(OFT) OFT to focus investigation into unarranged overdraft charges on three banks

The OFT has announced that it is to streamline its investigation into unarranged overdraft charges by focusing on the terms of three banks in particular. The aim is to progress the case in the shortest and most efficient way possible.

The OFT believes that the terms of the three selected banks provide the best representative selection of all the banks' unarranged overdraft charging terms, and therefore the outcome of this more focused investigation will be relevant to the assessment of other banks' terms.

The investigation will concentrate initially on the charging terms of Lloyds TSB, HSBC and Clydesdale. The OFT has written to all the banks under investigation to outline this decision.

It should not be assumed that the OFT is more or less likely to find the terms of these banks' unfair than those of the other banks. The investigation into the other banks' terms is merely on hold and the OFT has stressed that no banks' terms have been given a clean bill of health.

The OFT expects to reach final conclusions on fairness later this year.