Ian Corfield was Labour donor before his Whitehall appointment last year
Guaranteed income in old age makes sense but stumbling blocks remain for sponsors and workers
Metro Bank, Secure Trust and Arbuthnot have had contrasting fortunes this year
Rising competition is pushing down profit margins and encouraging more risky lending
Challenger bank has pulled out of risky markets such as unsecured personal loans
Secure Trust chides £425m initiative to boost competition in small business banking
Secure Trust stops offering cheap personal loans because of aggressive pricing
Emerging institutions say they will be harder hit by 8 per cent surcharge on UK profits over £25m
Subprime lender snaps up Everyday Loans for £235m
Smaller lenders to be given greater access and phase-out will now be in 2018
Harder to offer competitive rates to increase market share
Chief executives say payday lenders do not have to comply with surcharge, giving them advantage
‘Unique’ product closed after less than a month
Transfer of risk to the elective investor is a step in the right direction
The opening months of 2012 have brought a sharp turnround but there is a long way to go
