banks

The Treasury is expected to appeal to the UK's biggest banks to increase competition in lending to small and medium-sized businesses.

A US regulator has sued 16 banks for allegedly manipulating the London interbank offered rate (Libor).

More than 5,000 financial advisers, brokers and bankers have been sacked or suspended since the beginning of the financial crisis, according to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) figures.

Labour will refer high street banks to the competition authorities if it is elected in 2015, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, is expected to say in a speech on Friday.

Banks' redress payments to customers embroiled in the interest rate swap mis-selling scandal surged to £158.6m in December, putting most banks on track to reach their projected review targets.

CIRCLE OF TRUST

Investors view the whole of the financial services industry through the prism of banks' behaviour, meaning trade bodies must do more to talk up the good the profession does, according to ex-Morningstar OBSR managing director Richard Romer-Lee.

Some savers with up to £500,000 in their account will have their money fully protected by the government if their bank fails, under new European rules.

Savers who do not have an old account paying a competitive interest rate could consider using a current account for savings.

In his final speech as deputy governor of the Bank of England Paul Tucker revealed that the resolution regime, which would allow one of the world's largest banks to collapse without being rescued, is now in place.