News

One in four people have concerns over their retirement planning in the wake of this week’s Budget, a new poll has revealed.

Despite overall levels of business distress remaining largely stable, insolvency-related activity increased across several key sectors during the third quarter of 2026. According to the latest quarterly Business Health report from R3 - the association for the UK’s restructuring, turnaround and

Dame Susan Rice has been presented with a lifetime achievement award for her services to the financial services industry, as part of the Scottish Financial Services Awards in Glasgow. The 2026 Scottish Financial Services Awards, sponsored by EY, come in SFE’s 40th year and recognise the contri

NatWest (RBS) has posted a slightly higher operating profit before tax for the last quarter over the same period last year as impairment charges rose.

Christine Lagarde is to stand down as president of the European Central Bank (ECB) in February, one year before her term finishes. Lagarde has held the role, one of the most important in global monetary policy, for more than seven years.

St James’s Place has reported a drop in net inflows in the third quarter, from £1.76bn a year earlier to £570m, blaming market volatility and pre-Budget caution. It said the comparison was against an unusually strong period last year, but funds under management (FUM) still hit a re

Lloyds Banking Group is finally reaping the rewards of its transformation over the past five years as the lender reported a near doubling of pre-tax profits over the third quarter to £2.3bn. The FTSE 100 lender also reported a 42% rise in profits to £6.6bn in the first nine months to Sep

Crypto firm Zumo has signed an agreement with Quantum Chain to build digital asset services designed to withstand future quantum computers. The memorandum of understanding aims to support quantum-safe digital currency and asset management for central banks, banks and regulated financial institutions

Morningstar DBRS has said the Chancellor’s decision to double the bank surcharge to 6% will be “manageable” for the sector, though UK-focused lenders will feel the greatest impact. The credit rating agency said the decision to increase the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge from 3% to

Sandy Begbie has blasted Chancellor John Healey over the temporary increase in the bank surcharge announced in his maiden Budget, warning it prioritised short-term politics over the UK’s long-term economic health. The chief executive at Scottish Financial Enterprise acknowledged the "tough tas

The City of London Corporation has said the temporary rise in bank taxation announced in Chancellor John Healey’s maiden Budget “must end as scheduled”, calling for a long-term tax plan. Mr Healey confirmed that banks would pay a total surcharge of 6% on profits above £100m,

Santander UK has told shareholders to expect more “efficiencies” this year after its profits slipped in the first nine months of the year, due to a drag from motor finance and restructuring costs. The group revealed a £179m increase in its motor finance provisions, booked in the fi

The Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) has appointed Richard Hope, Dr James McCourt and Lynne Rennie-Smith as non-executive directors to its board. The appointments were made by the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn MSP, ahead of th

Chancellor John Healey will abandon his predecessor Rachel Reeves’ “car crash” ISA reforms in his maiden Budget later today, according to reports. The Chancellor will reverse the decision to cut the Cash ISA allowance from £20,000 to £12,000, which was set to come into

Economists have predicted that John Healey’s first-ever Budget will likely omit clear plans to reform taxes, curb the welfare bill and boost defence spending, in a move that would kick “tough decisions into the long grass”. Mr Healey is expected to delay several major financial dec