Banking

Santander has announced it plans to close a further two of its branches in Scotland, as part of a total 44 closures across the UK in 2026 and into early 2027. The two Scottish locations include the Kirkintilloch branch in East Dunbartonshire, set to shut on 29 April, and the Stranraer site in Dumfri

Lloyds Banking Group has announced a fresh £1.8 billion share buyback after a robust performance in the 2025 financial year, where pre-tax profits jumped 12% to £6.7bn. The banking giant surpassed internal expectations of £6.4bn, demonstrating resilience despite the Bank of England

Edinburgh-headquartered Hampden Bank has made three senior hires as it continues to scale up its personal banking service south of the border. Liz Williamson, Ian Noke and Claire Lattin have joined as banking directors to serve the banking needs of clients across the North & Midlands.

The Post Office has finalised a new five-year agreement with Cash Access UK to continue operating and expanding Banking Hubs across the nation. The deal reinforces the Post Office's central role in maintaining financial inclusion, building upon the 200 hubs already in operation. The partnership is a

Banks and payment providers are set to gain the freedom to establish their own contactless transaction limits under new rules introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Effective from March 2026, this regulatory shift moves away from the current uniform industry cap, allowing institutions

HSBC has pledged to keep all 327 of its UK branches, including seven in Scotland, open until at least 2027. Underpinning this promise is a substantial £55.8 million investment earmarked for the coming year, representing a 30% increase on the £42m spent in 2025.

The FCA has fined Nationwide Building Society £44 million for inadequate anti-financial crime systems and controls between October 2016 to July 2021. During this period, Nationwide had ineffective systems for keeping up-to-date due diligence and risk assessments for all its personal current ac

The people of Annan have enthusiastically welcomed the return of the Cumberland Building Society to the High Street following a three-month closure for extensive refurbishment. The reopening on Tuesday reaffirmed the society's commitment to the town, where it will soon stand as the sole provider of

HSBC Holdings has confirmed Brendan Nelson as its permanent chairman, concluding a seven-month search to replace Mark Tucker. The appointment has surprised the market, coming just one day after CEO Georges Elhedery stated that Mr Nelson, 76, had expressed a desire not to commit to the role for the t

The Bank of England (BoE) has announced its first major loosening of banking regulations since the 2008 financial crisis, cutting the estimated capital UK lenders must hold. Following successful stress tests, the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) lowered the benchmark for tier one capital – the

Digital bank Monzo has unveiled a new scheme to "double the salary" of ten lucky customers every month. The initiative aims to incentivise users to switch their primary salary payments to the app-based bank, as it continues to compete aggressively with traditional high-street lenders.

The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Scottish Asian Business Chambers have announced a new partnership to support entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities to grow.

Liz Ziegler Around £2 million pounds in card chargebacks have been claimed back by Lloyds customers following a rise in dodgy websites, according to the latest data from the bank. 

Former UK Chancellor George Osborne has been named as a contender to become the next chairman of HSBC Holdings. 

Data from the latest Barclays Business Prosperity Index shows a picture of cautious activity in Q3, particularly amongst small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) who are building savings buffers.