The Bank

Episode
A Matter of Life and Debt - Ep3
Broadcast Info
2015 (59 mins)
Description
Filmed over a year with the straight-talking staff and customers of one branch of NatWest, in West Yorkshire, this series lays bare the thorny relationship between us, the bank and our money.
Back from maternity leave, young bank manager Clare Atkinson needs to focus her team on lending money to customers, whether it’s for a new car, a new home or cosmetic surgery.
We’re borrowing more than ever before in Britain; household debt now totals £1.47 trillion. Brian and Elizabeth need a loan to pay off £26,000 they’ve spent on seven credit cards. Farid, who came to Britain from Afghanistan aged 17, wants a small mortgage to buy his council flat. And John wants a loan of half a million pounds for his luxury housing development.
Clare’s branch of NatWest in Huddersfield has an annual profit target to hit and in six months the bank will announce whether or not it’s made a profit for the first time since the banking crash, seven years ago.
Mortgage advisor Gary is trying to drum up new business with a giant coffee cup while customer advisor Richard is trying to take his own advice, stop over-spending and resist the temptation of buying a remote controlled drone on Ebay.
The final episode of this series - with unique, behind the scenes access to a high street bank and its customers - looks at how we borrow money and how banks lend it.

Will Claire and her team help bring the bank into profit for the first time in years? The bank needs to lend money to make money, but why do we borrow so much?
Genre
Business Studies; Banking

How to cite this record

The Open University, "The Bank". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/218923 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)