Banks

Figures on how much Northern Ireland banks are lending to businesses and households have been published for the first time.

High growth small and medium-sized enterprises are reluctant to seek finance from banks to fund growth, a study by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland has found.

The number of mortgages given to first-time buyers in Northern Ireland increased 33% in Q1 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, according to data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

People applying for a mortgage are to face tougher financial checks, as the Financial Conduct Authority’s new market regulations take effect tomorrow (26 April 2014).

Overdraft terms set by lenders are "complex and opaque", the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

The Government has extended its Help to Buy equity loan scheme by four years, the Chancellor George Osborne has announced.

Scotland needs new sources of credit to help small and medium-sized businesses access finance, the Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee has said.

The British Business Bank will invest £40 million to support peer-to-peer lending to small and medium-sized businesses.

Politicians have opened an inquiry into bank lending to small and medium-sized business.

Demand for mortgages rose at the fastest pace in six years in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to data from the Bank of England.