Banks

Mortgage lenders that have not yet passed on Bank of England (BoE) base rate savings to their customers could attract the attention of the regulator as it carries out a study into mortgage competition.

The chair of the House of Commons' influential Treasury Select Committee has called for banks to do more to protect customers after MoneySavingExpert.com revealed that crooks are able to use contactless credit and debit cards months after they've been cancelled.

A report by the competition watchdog ordering monthly unarranged overdraft fees to be capped has been criticised by the Treasury Committee for not going far enough.

Complaints about Lloyds Bank, HSBC, Bank of Scotland and Barclays made up almost half the total number of complaints lodged with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) in the first half of 2016.

HSBC has fallen into last place in our latest banking poll with just 38% of its current account customers rating it 'great' for customer service, while First Direct has extended its six-year reign at the top of the table with 91% giving it the thumbs up.

Rewards and interest rates on Lloyds', Halifax's and Bank of Scotland's flagship current accounts could be under threat, after their parent company Lloyds Banking Group said it will conduct a review as a result of "changing market conditions".

Interest rates on two different Santander products have been cut this week as customers continue to wonder whether the bank is preparing to reduce the headline rate on its flagship 123 current account from 3% to 2%.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said it plans to push ahead with the introduction of a time-bar on PPI reclaiming, with the cut-off now expected to be in place by June 2019.

The prospect of banks charging personal customers for holding their savings remains unlikely, despite a warning by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and NatWest to business and commercial customers that negative interest rates could become reality.

The competition watchdog's set out plans to cap fees for busting your overdraft limit. This should help, but don't wait. Overdrafts are a debt like any other - the key is to cut the rate, repay faster and avoid any penalties.