Low rates don't dent debt mountain - 2004-03-01
Consumers continue to rack up debt despite higher interest rates and repeated warnings from the Bank of England about people overextending themselves.

Reflecting renewed strength in the housing market, mortgage lending also picked up, rising by £8.7bn against £8.3bn the previous month.
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HSBC announces record profits - 2004-03-01
Banking conglomerate HSBC has declared annual pre-tax profits of $12.8 billion (£6.83 billion), up 33 per cent higher from $9.65 billion a year earlier.

But it also made clear that it did well in the UK, with its British customers taking up more residential mortgages and non-mortgage personal lending.
Read the full story at itv.com