All articles by Douglas Blakey

Douglas Blakey

Over 14 million UK adults view monthly savings contributions as an “essential outgoing”

Shariah-compliant challenger bank, Gatehouse Bank, reveals research examining UK adults’ attitudes to spending and saving 

Consumers going digital as better rates push one-third of UK savers to a new provider 

In the past two years, 34% of UK adults have opened a savings account with a new bank or savings provider according to SmartSave

Four in ten SMEs prefer fintech lenders over mainstream banks when seeking business finance

70% of SMEs admit they wouldn’t have survived the cost-of-living crisis without alternative finance options, according to research from Sonovate

CaixaBank Q3 2023 net profit +19% to €1.52bn

Spanish-based CaixaBank reports continued improvement in profitability and efficiency with ROE reaching 11.9% and recurring cost-to-income ratio falling to 42.6%

NatWest Q3 2023: profit rises but margin fears dim full year outlook

NatWest reports third quarter attributable profit of £866m (Q32022: £187m) but the net interest margin of 2.94% drops 19 basis points from the prior quarter

Living paycheque to paycheque: three generations struggling to build finances for tomorrow

Gen Y, Gen X and Gen Z are feeling the impacts of financial-related stress as they try to cover costs today and save for the future

UK 7-day current account switching on track for record year

2023 is on track to represent a record year for 7-day current account switching since the service launched back in 2013

HSBC’s credit history passport set to boost the bank’s presence in the UK credit card market

HSBC’s collaboration with Nova Credit represents a great opportunity to tap into the huge expat customer base and grow credit card market share, writes Phoebe Hodgson

Standard Chartered Q3 2023 earnings miss forecasts, pretax profit dips by 2%

Standard Chartered forecasts for 2024 unchanged with income growth expected in the 8-10% range and a forecast RoTE greater than 11% RoTE

Unlocking the untapped lending potential of ethnic minority-led businesses

Lending Standards Board highlights the pressing need for more equitable access to finance