Retail Banking Competitor Tracker - October 2009

Introduction

Datamonitor's Retail Banking Competitor Tracker is a monthly product providing updates on key events relating to major players in retail banking across the globe. Covering major developments such as M&A activity, market entries and withdrawals, partnerships, product innovation, and customer targeting, the Retail Banking Competitor Tracker provides succinct summaries of key stories.

Scope

• Information on new product developments, mergers and acquisitions, distribution and partnerships.
• Insight on how the major retail banks are adapting to the ever changing economic climate.

Highlights

Competition is beginning to return to UK mortgages.

Citibank maintains its focus on China despite its need to restructure.

Postbank's new iPostbank application sees mobile banking gain momentum in Germany.

Reasons to Purchase

• Provides a definitive source of information on all your competitors' key strategies.
• Offers insight into how the competitive landscape is evolving through M&A activities, partnerships and organic growth.
• Detailed insight into new product developments within retail banking.

Overview 1

• Catalyst 1
• Summary 1
• Methodology 1
• Table of Contents 2
• Introduction 3
• This tracker provides both one-month and 12-month views of developments 3
• Each month Datamonitor tracks the most relevant announcements from 100 competitors 3
• Datamonitor's Retail Banking Team provides analysis of the key developments at both the one-month and 12-month level 4
• A fully searchable database of the past 22 months of developments is also delivered alongside the report 4
• Key Trends and Developments in October 5
• Competition is beginning to return to UK mortgages 5
• Citibank maintains its focus on China despite its need to restructure 5
• NAB is abolishing fees on certain accounts 6
• Postbank's new iPostbank application sees mobile banking gain momentum in Germany 6
• Competitor activity fell in October 7
• Product and service innovation stories became more dominant in October 7
• M&A, new product and new service stories made up the majority of stories in October 8
• Product, Services and Innovation 10
• Abbey 10
• UK: Abbey unveils mortgages with no upfront costs 10
• UK: Abbey lowers fixed rates and introduces new tracker rate mortgage 10
• Banque Populaire 11
• France: Banque Populaire offers solutions for young working people 11
• Citibank 11
• US: Citibank launches Citi Mobile en Espanol 11
• Thailand: Citibank expands range of tailored financial solutions for mid- and high-income customers 11
• Clydesdale Bank 12
• UK: Clydesdale Bank offers new £20 bank notes 12
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) 12
• Australia: Commonwealth Bank enhances its NetBank customer service 12
• Crédit Agricole 13
• France: LCL offers 100% online banking through e.LCL 13
• HBOS 13
• UK: Halifax introduces daily overdraft charging structure 13
• HSBC Bank 14
• UK: First direct launches fee free remortgage offset trackers 14
• National Australia Bank (NAB) 15
• Australia: NAB waives bank fees on customers accounts 15
• Nationwide Building Society 15
• UK: Nationwide offers range of mortgage deals 15
• Nedbank 17
• South Africa: Nedbank relaxes lending criteria for home loans 17
• South Africa: Nedbank offers salary protection scheme 17
• Postbank 18
• Germany: Postbank offers iPostbank to locate ATMs, branches and cash service stations 18
• Standard Chartered 18
• Singapore: Standard Chartered offers dream home service at a property showroom 18
• M&A, Partnerships and Organic Growth 19
• ABN AMRO 19
• UK: ABN Amro Group splits into ABN Amro Bank and The Royal Bank of Scotland 19
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) 19
• China: ANZ opens rural bank in China 19
• Citibank 19
• China: Citi launches Dalian Wafangdian Citi Lending in China 19
• Japan: Citi sells NikkoCiti Trust and Banking to Nomura Trust & Banking 20
• US: Citi concludes the sale of Norwegian consumer finance business to Gjensidige Bank 20
• Deutsche Bank 20
• Netherlands: Deutsche Bank agrees to acquire ABN Amro's Netherlands business 20
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) 21
• Thailand: ICBC buys ACL Bank Public Company from Bangkok Bank 21
• State Bank of India (SBI) 21
• India: SBI plans more acquisition in Indonesia 21
• Société Générale 21
• France: Société Générale announces the acquisition of a 20% stake in Crédit du Nord 21

Appendix 22

• Methodology 22
• Further reading 22
• Ask the analyst 22
• Datamonitor consulting 22
• Disclaimer 22

List of Tables

• Table 1: The 100 companies and subsidiaries covered by Datamonitor's Retail Banking Competitor Tracker 3

List of Figures

• Figure 1: M&A stories fell in October more significantly than product innovation and customer targeting events 8
• Figure 2: New products and services, and M&A activity, dominated this month's news stories 9