‘Make the process look less scary’: UK banking licence applications hit zero in 2025 April 8, 2026 The number of applicants for UK banking licences plummeted to zero in 2025, raising questions over the government and regulators’ capacity to foster competition and attract overseas investment. The fresh figures – revealed in a Freedom of Information request by financial regulation consultancy Pathlight Associates – show a steep fall from the 11 licence bids [...]
Lloyds shares slump amid questions over motor finance legal battle April 2, 2026 Lloyds shares slumped this morning even as the banking giant declared it would not have to top up its provisions following the confirmation of a motor finance redress scheme. The group – which owns the UK’s largest car finance lender Black Horse – said it had “undertaken an assessment of the implications and impact” of [...]
Monzo ditches US operations after boardroom reshuffle April 1, 2026 UK fintech Monzo has abandoned its ambitions to expand into the US after ailing efforts to crack the market. The digital bank is set to close its accounts for existing customers by June, whilst new customers will stop being on-boarded. The move to shutter US operations will lead to the axing of around 50 employees. [...]
Monzo and Revolut take banking battle to the playground April 1, 2026 Banks are turning their attention to the younger generation and in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at the money to be made with Gen Alpha. The Tooth Fairy is losing her magic touch. After centuries of cultural dominance in the under-the-pillow money market, the primary dealer of calcium-for-cash faces a hostile takeover. [...]
For FSCS sake: Meet the body that protects Britain’s savers in a financial crisis March 30, 2026 As echoes of 2008 percolate through the banking system, the body that serves to protect Britain in a financial crisis says it’s ready to weather any storm. A combination of fears around private credit, the “stretched” value of artificial intelligence firms and more recently, concerns around a global energy shock, have made top bankers sound [...]
Arbuthnot chief: High street banks’ push into wealth is no threat March 30, 2026 One of London’s oldest private banking institutions has sounded off on the influx of the British banking giants looking to grab a slice of the wealth management pie. Andrew Salmon, the boss of Arbuthnot Latham, told Morning Wire that when big bank rivals attempt to go “stratospheric” with their thresholds, it would benefit from its [...]
Lloyds Bank forks out compensation after tech glitch hit nearly half a million March 27, 2026 Nearly half a million Lloyds Banking Group mobile app users were hit by the firm’s major tech glitch earlier this month with the bank now dishing out compensation payments to some of those affected. Up to 447,936 customers of Lloyds and group subsidiaries Halifax and Bank of Scotland saw other rogue transactions across their accounts [...]
Revolut eyes trading and wealth push amid hiring spree March 24, 2026 Revolut has laid out its initial blue-print for major expansion in its trading operations after the fintech giant bagged its full-fat UK banking licence earlier this month. The $75bn digital banking juggernaut has kicked off a hiring spree at its Canary Wharf headquarters as well as other financial hubs across the globe. The fintech has [...]
Is the motor finance scandal making City banks trim the fat? March 18, 2026 The motor finance scandal is reshaping the banking sector, in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at how lenders are responding. In the fallout of the multi-billion pound motor finance scandal, bank bosses are getting their house in order. The landmark saga, which began with the UK’s financial watchdog’s review into the market [...]
Starling on hunt for new chair as Deloitte veteran bows out March 17, 2026 UK fintech Starling is on the hunt for a new chair following the news the firm’s current head would exit later this year. Starling said on Tuesday that David Sproul, the bank’s chair since October 2021, would step down once a successor is appointed. Sproul joined Starling after a near two-decade long career at Big [...]