banks as savings offers lag interest rate hikes June 8, 2023 MPs said that lenders must “up their game” and pass on higher rates to savers as bank bosses responded to an inquiry on the “measly” rates on offer. The influential Treasury Committee pointed to low rates on offer for easy access accounts across the UK’s ‘scale challengers’, Nationwide, TSB, Virgin Money and Santander. According to [...]
Link chief John Howells on bank branch closures, payments and the battle for cash June 8, 2023 Link's chief John Howells says the nation can't "abandon" its cash users.
JP Morgan leads rivals on AI recruitment as UK banks struggle to attract talent June 7, 2023 JP Morgan is leading the field in AI recruitment as banks around the world race to capitalise on the opportunities created by the new technology. According to a new report from consultancy Evident, JP Morgan is hiring twice as many AI-related jobs as its rivals. The Wall Street giant advertised 3,651 jobs in AI between [...]
Watchdog sets out new rules to reimburse APP fraud victims in ‘world first’ June 7, 2023 The Payment System Regulatory (PSR) has confirmed new rules that will force banks and payment companies to reimburse victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Following consultation, the regulator has set out how mandatory reimbursement will work in practice. It said the new rules will prompt a “step change” in how firms approach fraud prevention. [...]
Investec snaps up Capitalmind as investment bank consolidation accelerates June 7, 2023 Investec has snapped up a majority stake in boutique dealmaking firm Capitalmind today as a consolidation of smaller investment banks accelerates amid a deals drought.
UK’s newest bank Griffin secures £11m in funding round as it plots expansion June 7, 2023 Griffin, the UK’s newest bank, has gathered £11m in a fundraising round just a few months after it secured its banking licence. The funding round was led by venture capital firm Mass Mutual Ventures, with existing investors Seedcamp and EQT Ventures participating in the fundraise. Griffin said the funds will go towards leaving the ‘mobilisation’ [...]
Challenger banks hunt for acquisitions as rising interest rates reveal opportunities June 7, 2023 Challenger banks are increasingly on the lookout for acquisition opportunities as rising interest rates reveal takeover opportunities in the sector. Nigel Terrington, chief executive of Paragon Bank, told Morning Wire that they “continue to look for opportunities” having made four acquisitions in seven years. Terrington noted that “in environments like this, some lenders are not [...]
Mortgage rates rocket but savings rates barely move after May’s inflation shock June 6, 2023 Mortgage rates have skyrocketed in recent weeks after the UK’s most recent inflation reading sent rate expectations soaring, but savings rates have lagged behind. According to data from Moneyfacts, rates on a two-year fixed rate have jumped from 5.34 per cent on 24 May to 5.75 today. Similarly, interest rates on a five-year fixed rate [...]
Paragon Bank’s share price surges after record profits and deposit inflows June 6, 2023 Shares in Paragon Bank surged nearly eight per cent this morning after the FTSE 250 lender reported record interim profits and significant deposit inflows. In the first half of the year, Paragon’s underlying profit jumped 22 per cent to £128.9m as the bank benefitted from rising interest rates. The bank’s net interest margin (NIM), the [...]
Exclusive: Zopa poised for senior hiring spree to bolster top team ahead of IPO June 6, 2023 Fintech lender Zopa has appointed a former Deutsche Bank executive to its board in the first of a series of senior appointments designed to bolster its top team ahead of an IPO, Morning Wire can reveal.