Economic Insight Overview

Thought-leadership and ideas for all of our decision-makers and customers from our team of experts. We provide economic commentary, thought-leadership and insight for the business, as well as customers, the media and other interested parties. We support strategic decision-making, credit and risk management and business development activities and bring ideas, value and confidence to the business.

  1. Chief Economist's Weekly Brief
  2. UK Economy Insight
  3. World Economy Insight
  4. Meet the team
  5. Databank
  1. UK recession - they think it's all over...?

    It looks like the UK recession is at an end, but what sort of recovery should we expect? David Fenton, Head of Microeconomics tells us more.

    5th October 2009
    Read a transcript of David 's comments

    View the archived transcripts from previous videos
    View our Thorsten Fischer video.

    It looks like the UK recession is at an end, but what sort of recovery should we expect? David Fenton, Head of Microeconomics tells us more.

    5th October 2009
    Read a transcript of David 's comments

    View the archived transcripts from previous videos

MPC Decision Commentary

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) keeps the Bank Rate unchanged at 0.5%
Comment from Stephen Boyle, Head of RBS Group Economics:
"There is no "plan B". The UK economy is still in the High Dependency Unit, but without QE it might have been in Intensive Care, or worse. The extension of the Bank's asset purchase scheme today reminds us that the risks of doing too little considerably outweigh the risks of doing too much."

Recent presentations

We have specialists in macroeconomics, business economics, emerging markets and research. They are focused on understanding economic trends and what they mean for us - and our customers - in the different markets and locations we operate in. Read our recent presentations below:

Scotland in the Global Economy (ppt 396KB)
Stirling, August 2009
Authors: Stephen Boyle, Head of Group Economics, and David Fenton, Head of Micro Economics (Read biographies)

Green Shoots or Weeds (ppt 957KB)
Norway, September 2009
Author: Robert Gardner, Head of Macroeconomics (Read biography)

The Great Recession: they think it's all over? (ppt 131KB)
Bolton, Chester & Manchester, October 2009
Author: David Fenton, Head of Microeconomics (Read biography)

The Weekly Brief

Your one page digest of the previous week's main economic news.

View the Group Chief Economist's Weekly Brief

UK Economy Insight

Get the latest reports on the macroeconomy, forecasts and updates on interest rate, exchange rates and more.

View Our UK Economy Insight