BANKS have been warned to provide greater assistance to those struggling to pay credit card bills and personal loans.

GERMANY’S European Commissioner, (Günther Oettinger), has lent his voice to demands that the national flags of all bailed-out member states be flown at half-mast at EU buildings as a sign of the shame.

BANKS have been criticised by the Central Bank governor over their inadequate response to the mortgage crisis. He has announced a full review into their handling of borrowers facing arrears.

BANKS are facing strict rules which will prevent them hassling borrowers struggling with general personal debts, the Financial Regulator announced.

BANKS, insurance and utility companies have agreed to deal sympathetically with customers who have missed payments as a result of the closure of an unregulated firm which consolidated its clients bills and made payments on their behalf for a fee.

BANKS have been accused of “cherry-picking” who they want to give mortgages to as brokers claim people can’t secure loans despite the number of applications increasing.

IT’S a load of “hype and spin” according to Fianna Fáil, but the Government claims it is a “covenant with the Irish people”. Here is the report card for the first 100 days in office.

BANKS have money to lend to small food companies but only if they are presented with a credible export-focused business plan, according to a leading banker.

BANKS and financial services companies in London will add 11,000 employees in the next three years and will require the equivalent of four Shard skyscrapers to accommodate them, BNP Paribas SA’s real estate unit said.

BANKS may be willing to talk to customers in trouble but according to experts, people should be prepared to be challenged on all aspects of spending.

BANKS may save about £10 billion (€11.38bn) in capital and other costs under proposals being considered by the Britain’s Independent Commission on Banking aimed at securing the financia lsystem against the collapse of a single lender, a person with knowledge of the plans said.

BANKS could have cost taxpayers an extra €20 billion because of the misleading figures they gave to NAMA about the value of their property loans, the agency’s chief executive has confirmed.

BANKS should stop apologising for the mistakes which helped cause the financial crisis, Barclays new boss told British politicians, striking a defiant tone in a grilling over bonuses yesterday.

BANKS told “blatant lies” about the state of their finances, according to the Green Party leader Minister John Gormley.

BANKS and other financial institutions are still not dealing properly with customer complaints, according to the financial services Ombudsman.

BANKS and lenders chasing troubled mortgage holders for repayments face a raft of restrictions on reining in loans which will be rolled out by the end of the year.

BANKS and building societies in Ireland are agreeing to cut loan and mortgage repayments by up to 90% for customers in genuine financial difficulty.

BANKS and insurance companies will have to pay tens of millions of euro in compensation to customers when up to 20 investigations into overcharging are completed by the Financial Regulator in the coming months.

BANKS are under-taxed in the EU, but new proposals to levy their activities could raise as much as €25 billion a year, the European Commission says.

BANKS and hedge funds may have to pay out on Anglo Irish Bank debt insurance after the Government insisted holders of its riskiest bonds share the pain of a €30 billion bailout.

THE GUESTS were late.

BANKS are showing a willingness to engage with borrowers who are having difficulty paying their mortgages, according to the Central Bank and Financial Regulator.

BANKS and building societies will find it harder to repossess homes under proposals to protect mortgage holders in arrears.

BANKS are issuing fewer loans to people according to figures, as demand for credit and credit being issued both fall.

BANKS will face a critical challenge to raise funds once the blanket government guarantee expires.

BANKS will be forced to make €12 billion worth of lifeline loans to struggling businesses, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan last night pledged.

BANKS are in denial if they believe sufficient credit was being provided for small businesses, Minister Batt O’Keeffe has claimed.

BANKS have been urged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help struggling homeowners.

BANKS should set aside money to manage future banking failures rather than calling on taxpayers, the European Commission has proposed.

The FTSE 100 Index pulled out of a steep nosedive today after slumping fall below 5000 for the first time in six months.

BANKS have been accused by a senior Government minister of being arrogant and greedy and showing little regard for taxpayers.

BANKS will be restricted from giving loans to their top bosses similar to the €84 million borrowed by former Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick, under new powers announced by the Financial Regulator.

BANKS continued their bad run on the markets yesterday as a top ratings agency expressed concerns about their future.

BANKS and airlines had another dismal day on the stock market yesterday with building firm CRH also suffering.

BANKS and airlines had a bad day on the stockmarket yesterday as Ireland’s ISEQ Index slid 4.2%.

BANKS have been accused of trying to convince struggling homeowners to let go of cost-effective tracker mortgages when they seek help with their repayments.

BANKS racked up losses of almost €23 million last year because people were unable to pay their credit card bills.

BANKS face being paid a fraction of what their properties are worth by NAMA in cases where developers used a loophole to avoid paying stamp duty on it, according to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

BANKS are working with thousands of home owners struggling to keep up with their mortgage repayments.

Banks could off-set the need to hike mortgage repayments by shedding flashy accessories like private dining rooms and limousines, it was claimed tonight.

BANKS must help bail out people struggling to repay mortgages and shoulder some of the pain, according to the Master of the High Court.

BANKS and financial institutions can expect to see a far more robust and expensive regulatory environment in the years ahead, the governor of the Central Bank Patrick Honohan warned last night.

BANKS were accused yesterday of bouncing farmers’ cheques despite their accounts being only marginally overdrawn.