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AI adoption in finance reaches near-universal industry penetration. New research from Finastra finds just 2% of financial institutions report no use of artificial intelligence, as organisations shift from experimentation to scaled deployment across risk, customer service, and compliance functions.
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NatWest plans to reach 50,000 people through expanded financial education. The UK bank will scale its Financial Foundations programme in 2026, delivering free workplace and community-based financial education sessions through employers, local organisations, and housing groups as part of its wider UK growth strategy.
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Payment Systems Regulator’s abolition expected no sooner than 2027. David Geale of the PSR anticipates the regulator’s consolidation into the FCA will not occur before early 2027, despite government plans for sector reform and deregulation.
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Large enterprises overestimate payroll readiness despite automation, AI, and integration ambitions. New research from CloudPay shows budget constraints, legacy systems, and governance barriers are slowing real-world deployment across enterprise payroll operations.
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Midlands angel network Minerva refocuses to connect growth-stage start-ups and investors. Marking its 30th anniversary, the University of Warwick-linked network is tightening its remit to support companies raising up to £500,000, with a renewed emphasis on hands-on angel involvement and deeper founder-investor collaboration.
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A think tank urges Labour to limit early pension access. The Resolution Foundation recommends restricting private pension access before state pension age to deter early retirement. The UK faces rising unemployment and labour shortages, impacting public finances.
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Halo Corporate Finance earns triple recognition at the 2026 Business Moneyfacts Awards. The nominations follow a landmark 20th anniversary year and mark the company’s continued rise in the UK’s corporate finance landscape.
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Purbeck Insurance Services has launched Purbeck Reinsurance Limited in Guernsey. The move strengthens the company’s long-term commitment to UK SME directors and deepens its direct participation in personal guarantee insurance risk through a new quota share arrangement with its fronting insurer.
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HMRC is intensifying its scrutiny of fast growing UK companies. Francesca Titus, barrister and white-collar crime partner at McGuireWoods, warns that expanding enforcement powers, AI-led investigations, and new criminal offences are raising the stakes. For scale-ups, proactive compliance is now essential — before HMRC comes knocking.
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Customer engagement in the financial sector is evolving at speed. Jon Burghart, Chief Revenue Officer at AnywhereNow, examines how legacy systems, fragmented data, and overstretched teams are redefining how banks serve their customers. The winners will be those who unify people, technology, and data into one strategy.