Bailed-out RBS offer free coffee and cash to Americans

By Michael MacLeod

ROYAL Bank of Scotland is dishing out free dollars and drinks at Dunkin Donuts to its American customers – while going cap-in-hand to the UK Government asking for more bail-out cash.

The financial giant owns USA-based Citizens Bank and Charter One Bank, which are currently offering $220 (£120) to anyone who opens a new account.

Citizens Bank has even opened a branch in a Boston Dunkin Donuts outlet, offering a month-long free coffee subscription with new accounts.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance hit out at the “super gold-plating” of American customers.

They claimed it was “insulting” to offer the sweeteners to American customers while UK taxpayers’ money is being used to prop up RBS.

Edinburgh embraces shock jobs boom for financial workers

by Shaun Milne

SCOTLAND’S beleaguered financial markets are celebrating a shock jobs boom.

There are currently now more financial job vacancies being advertised in Edinburgh than since the recession first hit the banking capital late last year.

The city has suffered more than most as bank staff and those from related finance industries found themselves out of work because of the credit crunch.

Economic analysts feared the concentrated cluster of financial institutions – such as RBS and Bank of Scotland – could see Edinburgh experience a crash in confidence.

But newly released data shows that from the 2972 vacancies advertised through local job centres, some 1464 of them – 49 per cent – were in the finance industry.