News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

ECB to introduce 'climate factor' into lending operations

The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, it said today, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.

Business • 29 Jul

With mortgage rates falling again, many are opting to change lender in order to lock in a better deal

Mortgage switching activity picks up again as rates fall

Mortgage switching activity is growing again as customers try to take advantage of falling European Central Bank rates, according to online broker Doddl.ie.

Business • 10 Feb

PTSB cuts 4-year fixed rate mortgage rate by 0.3%

PTSB is again cutting the rate it charges for 4-year fixed rate mortgages, this time by up to 0.3%.

Business • 22 Mar 24

Fixed rate customers have been insulated from ECB rate hikes - but those at the end of their term will face a jump in costs

Thousands facing mortgage bill hike as fixed terms end

Tens of thousands of mortgage customers are facing a jump in their repayments in the coming months that many will struggle to avoid, writes Adam Maguire.

Business • 24 Feb 24

Total assets held by the more than 270 credit unions that make up membership of the League stood at €17.9 billion at the end of June

ILCU reports highest level of annual lending in decade

A total of 400,000 loans to the value €2.5 billion were issued by ILCU-affiliated credit unions in the last year, the Irish League of Credit Union's latest Financial Highlights show.

Business • 12 Sep 23

The data also shows that the annual growth in consumer lending continued to accelerate in July

Rate at which household deposits are rising slows

Bank deposits by households rose at their lowest annual rate since early 2019 in July, new data from the Central Bank shows.

Business • 31 Aug 23

ICS Mortgage's owner-occupier, variable interest rate will rise to between 6.25% and 6.4% from the start of August

ICS Mortgages to raise variable interest rates

ICS Mortgages is to increase its variable mortgage interest rates for owner occupiers, by between 0.2% and 0.3%, from 1 August.

Business • 21 Jun 23

Pepper manages mortgages for a number of companies, and charges different rates to different customers

Pepper ups interest rates for some variable customers

Pepper is raising interest rates for some of the variable mortgage rate customers, by between 0.5% and 1%.

Business • 13 Jun 23

Bank of Ireland said its total new lending for 2022 rose by 10% to €15.6 billion

Bank of Ireland's annual results beat expectations

Bank of Ireland has reported €1.2 billion in underlying profit before tax for the year to the end of December as it grew its customer base by over 11%.

Business • 08 Mar 23

Without access to cash, consumers inevitably end up paying more for the products and services they need

Beyond inflation: The day-to-day cost of having less

The less well-off have borne the brunt of rising prices, but the financial disadvantages facing those who have less are already baked in to our day-to-day lives, writes Adam Maguire.

Business • 27 Aug 22

Fixed rates are often lower than variable equivalents - but that may start to change in the coming months

In a fix - should you lock down your mortgage rate?

ICS Mortgages has raised its fixed mortgage rates - and many expect other lenders will follow suit soon. Adam Maguire asks if borrowers should jump on banks' current offers before the tide starts to turn.

Business • 27 Mar 22

With over 5% of the mortgage market secured, ICS Mortgages is now going after 10%

ICS had over €530m in new mortgage drawdowns in 2021

Lending by mortgage specialist ICS Mortgages rose 143% last year compared to 2020.

Business • 04 Feb 22

The report says the future profitability and viability of Irish retail banks is critical to their ability to generate capital

Pay cap considerably disadvantages Irish banks - report

A new report on the future of the banking industry finds Ireland's retail banks are at a "considerable and growing disadvantage" compared to other lenders and companies because of restrictions on variable pay.

Business • 29 Sep 21

1 in 5 SMEs expect to pass on higher costs

Over a fifth of SMEs expect to pass higher prices on to their customers as a result of inflationary pressures, according to a survey of SMEs by the peer to peer digital lending platform Linked Finance.

Business • 08 Sep 21

Central Bank seeks public views on mortgage rules

The Central Bank of Ireland has launched a public survey as part of its review of the policy framework around the restrictions on mortgage lending.

Business • 14 Jul 21

Dutch challenger bank Bunq buys SME lender Capitalflow

Irish specialist business lender Capitalflow has been acquired by Dutch challenger bank bunq.

Business • 08 Jul 21

Permanent TSB said it was in talks with NatWest as part of its aim of growing its business

PTSB could double size with Ulster Bank loan purchases

Permanent TSB could double in size if it secures the parts of Ulster Bank it is currently involved in talks to buy.

Business • 19 Feb 21

AIB said there was no guarantee that a deal would be made over the Ulster Bank loan book

AIB in talks to acquire €4bn of Ulster Bank loans

AIB is looking to acquire €4 billion worth of Ulster Bank's performing corporate and commercial loans following NatWest's decision to withdraw from the Republic of Ireland.

Business • 19 Feb 21

Lending to SMEs is concentrated around three banks, so the loss of any one of them could have a major impact on the availability of credit, Mr Sibley said

Ulster Bank exiting Irish market could hit SMEs: Sibley

An exit by Ulster Bank from Ireland could lead to a concerning reduction in competition in the SME lending market, the deputy governor of the Central Bank has said.

Business • 16 Dec 20

The Central Bank said deposits are growing at their highest rate since 2007 at 9.8%

Savings surge as lending levels drop - Central Bank

Bank lending to households fell last month by €310m, new figures from the Central Bank show today.

Business • 30 Jun 20

The European Commission is supporting extra lending, worth up to €450 billion, to companies struggling as a deep recession looms

EU sets out 'quick fixes' to boost bank lending

European banks should rein in bonuses to boost their capacity to help businesses and households hit by the coronavirus crisis, the European Union's executive said today.

Business • 28 Apr 20

Corporate lending standards tightened the most in Italy and France in the second quarter

Eurozone banks expect increased loan demand in Q3

Eurozone banks expect loan demand to rise in the third quarter while they keep corporate lending and mortgage credit standards unchanged, the European Central Bank has said in a quarterly lending survey.

Business • 23 Jul 19

The credit union sector's total assets now stand at a record high of €17.6 billion

Credit Unions' total assets hit a record high

A new report on credit unions from the Central Bank shows improvements in the sector's financial position, but challenges still a feature.

Business • 19 Dec 18

Avantcard to offer personalised loan rates to customers

Irish-based credit card and personal loan provider Avantcard is to offer personalised pricing to Irish customers.

Business • 24 May 18

At the AGM, shareholders were told the bank has approved 3,000 new mortgages from a €1 billion fund that was set aside for housing and construction

97.5% impacted BoI tracker customers contacted - CEO

Bank of Ireland CEO Francesca McDonagh has said the lender has contacted 97.5% of customers who have been impacted by the tracker mortgage scandal.

Business • 20 Apr 18