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Rain Newton-Smith Optimism in the financial services sector fell for the fourth consecutive quarter at the start of 2018, surpassing the gloom that enveloped the sector during the financial crisis, according to the latest CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey.

Springfield Homes Finance Director Michelle Motion photographed at the Springfield Homes development in Uddingston, near Glasgow on 20th April 2017. Michelle Motion, Financial Director, Springfield Properties talks about her experiences as a financial boss at a major firm within a traditionally male

Andrew Bailey In response to high-profile scandals involving major financial firms such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and the Clydesdale Bank, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a consultation on plans to give more small businesses access to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Aspectus Group, the global brand, marketing and communications agency specialising in complex sectors, has opened a new office in Edinburgh, marking a significant expansion of its UK footprint and additional investment in Scotland. Aspectus’ long-standing global presence and specialist sector

More than 40 Scottish schoolgirls, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age and from places as diverse as Oban and Kingussie, have been selected as the cream of the crop in a competition to find the very best next generation of financial experts who may be managing our pensions and ISAs in the years to co

FinTech Scotland has launched the Finance and Health Lab innovation open call, inviting fintechs, startups, and innovators to develop and test ideas that address key challenges affecting financial resilience, financial confidence and quality of life as people age. The Finance and Health Lab is a nat

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has indicated that it intends to utilise existing but less commonly used powers to grant immunity notices to offenders who assist in its cases, and support reduced sentences to defendants who provide evidence to enable other prosecutions, writes Tom Stocker.

NatWest, operating as the Royal Bank of Scotland in Scotland, has confirmed the appointment of Paul Thwaite as permanent CEO as it reports its strongest financial results since the 2008 financial crisis. The bank exceeded expectations by posting a pre-tax profit of £6.2 billion for 2023, marki

Aberdeen-based oil engineering firm Wood Group has raised its full-year revenue and profit forecasts on the back of a series of significant contract wins.

Financial advice and fund management group One Four Nine has acquired McCrea Financial Services. McCrea Financial Services is an established full suite planning firm led by Douglas McCrea servicing individual and corporate clients throughout the UK primarily across the West of Scotland.

Gilson Gray Financial Management (GGFM) has acquired North Berwick-based Wallace Financial Planning in a seven-figure deal. The acquisition is the first step in the growth strategy of the financial services arm of legal firm Gilson Gray. The deal and increases GGFM's assets under management (AU

A review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found that challenger banks need to improve how they assess financial crime risk, with some failing to adequately check their customers’ income and occupation. The watchdog found that in some instances, challenger banks did not have financi

Amid rising concerns over the levels of problem debt in Scotland, the Scottish Government has revealed plans to create a new debt advice service. This year, Citizens Advice Scotland has issued 100,000 pieces of debt advice to people living in Scotland, whilst more than 600,000 Scots - 14.2% of the p

Midlothian Council is expected to save more than £7 million after councillors agreed its first Medium Term Financial Strategy. The council said the move is a “major step change” aimed at strengthening financial sustainability and allowing it to plan and implement service deliv

Nationwide Building Society has selected seven FinTech companies to take part in its Open Banking for Good challenge. The FinTech firms will develop Open Banking based apps and services to help financially vulnerable people.