Banks will be forced to ring-fence savers' cash from their risky casino-style investment arms to protect deposits and avoid a run like that which brought down Northern Rock in 2007.
The motor insurance market is today facing an investigation by the Competition Commission after a report found the market was "dysfunctional" and may be pushing up premiums by £225 million a year.
The double-dip recession is deeper than originally feared, with revised figures today showing a sharper decline in the economy in the first three months of 2012.
Vulnerable borrowers could be better protected against payday loan companies, after lenders agreed to improve their codes of practice under Government pressure.
The Government was given some welcome good news on the jobs front today when unemployment fell by 45,000 and the number of dole claimants dipped for the second month in a row.