Monday's launch of the 2026 FLA Impact Report, The Hidden Engine Behind UK Growth, was a fantastic success, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the vital role responsible finance plays in supporting businesses, households and economic growth across the UK.   With the support of our Founding Impact Partner, Paragon Banking Group PLC, the event marked the start of an important new conversation about the future of finance.   Hear from Nihal Arthanayake who shares why the report matters, what responsible finance means in practice, and why the conversation about the future of finance is only just beginning.   The 2026 FLA Impact Report shows how FLA members provided a record £163 billion of new lending last year, helping businesses invest, supporting households and driving long-term economic growth.   Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e43cjF2X   #FutureOfFinance #Growth #FinancialServices #FLA

Inflation in the UK averaged 7.3% in 2023. Most savings accounts paid under 2% that same year. That means money sitting in a standard savings account did not just stand still. It lost purchasing power every single month without a single pound leaving your account. This is the part most people never connect. Inflation does not just affect prices at the supermarket. It silently shrinks the value of every pound you have saved. The only way to beat inflation over the long term is to put your money to work in assets that grow faster than it. Historically UK equities have returned around 7% to 8% annually over 20 year periods. Australian superannuation funds holding diversified assets have returned similar numbers. Neither figure is guaranteed. But sitting in cash at 1.5% while inflation runs at 4% is a guaranteed loss. Most people never start investing because it feels complicated or risky. Doing nothing has its own risk. It just feels safer because the loss is invisible. We broke down how everyday UK and AU investors can start building inflation-beating returns at WiseInvestorPath.com. Are you currently invested or still sitting mostly in cash? #Investing #UKFinance #Australia #InflationHedge #PersonalFinance

Turns out the state can invest money and get more of it back. Who knew... The British Business Bank, the Government's economic development bank, has tripled its annual pre-tax profit to £426m. Its largest in four years. To be fair, most of it is valuation gains on paper, and the bank itself says year-on-year fluctuations are to be expected. But the realised gains are real: £115m from selling equity stakes, up from £84m the year before. On top of that, it deployed £1.5bn into new and existing investments last year. And 87% of the businesses it newly funded are based outside London, an obviously higher share than the business population at large. So next time someone insists public ownership and returns don't mix, there's now a £426m counterexample, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and paying back the taxpayer.

📢 Financial Update | Small Savings Interest Rates Remain Unchanged The Government has decided to keep the interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the July–September 2026 quarter. This means the rates for schemes such as PPF, National Savings Certificate (NSC), Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), and Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme (SCSS) remain the same. What does this mean for investors? ✅ Stable and predictable returns ✅ Continued confidence in government-backed savings schemes ✅ A reminder that consistency is often more important than chasing the highest returns While market conditions may change, disciplined saving remains one of the strongest foundations of financial planning. Financial literacy isn't just about earning more—it's about making informed decisions with the money you already have. What do you think? Do you prefer government-backed savings schemes or market-linked investments?

More businesses are turning to external finance to stay afloat In concerning news, 18% of businesses sought debt or equity finance in the 2024-25 financial year, a sharp rise from 5% in 2021-22, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The top two reasons given for seeking finance were to: * maintain short-term cash flow or liquidity (42%) * ensure survival of the business (38%) In the current economic climate, businesses of all sizes are facing ongoing rising costs that are placing them under greater financial pressure. If cash flow is becoming a challenge, don't wait until it becomes a survival risk. Speaking to your accountant early can help you understand your main pressure points, explore ways to improve your cash flow position and determine whether external finance is an appropriate solution. #accountant #cashflow #businessfinance

More businesses are turning to external finance to stay afloat In concerning news, 18% of businesses sought debt or equity finance in the 2024-25 financial year, a sharp rise from 5% in 2021-22, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The top two reasons given for seeking finance were to: * maintain short-term cash flow or liquidity (42%) * ensure survival of the business (38%) In the current economic climate, businesses of all sizes are facing ongoing rising costs that are placing them under greater financial pressure. If cash flow is becoming a challenge, don't wait until it becomes a survival risk. Speaking to your accountant early can help you understand your main pressure points, explore ways to improve your cash flow position and determine whether external finance is an appropriate solution. #accountant #cashflow #businessfinance

The numbers don't make comfortable reading for UK businesses this week. UK business confidence has fallen to its lowest level in four years, according to the ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor - recording a score of minus 14.6 for the second quarter, marking six consecutive quarters of negative readings. The Institute of Directors reported its sentiment index fell to minus 61 in June, with revenue expectations also weakening to their lowest reading this year. Energy and fuel costs remain a major concern, with 72% of businesses reporting increases and a fifth facing rises of at least 25%. Meanwhile, the Bank of England has signalled that interest rate cuts this year are increasingly unlikely, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to push up energy prices and inflation risks. In an environment this challenging, the businesses that protect their margins aren't always the ones chasing the most new revenue. Sometimes the smartest move is recovering what you're already owed. Many UK businesses are still leaving legitimate VAT unclaimed - across employee expenses, supplier invoices, mixed-use purchases, and more. In a year where every pound of margin matters, that's money that can't afford to stay on the table. At PRS, we help UK businesses recover VAT efficiently, accurately, and fully compliantly - turning an overlooked compliance process into a real cash flow opportunity. When confidence is low, recovery is one of the most powerful tools you have. VAT Recovery. Done Properly. 📩 Talk to our UK team today. 🌐 www.prs-x.com #UKBusiness #BusinessConfidence #VATRecovery #CashFlow #ProfitRecovery #HMRC #FinancialResilience #PRS

Six in ten Australian SMEs are confident they'll stay cashflow positive over the next year. A few months ago it was seven in ten. That slide is worth sitting with — but not panicking over. Confidence drops when owners can feel pressure building: customers paying slower, costs creeping up, a buffer that isn't growing, and no clear read on how bad it actually is. The worry is real; the missing piece is usually visibility, not optimism. The fix is duller than it sounds and it works. A 13-week cash forecast — just a week-by-week list of the money you expect in and the money going out for the next quarter — turns a vague unease into a dated picture. Here's the tight week. Here's the invoice that needs chasing before it. Here's the bill we can move. Suddenly it's a set of decisions instead of a knot in your stomach. You can't manage a feeling. You can manage a forecast. Comment below if you'd like the 13-week template our team sets clients up with. #cashflow #smallbusinessaustralia #financialclarity #VirtualCFO #ThinkLikeaCFO

Six in ten Australian SMEs are confident they'll stay cashflow positive over the next year. A few months ago it was seven in ten. That slide is worth sitting with — but not panicking over. Confidence drops when owners can feel pressure building: customers paying slower, costs creeping up, a buffer that isn't growing, and no clear read on how bad it actually is. The worry is real; the missing piece is usually visibility, not optimism. The fix is duller than it sounds and it works. A 13-week cash forecast — just a week-by-week list of the money you expect in and the money going out for the next quarter — turns a vague unease into a dated picture. Here's the tight week. Here's the invoice that needs chasing before it. Here's the bill we can move. Suddenly it's a set of decisions instead of a knot in your stomach. You can't manage a feeling. You can manage a forecast. Comment below if you'd like the 13-week template our team sets clients up with. #cashflow #smallbusinessaustralia #financialclarity #VirtualCFO #ThinkLikeaCFO

The UK financial services sector has lost its edge. Why has this happened? Three active choices compounded the impact that the global financial crisis (GFC) and subsequent shocks, such as Brexit, had upon the financial sector. - Regulation has institutionalised risk aversion: UK banks have a Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of 152% versus 120–140% for peers; and a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) at 15.4% versus 13.4% in the US. Consumer regulations have had the unintended consequence of reducing consumer access to certain products, investment advice and in turn financial education. Compliance headcount rose by more than 500% from 2009–2021. - Business credit has become structurally harder to access: Outstanding SME loans have almost halved as a share of GDP since 2011, with both supply and demand trapped in a self-reinforcing cycle. - UK firms have chronically under-invested in technology: Software capital stock has grown 2.5% annually since 2010 versus 6.7% in the US. The UK has fallen to fourth from first in terms of software capital stock as a share of total assets among developed economies. - Fee income growth has dried up: Over the past five years, fee income among the UK's largest banks has plateaued, while European and North American peers have seen respective increases of 33% and 20%. This has meant UK banks have had to push harder to increase retail net interest margins. There have also been a series of structural shifts in the sector. It has moved away from core financial services towards auxiliary services, which employ more people but for relatively less output. It is more reliant on exports, which have been hard to grow. Learn more about what the UK needs to do to win it back in this report. Report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG)