The Future of Building Societies

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The Future of Building Societies The future of building societies July 2012 The future of building societies July 2012 Official versions of this document are printed on 100% recycled paper. When you have finished with it please recycle it again. If using an electronic version of the document, please consider the environment and only print the pages which you need and recycle them when you have finished. © Crown copyright 2012 You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or e-mail: [email protected]. Any queries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: [email protected]. ISBN 978-1-84532-981-5 PU1329 Contents Page Chapter 1 Introduction 3 Chapter 2 The building societies sector in context 5 Chapter 3 Reforming building societies legislation 9 Chapter 4 Views requested and how to respond 17 1 1 Introduction Promoting mutuals 1.1 The Government's approach to financial mutuals is enshrined in its founding document, the Coalition Agreement, where it made a commitment to support diversity in the financial services sector and promote mutuals. A diversity of types of financial institution is essential to provide the consumer choice and the competitive pressure that the UK needs to sustain a vibrant and effective financial sector. 1.2 As the central mutually-owned institutions in deposit-taking and mortgage lending, building societies are key contributors to this diverse mix. In order to maintain their contribution to diversity it is important that building societies are given the conditions to allow them to thrive, while maintaining their unique identity and status. 1.3 The white paper1 published on 14 June set out how the Government plans to implement the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB). This is part of a broad programme of reform, which represents the most far-reaching reforms to British banking in modern history. While the central focus of these reforms has necessarily been on the big, systemic institutions, which include Nationwide, the Government is determined to ensure that all building societies are well-placed to play a central role in the future of UK financial services. Discussion document 1.4 The Government has therefore decided to set out its aspirations for the building societies sector, including the key role it sees for the sector as part of the future for UK financial services. The Government also wishes to set out its proposed approach to developing the legislative framework for building societies, so that they are capable of playing the role it sees for them. 1.5 However, the purpose of this document is not one-way. The Government would like to receive views from the sector, and other interested parties, on all of these issues. In terms of the future role of building societies, the Government would like to challenge the sector to set out its vision for how it intends to develop so that it can play the important role the Government sees for it. On the legislative framework, the Government would like to invite the sector to give its views on where things need to change and, just as importantly, where they need to be preserved, so that the building societies can continue to offer competitive services to their members, and serve their communities, while retaining their distinctiveness as mutual financial institutions. 1.6 This discussion document covers the following areas: • Chapter 2 provides context on the building societies sector, setting out some of the history of the sector, and the shape of the sector today. It also sets out the Government’s vision for the sector in the future world of UK financial services. 1 Banking reform: delivering stability and supporting a sustainable economy, HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, June 2012 3 • Chapter 3 gives details of how the Government proposes to address the legislative framework for the sector, in accordance with its vision. First, it sets out how it proposes to apply the principles behind the ICB reforms to the building societies. Second it explains the Government’s current attitude to other potential legislative developments of relevance to the sector. • Chapter 4 gives details of how to reply to this document. 4 The building societies 2 sector in context The building societies sector today 2.1 The UK has a thriving building societies sector. There are currently 47 building societies, serving 25 million members1 and employing 42,000 staff. Within the sector, the largest society, Nationwide, comprises 60 per cent of the sector by proportion of assets, with Yorkshire Building Society, the second largest, holding 13 per cent of the sector assets2. 2.2 The principal purpose of a building society, as set out in the Building Societies Act 1986, is to make loans that are secured on residential property, substantially funded by members’ deposits. They currently make up 17 per cent of the mortgage market (including their lending subsidiaries), and 19 per cent of the household savings market3. 2.3 Building societies have strict legislative limits on their lending and funding activities, known as ‘nature limits’. These limits mean that at least 75 per cent of trading assets must be loans secured on residential property, and that at least 50 per cent of total funding must come from their members in the form of retail deposits. In addition there are significant restrictions placed on the treasury activities of building societies. These enforced limits and restrictions help to create a distinctive identity for building societies, and also prevent them from taking excessive risks. 2.4 Building societies are mutually-owned institutions, which means that their purpose is to maximise benefits for their members, rather than profit for external shareholders. Building societies argue that this allows them to work to a longer term strategy, rather than focus on short-term profit and external shareholder gains. 2.5 Building societies are generally considered to offer good customer service. In a recent survey, 69 per cent of mortgage borrowers with mutuals reported being extremely or very satisfied with their customer service, compared to 57 per cent of mortgage holders with other lenders. Building societies also experience much lower levels of complaints, with just 3.5 per cent of complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service, compared to 65.5 per cent for banks4, which is significantly lower than their market share. 2.6 UK building societies are proud of their mutual status, and place great stock in their reputation of stability and trustworthiness. The presence of a mutually-owned option in the financial services sector provides greater diversity and competition for consumers. History of the sector 2.7 Building societies have their roots in the 19th Century, and for many years they dominated the market for mortgage lending, which was their core purpose. The Building Societies Association set rates centrally across the whole sector. This monopoly persisted until the 1980s, when banks gained the ability to offer mortgages, and in 1984 the rates ceased to be set 1 Mutuals Yearbook 2011, Mutuo, October 2011 2 bsa.org.uk 3 bsa.org.uk 4 Financial Research Survey: Customer Satisfaction Results, GfKNOP, January 2012 5 centrally. The banking sector has since become more dominant in the mortgage market, with a market share of around 60 per cent. 2.8 The number of building societies has reduced markedly in the last 100 years. In 1900, there were 2286 societies; 101 in 1990; and 47 today. There are two primary reasons for the reduction in numbers of recent years: demutualisation and consolidation. 2.9 Demutualisation was effectively an option only for the largest societies, because of the costs involved. Among the explanations given at the time for decisions to demutualise was the impact of an excessively restrictive legislative regime, particularly the funding limit, which was said to be restricting growth. Of course, there was also an incentive for members to vote for demutualisation, as members received a windfall, in the form of shares or cash, on demutualisation, as well as an element of conformism among the larger societies. 2.10 The first society to demutualise was Abbey National in 1989. Following this, it made a number of acquisitions, including Scottish Mutual and Scottish Provident, and National & Provincial. However, the company suffered from financial losses, and was eventually taken over by Santander. 2.11 Like Abbey National, the other large building societies that demutualised in the 1990s have all been taken over by other banks: Halifax (now part of Bank of Scotland, owned by Lloyds Banking Group), Alliance & Leicester (now part of Santander), Northern Rock (part of which is now Virgin Money) and The Woolwich (now part of Barclays). Of the building societies that demutualised, none are still operating as an individual entity. 2.12 However, the main cause of the reduction in the number of societies, both since 1900 and in the last 20 years, is consolidation by inter-society mergers. This has been the traditional process by which smaller societies are subsumed into larger counterparts, either when their business became non-viable or when the combination produced a stronger society: among recent mergers, for example, Nationwide took on Portman Building Society in 2007 and both Derbyshire and Cheshire Building Societies, Skipton Building Society took on Scarborough Building Society in 2009 and Yorkshire Building Society took on Chelsea Building Society in 2010 and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society in 2011. Larger societies can take advantage of economies of scale, such as with access to payments infrastructure and fixed costs associated with activities like raising funds.
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