‘Targeted support’ means certain banks and financial institutions can offer free extra help with investments and pensionsMany Britons are daunted by the world of investing, but new City rules mean certain banks and financial institutions can offer free extra help with investments and pensions.Last month marked the launch of “targeted support”, a new regulated service that permits companies to suggest investments and pension products to customers that might provide a better return. Continue reading...
Insolvency firm points to tax rises, staff costs and shaky consumer confidence after number increases to 62,193The number of UK businesses in “critical financial distress” has risen by more than a third over the past year, according to insolvency practitioners, as companies contend with a “slew of increased taxes” and the impact of the Middle East conflict.Hospitality and leisure firms have been faring particularly badly because of shaky consumer confidence, and rising taxes and staff costs, according to research by the restructuring company Begbies Traynor. Continue reading...
• MarketBeat's stock screener identified five key financial stocks to research: Robinhood Markets, Visa, Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. II, Coinbase Global, and Intuit.
• These equities represent diverse segments within the financial services sector, including fintech, payment processing, and software solutions.
• The stocks merit investor attention for fundamental and technical analysis.
• Power Solutions International reduced its debt-to-equity ratio from 2,140% to 54.6% over five years, signaling substantial improvement in financial health.
• The company achieved 64.5% earnings growth last year, outpacing the electrical industry average of 21.4%.
• Despite recent share price volatility, the company's financial restructuring and strong earnings demonstrate improved operational performance.
• Global financial markets experienced significant volatility during April 12-18, 2026, driven by geopolitical tensions impacting commodity prices.
• Oil prices surged higher amid international tensions, affecting energy stocks and broader market sentiment across equities and bonds.
• India's retail investor base continues reshaping capital markets, contributing to shifts in the financial landscape alongside global macroeconomic pressures.
• Business banking startup Slash Financial announced $100 million in Series C funding at a $1.4 billion valuation, led by Ribbit Capital, Khosla Ventures, and Goodwater Capital.
• The funds will accelerate development of its AI-driven back office for small and midsized online businesses.
• Founded in 2020, Slash provides an autonomous finance platform, positioning it as a key player in fintech automation.
• OpenAI acquired Hiro Finance, its second startup purchase in a month, focusing on AI tools for financial planning as first reported by TechCrunch.
• The deal expands OpenAI's capabilities into fiscal management amid racing agent development with Anthropic and Nvidia for web-browsing, emailing, and booking tasks.
• This move signals intensifying M&A in AI finance, cutting development time for enterprises adopting similar tech like Accenture-Replit code generation.
• Anthropic launched specialized tools for legal, financial, and HR tasks, disrupting traditional software markets as reported on April 12, 2026.
• The expansions impact partner companies in the US, challenging established tech giants.
• This move broadens Anthropic's influence from core AI to enterprise applications nationwide.
Texas city believes loose rules and low taxes will make the US’s biggest banks come running – can it pull it off?As the warm sun rises over the Dallas skyline, SUVs and pickup trucks whiz past an unassuming construction site that is helping cement the city’s Texas-sized financial ambitions.Nestled between towers claimed by Bank of America and JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs has cordoned off 800,000 sq ft for a new Dallas campus able to host more than 5,000 staff. But the $700m (£530m) project is more than a regional expansion plan by one of America’s largest banks. It is another win for the lobbyists behind Dallas’s “Y’all Street” – the Texan city’s aggressive push to steal New York’s financial crown. Continue reading...
High levels of borrowing and rapid expansion among dangers identified by Higher Education Policy InstituteMany English universities are taking excessive financial risks that threaten not only their own survival but that of others in the sector, a thinktank has warned.High levels of borrowing at some institutions and rapid expansion of student numbers are among the dangers identified in a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi). Continue reading...
Situation still volatile as Tehran and Washington issue conflicting messages about opening of Hormuz channelA plunge in the oil price, stock market rally and renewed hopes for the global economic outlook. After the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, the relief in financial markets was palpable. But it is far from absolute.For the past six weeks, the economic damage had been steadily mounting, as the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz by Tehran triggered the worst energy crisis of the modern era. Continue reading...
• Faraday Future's 2025 annual financial report revealed stockholders' equity shifted from negative to positive.
• The company's EAI robotics business posted a positive gross margin in its first delivery quarter this year.
• Faraday Future targets over 1,000 unit shipments for its EAI robotics by end of 2026, signaling expansion plans.
• Commercial property insurer FM Global announced April 2, 2026 that the Financial Times has recognized it as one of The Americas' Fastest-Growing Companies of 2026.
• The Johnston, Rhode Island-based insurer joins other leading regional companies on the prestigious FT list recognizing high-growth businesses.
• The recognition highlights FM's strong business performance and market position in the competitive commercial property insurance sector.
• Bank of America rolled out AI agents to approximately 1,000 financial advisors nationwide.
• This initiative marks an early integration of AI into core US banking operations for enhanced client services.
• The deployment signals broader adoption of AI in finance, improving efficiency and decision-making processes.
• Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 21,000 low-income and uninsured patients, has operated at a loss for two years and anticipates worsening conditions due to new Medicaid work rules under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees, risking coverage loss and threatening clinic viability, as stated by CEO Brad Meyer.
• The policy darkens the outlook for government-backed clinics nationwide by reducing patient access to care amid rising operational costs.
Survey also found 65% of gen Z think ‘things are better if men do paid work and women do care work’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYounger fathers are more likely to cling to outdated ideas that frame men as the money earners and women as caregivers, new research has found.The Australian State of the World’s Fathers report is based on a global survey of 8,000 parents, with 533 from Australia. Continue reading...
• The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence, chaired by Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01), held a hearing on March 26 to examine how federal agencies are addressing emerging technologies.
• The hearing explored how Congress can support responsible innovation while ensuring strong oversight and accountability as AI technologies continue to advance rapidly.
• Regulators testified on strategies to keep pace with technology innovation speed, highlighting the gap between regulatory evolution and market velocity.
• House Republicans argue that financial regulators must adapt governance frameworks to keep pace with innovations in artificial intelligence, digital assets, and real-time payment systems.
• Congressional financial services leaders contend that regulatory evolution is essential as these technologies reshape how Americans save, invest, and conduct transactions.
• The statement reflects broader debates about regulatory modernization in response to rapid technological change in the financial sector.
UK urged to tackle transnational repression, as dissidents say Beijing has targeted them with tax letters and other threats“I didn’t feel safe, even though I’m not based in Hong Kong any more,” said Christopher Mung Siu-tat after getting tax bills from Hong Kong authorities. “The regime can reach me by their long arms wherever I am.”Siu-tat, executive director at the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, a UK-based NGO, fled Beijing’s sweeping national security laws years ago. The letters are the latest example of a series of transnational repression (TNR) tactics the 54-year-old has faced in recent years. Continue reading...
Ministers will publish review by Philip Rycroft, which will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, todayGood morning. In December the government announced that Philip Rycroft, a former permanent secretary at the Brexit department, will lead a review into foreign financial interference into UK politics. The review is being published today, and it will include recommendations that we’re told the government will implement as a priority.The review will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, but no one in government is trying very hard to pretend that one party in particular isn’t the main focus. Rycroft was hired for the job soon after Nathan Gill, the former Reform UK leader in Wales, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail for taking bribes to spout pro-Russian propaganda. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, dismissed Gill as a one-off bad apple, but other Brexit party MEPs gave pro-Russian speeches similar to Gill’s. Reform UK is the Brexit party under a new name. Continue reading...
• The Treasury Department's FSOC and AITO launched the AI Innovation Series, a public-private initiative with four roundtables convening financial institutions, tech firms, and regulators on high-value AI use cases.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, 'Leadership in AI adoption is a crucial component of economic security,' shifting regulation from constraint to enabling productivity-enhancing tech.
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Christina Skinner emphasized AI's role in fraud detection, credit allocation, and operational resilience for financial stability.
SEC now classifies crypto into five categories, with securities laws only applicable to one: digital securitiesThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday issued an interpretation clarifying which types of cryptocurrencies are considered securities and how a “non-security” digital asset could meet certain conditions to become an investment contract.The SEC’s new interpretation – which the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission also joined – classifies crypto tokens into five categories: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins and digital securities, with the agency specifying that federal securities laws only apply to digital securities. Continue reading...
• House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (AR-02) and Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chairman Mike Flood (NE-01) commended President Trump’s March 15, 2026, executive order removing regulatory barriers to affordable home construction.
• The leaders noted the order aligns with bipartisan committee work over the past year to reduce building costs and boost housing supply through commonsense reforms.
• They expressed intent to codify the executive order's objectives in upcoming congressional housing legislation to ensure lasting impact.
Charles Schwab stock rose 1.8% on March 13, 2026, amid gains in financial services, health care, and consumer goods sectors during a choppy session. About 61% of S&P 500 stocks advanced, with Schwab benefiting from defensive positioning. This resilience contrasts tech declines, pointing to rotation into value areas. Sector performance may persist if volatility continues.
