The Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data has revealed that fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. The average two-and five-year fixed rates fell by 0.16 and 0.11 per cent respectively, with both reaching 5.52 per cent, their lowest points since the start of March 2026. The data also showed that borrowers with a limited deposit or equity of just five per cent will find rates lower month-on-month. The average five-y

New research from wealth-management and employee benefits firm Mattioli Woods reveals that that most over-55s continue to favour passing on wealth after death, despite widespread experience of family conflict caused by inheritance. The findings suggest that witnessing inheritance disputes is not prompting a significant shift towards gifting wealth during people's lifetimes. Passing assets on through an estate remains the preferred approach for most over-55s, while combining l

According to a new St James’s Place (SJP) report, women are earning, creating, inheriting and managing more wealth than ever before, but the research also reveals that this development is not matched with increased confidence or engagement with long-term financial decisions. The report finds that women are comfortable to take the lead with day-to-day household finances (46 per cent), but less so than men when it comes to managing long-term finances, relating to choosing savin

Ahead of today’s base-rate announcement from the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) at noon, Paul Joyce, partner and specialist in market and deal activity in the financial and professional-services sectors, at LAVA Advisory Partners, shares his thoughts on what we might anticipate: "If you’ve come to read about the Bank of England (BoE) doing something unexpected, you're looking in the wrong place. Rate holds have become the 'go-to' response for the Bank, and

First-time buyers, older borrowers and the self-employed could find it easier to get a mortgage, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets out next steps to help reform the market. Its proposed mortgage rule changes would give lenders more flexibility to consider individual circumstances and develop products that better meet people's needs, while maintaining strong consumer protection. The proposed changes include reducing barriers for lenders to offer flexible repayments

Lloyds has unveiled its new in-app rewards hub, where Lloyds customers can access a range of new savings, rewards, prize draws and more ways to manage their money. A new prize draw is also available to Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds customers, offering the opportunity to win thousands of pounds each month. A total of 50 customers will be selected, at random, every month – each winning £2,026. To be eligible for the month’s prize draw, customers must pay at least £1,000

The British Business Bank has reached a landmark milestone by unlocking £200m of debt finance for smaller businesses across Scotland, under its Growth Guarantee Scheme. Over a thousand (1283) Scottish businesses have benefited from the finance, delivered through 32 lenders operating throughout Scotland, including a number of independent Scottish lenders. The wholesale and retail sector received most finance (£30.9m), followed by administrative and support-service activities (

Hampden Bank, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, has announced the appointment of two new business-development directors. Graeme Mann joins the Edinburgh office from Coutts and Paul de la Salle joins the bank’s London office from City Finance Brokers. Graeme has more than 25 years’ financial-services experience, specialising in relationship management, commercial growth and customer experience. Mark Prentice, head of banking (Scotland), said: “Experienced professionals of G

Commenting on the news that inflation has fallen to 2.8 per cent, Alex Beavis, interim director of retail banking at LHV bank says: "A fall in inflation is welcome news, and the first sign in months that the pressure on household budgets may be starting to ease. But people should remain cautious about the outlook for inflation. Prices are still rising, just more slowly. "Now is the moment to act. Take an hour this weekend to give your money a real spring clean. What feels lik

AXA UK has launched a domestic-abuse support fund to provide employees who are experiencing domestic abuse with financial assistance to help them get out of an abusive situation. The fund provides a one-time payment, aimed at helping with urgent needs, such as securing safe accommodation, as well as transport and food costs. It is a further enhancement to the insurer’s existing package of domestic-abuse support for employees. Employees or their line managers can confidentiall

Ticker and ShareSoc have announced a joint initiative to support and strengthen investor participation in the UK public markets. Ticker, a platform dedicated to democratising access to stock-market data and insights, joins forces with ShareSoc, a not-for-profit membership organisation for individual investors. ShareSoc's mission is to ensure that the voice of the individual investor is heard and respected in the UK’s financial markets. The partnership will see Ticker supp

New research from Starling Bank has revealed sole traders’ growing reliance on AI for financial advice. A quarter (26 per cent) have used an AI platform for guidance on HMRC’s new 'Making Tax Digital' initiative, while one in five regularly use it for tax and accounting support. The vast majority said they trust advice from AI (88 per cent), with 55 per cent expecting to rely on it more in the year ahead. Speed of information is the top reason sole traders are choosing AI (3

Research by specialist business bank, Redwood, has indicated that charities may be able to improve financial resilience through smarter approaches to saving. The bank surveyed 413 UK charities with annual incomes between £50,000 and £10m. The research revealed that many charities hold substantial cash reserves, yet almost half lack confidence in their long-term financial stability. Redwood said that the study highlights an opportunity for charities to make their money work ha

A new Edinburgh mortgage firm, Munro Mortgages, has launched, providing mortgage advice to home movers, first-time buyers and property investors, across the city and surrounding areas. Founded by Randal McLister, a mortgage and protection broker with more than 20 years’ experience, the brokerage offers access to lenders across the entire UK mortgage market to help clients secure the most suitable deals. Randal said: “With rates constantly being repriced due to ongoing glo

A new report from TheCityUK reveals that financial and related professional-services exports from Scotland grew by 16.3 per cent to reach £12bn in 2023 (the latest available data), underlining the nation’s continued strong contribution to one of Britain’s most important export industries. The report, Exporting from across Britain : Financial and related professional services 2026 , also reveals that in 2023, almost half (49 per cent) of the industry’s exports originated outsi

AXA UK & Ireland has announced the creation of a new general-insurance business, AXA Insurance UK, bringing together its UK commercial and retail business units under a single leadership structure. The new unified commercial and personal-lines business will be led by AXA commercial chief executive, Jon Walker, who assumes the role of chief executive, AXA Insurance UK. Jon has overseen AXA’s retail business on an interim basis since the end of last year. Tara Foley, chief ex

Law firm, Pinsent Masons, reports that the number of companies graduating from AIM to the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market is at its highest level for nearly a decade. Six companies transferred from AIM in the last 12 months, compared with two the year before, the firm noted. Nicholas Holmes, partner and head of the firm’s equity capital markets practice commented: “The increase in transfers is an early vindication of the FCA’s recent listing reforms and shows that compani

Starling Bank has made its ‘Making Tax Digital’ income-tax tool available to business customers for free, ahead of new HMRC rules coming into force on 6 April. Sole traders and landlords turning over more than £50,000, who will be the first cohort required to start making quarterly tax reports online, can now start getting used to the tool as part of their regular accounting practice. It is also available for sole traders with lower turnovers. The new tool is integrated into

Standard Life plc (the Group), which focuses solely on retirement saving and income, has completed its name change from Phoenix Group Holdings plc. To mark this milestone, Standard Life has set a new target to help three million more customers over the next 10 years, to take action towards a better retirement. To meet this commitment, the Group will provide support and solutions designed to ensure that more people are on track to build sufficient pension savings and that mor

Royal London has announced a new partnership with charity, Groundwork, with an £800,000 commitment to support urban, nature-recovery initiatives throughout the UK and Ireland. In its first year, the work of the partnership will focus on creating, enhancing and stewarding local nature sites. The funding from Royal London will be directed towards a variety of initiatives aimed at improving, protecting and restoring green spaces, as well as boosting biodiversity in urban setting