Banking

Despite high inflation, rising energy prices and a tighter labour market, 33% of firms in Scotland expect this Christmas trading period to be merry and bright compared to last year, according to the latest insight from the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer.

Clydesdale Bank owner Virgin Money has posted annual results showing a pre-tax profit of £595 million and announced a boost to staff wages. The pay hike was announced internally earlier this month and will see the majority of the bank's 7,500 staff receive between 9% and 11% extra in total ove

At the UK level, a fall in permanent staff hires was also noted, with the rate of decline similar to that seen in Scotland. Hiring activity across Scotland fell into decline during October, with both permanent staff appointments and temporary billings contracting, according to the latest Royal Bank

Santander has announced it will start capping bank transfers to crypto exchanges starting this month. Following warnings from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on the risks of investing in cryptoassets, the bank has been gradually taking more steps to reduce the risk to consumers falling prey to

Keane Premier Group, the Lanarkshire-based care provider, has expanded its portfolio by completing the purchase of Kingsgate Care Home, after receiving a loan from Barclays of £1.2 million. The funding from Barclays will support the acquisition of the 60-bed care home, based in South Lanarkshi

Bank of Scotland owner Lloyds has reported a 26% drop in profits in its Q3 results as it braces for more defaults on bad loans. Profits were down to £1.5 billion, lower than the average forecast of £1.8bn as analysts expected a significantly small drop in profits of around 9.5%. However,

New research has revealed that savers in the UK are prioritising short-term flexibility over locking their money away for the long-term, as the cost of living crisis forces people to change how they manage their finances. The study, by digital bank Chase, found that instant access to money without c

HSBC Group reported its 2022 Q3 results and subsequently announced the appointment of Georges Elhedery as group CFO and an executive director of the board as well as the appointment of Greg Guyett as chief executive of global banking and markets (GBM). Mr Guyett's appointment is effective

Scottish challenger bank AlbaCo (Alba) has announced the appointment of seasoned banking and financial services executive, Graeme Jones, who the joins the aspiring bank as its new chair. Mr Jones, a qualified Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute ACII, brings a wealth of experience to the e

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has decided to fine Barclays a total of £50 million in relation to its failure to disclose certain arrangements agreed with Qatari entities as part of its capital raisings announced on 25 June 2008 and 31 October 2008 after finding conduct in the Octo

Britain's biggest banks are expected to report profits of £33 billion when they reveal their third-quarter results next week. The figures from Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays and HSBC are expected to show their combined profits rising from £25 billion in 2019 to £33 b

Aspiring Scottish business bank AlbaCo (Alba) has announced the appointment of seasoned banking and financial services executive, Graeme Jones, who the joins the bank as its new chair. Mr Jones, a qualified Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute ACII, brings a wealth of experience to the exi

NatWest has announced the shutting of a further 43 locations across the UK including five of the group's Scottish branches as more banking transactions move online.

The banking and finance industry prevented a further £583.9m of unauthorised fraud from getting into the hands of criminals. UK Finance has called for all action from all sectors as despite a fall in overall fraud losses, some fraud types have increased in the UK.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has hardened its stance on bank closure, setting additional expectations for lenders that are considering branch or ATM closures. The guidance, which already expects banks to carry out thorough checks on the impact permanent closures will have on customers, has