The mutual also remains committed to its high street presence

Swansea Building Society has reported a rise in total assets while maintaining healthy profit levels. The mutual has continued to grow despite an uncertain economic environment and increased competition within the savings market.

For its 2025 (calendar) financial year its total assets increased by £21.4m to £715.1m. Its savings balances increased by £16.6m to £663.9m. Mortgage balances grew by £46.8m to £576.9m, driven by gross mortgage completions of £117.5m during the year. Mortgage arrears remained low at just 0.33% of total mortgage balances.

It posted a pre-tax profit of £6.2m (2024: £6.3m). This increased its capital reserves by £4.6m to £49.1m. Maintaining strong capital reserves is vitally important to the Society as it provides greater financial strength and ensures it can continue to support members in achieving their financial goals.

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The society’s balance sheet is funded entirely by customer savings balances and its own capital reserves built up from retained profits over many years

Last year saw the mutual launching a new mobile banking app and introduced the ability for members to open savings accounts online for the first time. It also acquired premises in Abergavenny with a view to opening a new branch, and secured larger premises in Carmarthen.

Its chief executive, Alun Williams, said: “The society has continued to meet the needs of both savers and borrowers while delivering another strong set of results. Our continued growth in mortgage lending, savings balances and total assets has further strengthened the foundations of the society and ensures that we remain well positioned to support members in achieving their home ownership and savings goals.

“During 2025 the Bank of England base interest rate reduced from 4.75% at the start of the year to 3.75% by the end of December. While this easing provided some relief for borrowers, we remained mindful that many households were still facing affordability pressures and we continued to take a careful and supportive approach to lending.

“The economic conditions have meant that the Society’s flexible lending policy has remained in high demand, and the society exceeded its gross lending targets for the year. At the same time, our mortgage book has continued to show great resilience, with arrears remaining extremely low at just 0.33% of total mortgage balances.

“One of the society’s key aims is to help savers reach their financial goals and to deliver sustainable returns over their long relationship with us. During 2025 the savings market became considerably more competitive, however, we remained focused on offering fair and competitive returns to savers while carefully managing the society’s margins to ensure long-term financial sustainability.”

Mr Williams said it remains committed to its branch network, with an objective of opening and not closing branches.

He added: “During the year we acquired premises in Abergavenny with a view to opening a new branch, and we also secured larger premises in Carmarthen to support the continued growth of our presence in West Wales.

“The society’s future remains very bright. With a strong capital base, a high-quality mortgage book and a clear strategic focus, we are well positioned to continue supporting our members and communities while delivering sustainable growth in the years ahead.”

The mutual will hold its annual general meeting at the Swansea.com Stadium on April 23.

FIRST ON FOX: The origins of a fraud-fighting technology now used by one of the world’s largest insurers trace back to a deadly insider attack during the Iraq War.

Clearspeed founder Alex Martin was serving in the Marine Corps. when his close friend, Capt. Warren Frank, was killed by an Iraqi soldier who turned his weapon on American forces during a joint patrol. The Iraqi had passed coalition vetting procedures.

“Warren met his future wife at my house,” Martin recalled to FOX Business. “Learning he’d been killed by an Al-Qaeda infiltrator we’d brought into his formation – it shook me. I couldn’t accept that insider attack as inevitable.”

So-called “green-on-blue” attacks, in which supposedly vetted local forces turned on coalition troops, became one of the Global War on Terror’s most vexing threats. Between 2008 and 2017, such incidents killed more than 150 coalition service members in Afghanistan alone.

“I became obsessed with our vetting process and realized our traditional playbook simply couldn’t keep pace with the operational tempo, language barriers and risks of counterinsurgency warfare,” Martin said.

The company counts the Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence agencies among its customers. (iStock)

His solution was to flip the model: quickly establish trust for the majority who posed no threat, while focusing expert scrutiny on the small fraction requiring deeper review.

After leaving active duty, Martin partnered with Stanford professor Charles Holloway to develop a voice-based vetting tool designed to quickly assess risk across languages and high-stakes environments.

The company’s first major customer was U.S. Special Operations Command. In 2018, Clearspeed screened 715 Afghan commando recruits in less than 20 hours – a process that would normally take months. Several individuals flagged as high-risk later deserted.

The success attracted investment from retired Gen. David Petraeus, the former CIA director and commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company has since raised $110 million and counts the Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence agencies among its customers.

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Now, the technology is being used beyond the battlefield.

Insurance giant Allianz recently disclosed it identified more than £92.6 million (about $115 million) in fraudulent claims during the first half of 2025, with executives crediting voice-screening technology from San Diego-based Clearspeed as central to its fraud detection strategy.

Clearspeed is a voice-based vetting platform originally developed for U.S. military use. During an automated phone call, individuals answer a short series of yes-or-no questions while the system analyzes vocal characteristics in real time.

It flags potential risk indicators for human review, allowing low-risk respondents to move through quickly while directing additional scrutiny to higher-risk cases.

“We needed to make our organization a really hostile place for people to try to commit fraud,” Allianz Chief Claims Officer Matt Cox said at an industry conference in London, according to InsurancePOST. “Technologies such as Clearspeed have given us the opportunity, for the first time, to dial up that disruption.”

President Donald Trump has made countering fraud a hallmark of his administration. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The move comes as insurers face what analysts describe as an escalating “arms race” with fraudsters, many of whom now use artificial intelligence and digital tools to perpetrate fraud. A Deloitte study predicted generative AI could help drive U.S. fraud losses as high as $40 billion next year.

The growing commercial adoption has also drawn attention in Washington.

Clearspeed has been engaging policymakers about deploying the technology to combat benefits fraud and strengthen screening processes, according to people familiar with the discussions. The company spent about $272,500 on federal lobbying in 2025, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.

The push comes amid growing political pressure to crack down on fraud in federal programs. In January, the administration announced a new Department of Justice division focused on national fraud enforcement targeting fraud against federal programs and private citizens.

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Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., a former Army Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, said his combat experience shapes how he evaluates emerging technologies.

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., takes his seat for a House subcommittee hearing on Feb. 24, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc via Getty Images)

“During my time in the Special Forces, I saw firsthand how advanced technology saves lives and gives us a decisive edge,” Harrigan told FOX Business. “My priority in Congress is making sure we identify the most effective tools and put them to work for our troops and taxpayers.”

Harrigan said he has met with Clearspeed and is exploring ways the technology could help protect warfighters and reduce fraud.

“The fact that the world’s largest insurer turned to American military technology to solve its fraud problem tells you everything about how powerful these tools are,” he said. “If they can help Allianz identify nearly $100 million in fraud, imagine what they could do for the American people – whether that’s cracking down on benefits fraud, vetting visa applicants or securing our border.”

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., said technologies that strengthen fraud detection and vetting could play a role in broader border security efforts.

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“As President Trump continues delivering on his promise to make America safe again, we must ensure law enforcement has access to the most reliable and efficient tools available,” Fry told FOX Business. “Technologies like this could help combat fraud at our border, strengthen visa vetting and keep our country secure.”

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For Martin, the growing interest from insurers and policymakers alike represents a continuation of a mission that began years ago on the battlefield.

“We built this because lives were on the line,” he said. “Putting that same technology to work protecting taxpayers and making our country safer is exactly the mission we’re here to serve.”

The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has stretched into its sixth week with authorities reporting no significant breakthroughs but emphasizing that the investigation remains highly active and targeted.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen entering her Catalina Foothills home on the evening of Jan. 31, 2026, after a family dinner. She was reported missing Feb. 1 after failing to appear for a virtual church service. Pima County Sheriff’s Office investigators quickly determined she was taken against her will, classifying the case as an abduction. Drops of blood found on the front porch and inside the residence supported the conclusion that foul play occurred.

As of March 13, 2026—Day 41 of the search—Sheriff Chris Nanos reiterated that the case is “targeted” and that detectives are “definitely closer” to identifying those responsible. In a recent update, Nanos highlighted the processing of thousands of hours of surveillance footage by an elite FBI team at Quantico, describing video review as a cornerstone of the probe. The FBI has amassed up to 10,000 hours of video from neighborhood cameras, traffic systems, and other sources, with analysis ongoing to reconstruct timelines and identify vehicles or individuals.

A damaged utility box near the home remains under scrutiny, potentially linked to a reported internet outage that disrupted nearby surveillance cameras around the time of the disappearance. Investigators are examining whether the damage was intentional to obscure evidence. Forensic testing on physical evidence, including shoe casts and DNA, continues, though no results have been publicly released.

The family has maintained a $1 million reward—offered in cash—for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery, supplementing the FBI’s $200,000 offer ($100,000 from an anonymous donor). Savannah Guthrie, her sister Annie, and brother Camron have issued repeated emotional pleas via social media and video statements, expressing unwavering hope while acknowledging the agony of uncertainty. In late February, Savannah posted a video saying the family still believes in a miracle but needs proof of life or credible leads.

Savannah Guthrie returned to the “Today” set briefly on March 5, visiting colleagues off-camera before resuming her New York-based duties. She and her sister were spotted at their mother’s home in early March, interacting with a makeshift memorial of notes, flowers, and support messages left by community members. The family has cooperated fully with investigators and been publicly cleared of any involvement.

The case has drawn widespread attention due to Savannah Guthrie’s prominence, leading to speculation, unverified ransom claims, and hoax notes. Authorities dismissed at least one purported ransom demand as fraudulent, charging an individual with attempting to exploit the situation. A resurfaced 2013 “Today” segment featuring Nancy Guthrie inside her home has prompted discussion about whether it inadvertently revealed layout details useful to perpetrators.

Retired FBI agents and analysts have weighed in on potential leads. One suggested examining a recent Arizona home invasion tied to cryptocurrency theft, urging investigators to pursue any overlap. Others noted the possibility of a targeted crime but cautioned against assuming celebrity connection as motive. Sheriff Nanos has described the abduction as targeted but not definitively linked to Savannah Guthrie’s fame, while expressing concern that the perpetrator could strike again if not apprehended.

Community efforts include prayers at local churches and support banners. Proposals for additional searches, such as by volunteer groups, were reportedly declined due to operational priorities. Cadaver dog deployments have been limited in recent weeks, with focus shifting to digital and forensic leads.

Experts on missing persons cases note that prolonged abductions involving the elderly often involve complex motives, and the lack of proof of life since early February heightens concerns. However, officials stress the investigation is far from cold, with viable leads still under active pursuit. The Pima County Sheriff’s tip line and FBI hotline continue receiving submissions, and authorities urge anyone with even minor information to contact them.

As the search presses on, the Guthrie family clings to faith and hope amid national sympathy. No confirmed sightings or major developments have emerged in recent days, but investigators maintain optimism that persistent work on evidence and tips will yield answers.

The case underscores challenges in high-profile abductions: balancing public pressure with investigative secrecy, managing speculation, and sustaining momentum in a prolonged effort. For now, the plea remains simple and urgent: Bring Nancy home.