A survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of mobile payment services firm Ondot has highlighted a demand for real-time interaction with banks among UK consumers.

The study revealed what consumers want the most from their bank, with 60% citing peace of mind when using their card online and 25% wanting their transaction alerts to be displayed in real time.

Research from Lloyds Bank has shown that business confidence in the UK has reached its highest since the EU referendum in 2016.

The Business in Britain report surveyed more than 1,500 UK businesses, mostly small and medium-sized firms, to measure confidence and outlook and found that 25% were feeling confident about their expected sales, orders and profits over the next six months, up from 23% in January 2018.

A report from KPMG has shown that the UK has once again taken the top spot for venture capital (VC) investment in Europe.

The Big Four accountancy firm’s Venture Pulse Q2 2018, which explores global trends in the VC market, showed that £1.55bn was invested in businesses in the UK across 244 deals in the second quarter of 2018, up from just over £1.1m in the first quarter.

A report from EY has shown that the UK continues to be the leading destination in Europe for financial services investment.

The Big Four accountancy firm’s UK Attractiveness Report showed that while there has been a decline in investment projects since last year as a result of Brexit, the UK still brought in a higher number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects than any other country in Europe, with 78 projects being registered.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is urging the government to increase spending in national infrastructure after research commissioned by City Hall found that investment in infrastructure schemes could help to boost the UK economy by £33bn.

The report, which was carried out by consultancy firm Greenwood Strategic Advisors and entitled Mind the Gap: Funding and Financing City Investments in the 21st Century, analysed a number of schemes, exploring how London responds to public investments.

The latest Business Trends Report by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has shown that businesses in the UK are feeling confident about their performance over the next six months, despite a drop in output growth.

BDO’s Optimism Index showed what businesses expect in terms of output development over the next six months, with optimism hitting 101.85 in June, up from 101.74 in May and higher than the long-term trend.

A report from financial and related professional services membership body TheCityUK has shown that the financial services sector is thriving, with many areas of the UK seeing job growth.

The report, entitled “Enabling Growth across the UK 2018”, highlighted the importance of financial and related professional services to the UK, with the sector making a significant contribution to economic output and employment across all regions.

A report from IHS Markit has shown that the UK’s services sector saw an increase in activity in June, with demand for financial services being one of the main drivers of growth.

The financial services firm’s Purchasing Managers’ Index increased to 55.1 last month, up from 54 in May, with activity in the UK’s services sector growing at its fastest rate since October 2017. The increase was higher than expected, with analysts predicting that the index would remain at 54.

A report from the Centre for Research on Self-Employment (CRSE) has highlighted the importance of improving the wellbeing of self-employed workers.

The report, which is entitled “The Way to Wellbeing” and was released on National Freelancers Day, shows how boosting the happiness and wellbeing of self-employed workers can help to improve business performance and benefit the UK economy.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is proposing a new Directory to help boost the protection of consumers and businesses by making it easier for them to access the history and status of individuals working in the finance sector.

The Directory will enable consumers to access information on staff working across a number of different areas in the sector, including investment advisors.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the fourth round of successful businesses for its fintech sandbox.

Part of the FCA’s commitment to boosting innovation in financial services, the regulatory sandbox enables businesses to experiment with new products, services or business models in a live environment under appropriate protections.

A new report from Equifax has revealed how banks can boost customer engagement through Open Banking.

The study identified the best ways that lenders can capitalise on the Open Banking initiative, which was introduced earlier this year and requires banks to share customer data with third-party companies.

A survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has shown that financial services firms increased hiring in the second quarter of 2018 despite uncertainties over Brexit, with employment in the sector rising at the fastest pace in 12 months.

The study, which surveyed 100 Square Mile firms, found that 24% increased hiring in Q2 2018, while 70% are planning to increase investment compared to last year, with information technology being a main driver of investment.