The car finance scandal could have ended up costing UK banks and lenders up to £44 billion in compensation payments. But after the latest court ruling, the expected bill has been reduced to less than £18 billion.
That still counts as an expensive loss of course. And it may or may not be enough to compensate the millions of motorists thought to have paid more than they needed to for car loans.
But as well as the financial hit taken by both sides, the whole affair has come at a great cost to the relationship between the public and the financial sector. An industry still grappling with trust issues has once again been accused of long-standing practices that cost consumers dear.
