Business

Lloyds, Halifax and Santander have announced a wave of branch closures for 2026 (Image: Getty)Lloyds, Halifax and Santander are closing 56 bank branches across the UK in the next three months as more customers shift to digital banking.Lloyds Banking Group, which incorporates Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has announced plans to close 95 of its branches in 2026 and 2027 to give customers more “flexibility” to bank wherever they need to, including through apps, online, 24/7 messaging services and community banking hubs. The group said the way customers are banking is changing, and the significant reduction in its branch network comes as it accelerates plans to cut costs and digitise services. Under the plans, 53 Lloyds branches, 31 Halifax branches and 11 Bank of Scotland branches ...

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) team has urged people to "sign up" now to boost their credit score. If you don't, "it's much harder to get accepted", it says.As part of its financial advice, it says that people should register to vote. It explains: "If you're not on the electoral roll, it's much harder to get accepted for credit, so sign up immediately."Don't wait for the annual reminder or for the elections to roll around." You can apply via the official Gov.uk website, MSE notes.If you live in England or Northern Ireland, you must be aged 16 or over to register. Meanwhile, if you live in Scotland or Wales, you must be aged 14 or over to register.If you want to register to vote, it should take around 5 minutes. MSE explain: "Simply follow the instructions online - it'll ask you...

'XX-XY Athletics' founder Jennifer Sey on why major brands are backing away from diversity-branded programs. The second Trump administration has been marked by blowback to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across American companies. It's a welcome change, according to XX-XY Athletics CEO Jennifer Sey, who calls such programs and hiring practices "excessive." "Excessive focus on DEI, whether it's through hiring practices or public marketing, actually can have an adverse effect on [a] company's performance," Sey told Fox News Digital. "It's not so fashionable anymore… [Companies] are responding to both Trump and the administration and their push and the executive orders, but they're also responding to the public and where popular opinion is, and people are rejecting thes...

The State Pension is set to increase by more than £2,000 over the course of this Parliament, according to the Government. The rise is due to the "triple lock" commitment, which ensures that the State Pension rises based on one of three measures: average earnings, inflation, or 2.5% - whichever is highest.  The Government anticipates that by late 2028/2029, payment rates will have risen by as much as £2,100. It was reaffirmed by Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell this week as the Government announced nearly 1.5 million households have already benefited from Cold Weather Payments this winter."In addition, our biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign and our Triple Lock commitment, which will see the State Pension increase by up to £2,100 over this Parliament, are ensuring pensioners g...

NatWest has launched an "inflation-beating" interest rate for those who switch their savings accounts. Money experts such as Martin Lewis often urge people to shop around for the best savings accounts instead of sticking with the same one for many years, as they can often find better interest rates. While there are many different savings accounts for different kinds of savers with specific benefits, the main thing people look for is a high interest rate. Meanwhile, high street banks regularly offer switching deals, often giving new customers high-interest savings accounts or cash rewards for moving their money. NatWest's latest switching deal sees new customers nabbing £150 while also getting access to 7% interest on savings for 12 months. The deal is open to anyone opening a NatWest Re...

Martin Lewis says a current account offered by a major building society includes travel insurance that is "very good for older people". The MoneySavingExpert.com founder made the comments during a recent episode of his BBC podcast, with fans phoning in to ask for tips on reducing costs.It included a discussion of how to choose the best current account for your circumstances and how to switch from one bank to another. The personal finance guru urged listeners to compare the benefits different accounts offer to find the one best suited to their priorities. Martin said some people would benefit from switching to what he calls a "packaged bank account", in which account holders qualify for insurance policies, like travel insurance packages or breakdown cover.These almost always involve a mo...

Martin Lewis has issued a warning for social media users (Image: ITV)Martin Lewis has issued a stern warning to people who use social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok. He issued a clarion call on a recent episode of his BBC podcast to urge his fans to be careful when accessing information online.The warning came after a listener contacted the show with a question about a Facebook advert they had seen. The advert was for an investment scheme, allegedly backed by Mr Lewis, where you pay in £200 and are guaranteed to get £25,000 return. They wanted to know of the scheme was real. The listener was assured that the advert was fake as Mr Lewis never backs any such investment scheme or does adverts for financial products.In response, Mr Lewis said he is "plagued" by these...

High earners could get £1,000 from Barclays thanks to rewards offered by a cash ISA transfer promotion offered by the high street bank. Those who meet the eligibility requirements for Barclays' Premier Current Account can get £400 cashback by transferring their banking to it via the Current Account Switch Service (known as Cass).The Premier account is fee-free, but open only to those who pay in a gross annual income of at least £75,000 – or have a total balance of at least £100,000 in savings with the bank, in eligible investments, or a combination of the two, Barclays says on its website.Benefits of the account include an Apple TV subscription, access to exclusive savings rates and mortgage options and higher payment limits.However, in order to get the £400 signing on bonus, customers ...

HMRC will provide up to £500 every three months for each child under the age of 11 (Image: Getty)HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging working parents earning less than £100,000 per year to “sign up” for a benefit worth up to £2,000 annually.Working parents can apply for the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme to help cover childcare costs, such as nurseries, childminders, nannies, and after-school clubs. Through the scheme, HMRC will provide parents up to £500 every three months for each child under the age of 11, amounting to a maximum of £2,000 per year. This amount rises up to £1,000 every three months if a child is disabled, giving parents up to £4,000 annually towards approved childcare. Parents with disabled children can use the cash to pay for extra hours of childcare, as w...

People can contribute up to £60,000 a year into a pension (Image: Getty)Couples who plan their pensions together could boost their retirement savings by as much as £2.6 million over 20 years, new research suggests. The uplift comes from combining pension tax relief with long-term investment growth and making full use of both partners’ pension allowances. When contributions and tax relief are reinvested and allowed to compound over time, the impact becomes significant.According to Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading providers of investment and wealth management services, a married couple or civil partners can build a combined pension pot of around £2.6 million over 20 years if one partner, an additional‑rate taxpayer, contributes the full £60,000 annual pension allowance while also paying...