- Business
- NatWest Group plc is a UK-focused banking and insurance holding company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, and founded in 1968 as the successor to The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which was renamed in July 2020. The group serves over 20 million customers through its four main franchises: Retail Banking via NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank brands offering current accounts, mortgages, personal unsecured lending, personal deposits, and related financial services in the UK and Republic of Ireland; Commercial & Institutional providing banking, finance, risk management, asset finance via Lombard, and investment banking via NatWest Markets including debt financing, advisory services, and securities operations in the UK, US, and Western Europe; Private Banking for high-net-worth individuals via Coutts, Drummonds, and premier services encompassing banking, lending, and wealth management through its Investment Centre of Excellence; and offshore banking via NatWest International, RBS International, and Isle of Man Bank in the Channel Islands serving personal, business, and corporate clients. It issues banknotes in Scotland and Northern Ireland and supports operations with central functions in procurement, technology, payments, HR, risk, and governance. Recent developments include full divestment of UK government ownership in May 2025 following crisis-era bailouts; integration of acquired Sainsbury's Bank customers with enhanced app features linking credit cards and Nectar points; mortgage expansion via new first-time buyer offers, family-backed products, and buy-to-let collaboration with Landbay; unsecured lending growth of 17% alongside £10.8 billion in EPC A/B-rated residential lending by Q3 2025 meeting sustainability targets; £7.6 billion in Q3 2025 climate and transition finance toward a £200 billion 2025-2030 goal; university partnerships with Oxford, Manchester, Brighton, and York for startup growth; IP-backed loans launch by Royal Bank of Scotland for high-growth Scottish businesses; and robust Q3 2025 performance with 4.4% lending growth to £388 billion, 26.4% Retail Banking return on equity, and platform decommissioning for simplification.