Northern Rock

Northern Rock plc (former London Stock Exchange ticker symbol NRK) is a British bank, under public ownership from 2008. It is based at Regent Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England in the United Kingdom. Formerly the Northern Rock Building Society, the bank was formed in 1997 when the society floated on the London Stock Exchange.

Northern Rock Building Society was formed in 1965 as a result of the merger of Northern Counties Permanent Building Society (established in 1850) and Rock Building Society (established in 1865). During the 30 years that followed, Northern Rock expanded by acquiring 53 smaller building societies, most notably the North of England Building Society in 1994.

Along with many other UK building societies in the 1990s, Northern Rock chose to demutualise and float on the stock exchange, to be able to expand their business more easily. Throughout this period a concern against demutualisation was that the assets of a mutual society were built up by its members throughout its history, not just by current members, and that demutualisation was a betrayal of the community that the societies were created to serve. Northern Rock chose to address these concerns by founding the Northern Rock Foundation At its Stock Exchange flotation Northern Rock distributed shares to members who held savings accounts and mortgages. It joined the stock exchange as a minor bank and was expected to be taken over by one of its larger rivals, but it remained independent.

In 2000, Northern Rock gained promotion to the FTSE 100 Index, but was demoted back to the FTSE 250 in December 2007 and later suspended from the LSE due to the bank's nationalisation.

On 14 September 2007, during the financial crisis of 2007–2009, the Bank sought and received a liquidity support facility from the Bank of England following problems in the credit markets caused by the US subprime mortgage financial crisis.

At 00:01 on 22 February 2008 the bank was taken into state ownership . The nationalisation was a result of two unsuccessful bids to take over the bank, neither being able to fully commit to repayment of taxpayers' money The government-appointed Chairman Ron Sandler assumed the position on 18 February

Northern Rock is one of the top five mortgage lenders in the United Kingdom in terms of gross lending.

As well as mortgages, the bank also deals with savings accounts, loans and insurance. The company also promotes secured loans to its existing mortgage customers. The unsecured loans business is administered and underwritten by Ventura based in Leeds. Home and contents insurance is dealt with by AXA whilst Legal & General, whose mortgage book Northern Rock took over, arrange insurance and stock-market-based investments. Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) can be arranged with London-based Cardif Pinnacle.

In 2003, to free capital for its rapid growth in mortgage lending, the bank sold its credit card business to The Co-operative Bank for a profit of more than £7 million. Until November 2007 Northern Rock continued to sell credit cards under their own brand through The Co-operative Bank; the decision to stop was made before the 2007 crisis.

In 2006 the bank had moved into sub-prime lending via a deal with Lehman Brothers. Although the mortgages were sold under Northern Rock's brand through intermediaries, the risk was being underwritten by Lehman Brothers.