News

Hannah Bernard, Director of Business Banking at Nationwide, has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.

• Nationwide research shows 23% of people say global events have already impacted holiday plans[1]
• 28% have delayed holiday decisions while 15% have cancelled trips
• 23% booking UK vs abroad, 17% choosing cheaper trips and 15% switching to day trips
• Nationwide data shows a -1.2% fall in average holiday spend year-on-year, highlighting a shift towards more cautious spending[2]

• Nationwide all but completes Fairer Share payments in first day of rollout
• Around 4.4m eligible members with a current account and qualifying savings or mortgage receive £100
• Nationwide research shows how Brits would spend £100: 16% on a big food shop, 13% saving for a holiday and 13% setting it aside for holiday spending money

• Reductions of up to 0.12 percentage points for existing customers switching to a new deal, with rates starting from 4.56%

• Financial services leaders must use AI to widen opportunity for women
• Women remain under-represented in leadership despite making up 42% of workforce
• AI can reduce bias and unlock talent but only if adopted with care and trust

• Nationwide is the first banking provider to roll out public access defibrillators and bleed control kits across all branches¹  - with Virgin Money branches to follow, as it becomes Britain’s biggest branch network
• All 605 Nationwide branches to have a defibrillator and a bleed control kit installed by end of the year
• Life-saving training for Nationwide colleagues and communities across the UK run by St John Ambulance
• 87% of people would feel safer with local life-saving equipment: 97% state importance of free, life-saving first aid sessions
• Forms part of Nationwide’s commitment to High Street and follows promise to keep all branches open until at least 2030

The Mortgage Works is from tomorrow (Friday 5 June) cutting rates by up to 0.22 percentage points on selected one, two and five-year fixed rate products for new and existing customers.

• Nationwide survey reveals 25% of Brits want last-minute World Cup tickets, rising to 43% if they reach the semi-finals or beyond
• World Cup to encourage higher spending - 27% plan to spend more with 25% expecting to spend an extra £50–£100 in June and July
• 9pm kick-offs: fans to watch at home with family (40%) or friends (15%), with 11% going to a pub or bar
• Spending to focus on food: 18% buying gametime snacks and treats from supermarkets and 16% grabbing a takeaway
• As Nationwide data from the 2024 Euros shows takeaway orders averaged £23 a time

• 83% of 18-24-year-olds expect to gamble more frequently due to major sporting events in 2026 – more than double the rate of over-55s (37%)
• Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) 18-24-year-old gamblers cite ‘addicted’ as a reason they gamble – around 9 times the rate among over-55s (2%)
• 1 in 4 (25%) young gamblers say they gamble to get more money to pay essential bills, against 7% of over-55s
• But reassuringly three-quarters (74%) of 18–24-year-olds have used a gambling block, against just 22% of over-55s
• Nationwide urges customers to get in touch, or to contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 if in need of support

The Mortgage Works is from tomorrow (Thursday 28 May) introducing new two-year tracker products to its buy-to-let range as well as cutting rates on selected two, three and five-year fixed rate products for new and existing customers.

• Nationwide to become the UK’s biggest group branch network from 4 June
• The 696-branch network includes 605 Nationwide and 91 Virgin Money branches
• Nationwide has pledged in November to keep every single branch open until at least 2030
• Last year, Nationwide supported 6.7m unique branch users and was responsible for 57% of all UK branch-based product openings, with its branch current account sales up 21%
• Nationwide continues to invest in branches and digital service as part of offering customers choice in banking

• Around 4.4m eligible members to receive £100 Fairer Share in June, taking total paid since 2023 to c£1.5bn 

• Nationwide returned £1.8bn of value back to its members as it announces full year financial results 

• New 5% Member Exclusive Bond and £175 current account switching incentive also announced 

• Record year for personal current account growth as more than 1m accounts opened with Nationwide (which now includes Virgin Money)