Nationwide Building Society Media Centre - News

Nationwide reveals: the hidden £15,500k* cost of school from reception to GCSEs

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 23:15:00 Z

Parents could expect to spend more than £15,500 on a child's school years from reception to GCSE, with school clubs accounting for the biggest share of the bill, according to new Nationwide research.
Back-to-school costs are squeezing budgets, with 49% stressed and families cutting back
Nearly a quarter use clubs for childcare, with 22% of parents relying on them to cover childcare gaps
Families confess kids have lost or worn out around 325 items during their time at school
Nationwide and Finder launch new back to school calculator to find out how clubs, uniform and trips costs compare and money personalities– https://www.finder.com/uk/budgeting/cost-of-the-school-year
Jordan Banjo talks about the value of clubs to him growing up
Finder’s parent consumer expert Kate Steere shares her experience and tips on kids clubs

Nationwide aims to simplify credit scores with free-to-use widget

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:15:00 Z

Free credit score service provides easy access to customers’ credit information.
Forms part of wider commitment to improving financial confidence and wellbeing.
FCA research finds that 39% of people who checked their credit report or score say they understood it very well.
Around one in ten (9%) don’t understand it very well or at all.

Nationwide expands free benefits indicator to Virgin Money as households identify an average of £555 extra income per month

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:46:00 Z

Free ‘Better Off Indicator’ available online, by phone, and in branch as people struggle with cost of summer holidays
Nationwide identifies £115m of additional annual support since June 2025, with households discovering £555 per month on average
Half of low-income parents may delay rent or mortgage payments to cover essential summer holiday costs
56% expect to delay household bills over school holidays; 63% likely to rely on Buy Now Pay Later to cover summer break
Free benefits service available to Nationwide and Virgin Money customers and non-customers alike

Nationwide makes further rate cuts to fixed mortgage range

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:15:00 Z

Reductions of up to 0.15 percentage points for new and existing customers across first-time buyer, home mover and remortgage ranges
Nationwide’s lowest fixed rate now 4.48% for new and existing customers looking to move home

Let’s Celebrate Towns Returns for 2026: Visa and Nationwide launch national competition spotlighting the UK’s high streets and communities

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:00:00 Z

• Towns across the UK are being invited to enter the 'Let's Celebrate Towns' competition, the UK wide showcase delivered by Visa in partnership with Nationwide, now in its fourth year.
• Winning towns will each receive a £20,000 grant towards community-led projects or new initiatives that give small businesses a boost.
• This year, towns can enter across five categories: High Street Revival, Backing Local Business, Protecting Valued Places, Connected Places and Community Pride.
• The launch comes amid a renewed national focus on local pride, as the Government invests up to £5.8 billion in nearly 300 communities through its Pride in Place Programme, an ambition Let's Celebrate Towns shares by helping the best local ideas spread across the country.
• Entries will be judged by an independent panel spanning business and industry bodies, with winners announced at an awards ceremony in Parliament on 14th December 2026.

Nationwide reveals money worries are the biggest university regret facing students today

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 23:15:00 Z

Money mistakes dominate students’ biggest regrets, Nationwide FlexStudent research reveals
Noise, stolen food and mess spark the most house-share fallouts
Students spend up to £300 a week on food & drink; mini fridges, air-fryers and microwaves top shopping lists
Nationwide’s FlexStudent offers £100 cash, £120 Just Eat vouchers; interest-free, fee-free overdrafts up to £3k and commission-free purchases & withdrawals abroad, plus new limited-edition card designs[1]
Student case studies available:
- o Second-year Nottingham student Erin (saved money with Oasis ticket 'hack', selling on Vinted and Just Eat ‘floor picnics’ with friends)
- o Glasgow graduate Georgina (whose laptop broke first term and who started part-time work sooner than planned to cover socialising)

Nationwide launches new Fixed Rate Bonds and ISAs with increased rates

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:23:00 Z

Nationwide has today (Friday 14 August) launched new Fixed Rate Cash ISAs and Fixed Rate Bonds with increased rates.

Nationwide leads industry-wide effort to improve accessibility for people with communication difficulties

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:10:00 Z

Free accessibility tool - Speak Easy communication cards now available to all financial services providers on the high street
One in five people in the UK will experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives¹
Brands already onboard include Virgin Money, NatWest, Santander, AIB Group (UK) p.l.c., Bank of Ireland and Skipton Building Society
Cards and participating organisations can be found at Signing Banks’ Speak Easy website, with plans to update as new brands join
Nationwide is developing guidance to help organisations beyond banking implement the free Speak Easy cards, with the aim of creating a recognised and consistent accessibility tool for customer-facing sectors

Nationwide partners with Female Founders Rise to help unlock potential of women entrepreneurs

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:30:00 Z

Nationwide cuts mortgage rates for first-time buyers, home movers and people remortgaging

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:20:00 Z

Reductions of up to 0.19 percentage points for new and existing customers across first-time buyer, home mover and remortgage ranges
Nationwide’s lowest fixed rate now 4.52% for new and existing customers looking to move home