Lenders call for overhaul of banking regulation

Some of the UK’s leading lenders have expressed their frustrations with UK banking regulation in a new report from the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME).  AFME welcomes the FPC’s move to lower its benchmark for Tier 1 capital requirements, which reflects both the effectiveness of postcrisis reforms and improvements in risk measurement. However, AFME cautions that a reduction…

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Homeowners looking at £4k mortgage cost hike as a result of Middle East conflict

Mortgage rates have risen significantly since the start of the war in Iran, leaving homeowners facing steep increases in monthly payments – at a time when living costs are already rising across the board, warns Sprive. According to Moneyfacts, the lowest available 2-year fixed deal before the start of the conflict in the Middle East…

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Poorest households set to see inflation nearly a third higher than the richest

7th April 2026 Consumer Collections | #inflation

Families in the bottom decile of the income distribution will be at the sharp end of the latest development in the cost of living crisis, and changes to energy and fuel prices alone could mean they experience a rate of inflation almost a percentage point higher than households in the top income decile by the…

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Government announces crackdown on costly subscription traps

7th April 2026 Consumer Lending | #subscriptions

The Government has announced a crackdown on unwanted and misleading subscriptions, which will save consumers around £400 million every year. The new rules will make it simpler and far less painful to escape unwanted subscriptions, stop people from being silently rolled onto expensive contracts and ensure that companies are upfront and open when selling subscription…

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Opus appoints Insolvency Practitioner Partner

7th April 2026 Appointments |

Opus Restructuring and Insolvency has announced that it has strengthened its South Coast presence by appointing experienced Insolvency Practitioner Andrew Watling as a Partner. Based in Opus’ Southampton office, Watling brings more than 40 years’ experience in the restructuring and insolvency sector and joins Opus from a national advisory practice, where he spent 13 years…

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Small business confidence at risk from April cost rises

Small business confidence is crawling back from historic lows, but without Government action, fresh cost pressures could drag it straight back down, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. FSB’s Small Business Index (SBI), which tracks how optimistic small firms are feeling, registered at -53 in Q1 2026, 18 points up from Q4 2025’s…

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Three quarters of firms impacted by Middle East conflict

7th April 2026 Business Utilities | #energy

Rising energy costs, supply chain disruption and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict are already impacting the majority of UK businesses with two thirds (66 per cent) reporting experiencing energy and fuel cost pressures, while shipping and logistics costs (43 per cent) are also weighing on margins. According to the latest Barclays…

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