Relationship banking survey

IN PARTNERSHIP with finance experts at Manchester Business School, Financial Director has published a detailed survey exploring how effective and useful finance directors' relationship bank and its manager have been over the past few years.

The past few years have produced a bumper crop of relationship failures between banks and FDs. We look at the main causes of relationship stress. But while this may lead many FDs to grumble about their main relationship bank, it is rare that anyone actually switched providers. There are is a host of reasons why FDs feel it is too much trouble to switch, from a perception that banks are all the same, to fears that switching banks could complicate transactions or harm their business's access to credit.

The recession has given FDs ample reason to bemoan the support they get from their bank. Companies of all sizes have rebounded from the recession – but their relationship banks have only eased terms and fees for large clients, leading to a two-tier market.

Download the full report here