Read the latest industry news, find practical advice on how to grow your business and smart tips to save for the future, all here on the OakNorth blog.
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Spring isn’t just for decluttering cupboards. It’s the perfect time to review your savings and make sure your money is working as hard as it should be.
An estimated Β£82 billion sits in lost and dormant accounts across the UK, according to tracing service research. Meanwhile, recent data from Nationwide reveals that one in eight savers earned no interest throughout 2025, with 19% using current accounts to save rather than dedicated savings accounts.
A quick financial health check could uncover forgotten funds or highlight accounts that are underperforming.

Commercial real estate is not rebounding in the way previous cycles have conditioned us to expect. It is recalibrating.
With capital markets still adjusting, occupier behaviour evolving and asset performance under sharper scrutiny, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by discipline, execution and selective risk-taking.

Running a scaling business means your banking should keep up, not hold you back. In 2025, we focused on the things mid-market businesses told us mattered most: managing complexity without friction, paying at scale without manual workarounds, and keeping tighter control as teams and spend grow.
Here is what we shipped.

Over the past year,Β IβveΒ had several conversations with London-listed investment trusts that have one thing in common:Β theyβreΒ reassessing their banking relationships.Β
Not because the underlying portfolios are weak. Quite the opposite. Many are backed by transparent, mark-to-market portfolios of listed assets with strong diversification and liquidity characteristics. But as larger banks rebalance their balance sheets and refocus their strategies, smaller and mid-sized trusts can find themselves deprioritised.Β

From our conversations with SMEs and mid-sized businesses across the UK, one thing is clear: traditional business banking still creates too much friction. Too many silos? Too many processes. Too much time spent managing money rather than using it to grow the business.

If βsave more moneyβ is on your resolutions list again this year, youβre not alone. The good news is – Β you donβt need a total life overhaul. Β Implementing just a couple of new habits, can make saving feel like a breeze.