UK plc borrowing rose for the eighth consecutive year in 2018/19, according to the latest Link Group UK plc Debt Monitor. Net debt (total borrowings less cash), jumped 5.8% to a new record of £443.2bn, even allowing for higher cash balances. Net debt has now risen by three quarters since the low point reached in…
The latest Aldermore Future Attitudes study has revealed that nearly a fifth (19%) of UK SMEs have missed a new opportunity in the past 12 months due to a lack of available funding. Medium-sized businesses are worst hit, with over a quarter (28%) saying they have been affected. The report, which surveyed over a thousand…
New research from Begbies Traynor, the UK’s leading independent insolvency firm, reveals there are now 484,000 UK businesses in significant financial distress with the property, leisure and tourism sectors particularly badly affected. The Red Flag Alert data for Q2 2019, which monitors the financial health of UK companies, found that 14% of all UK businesses…
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) for deals of up to £20 million grew by 6% in May, compared with the same month in 2018. New finance for plant and machinery and commercial vehicles both grew by 8% in May…
Paying upfront for a car is increasingly falling out of favour with UK drivers according to research from Close Brothers Motor Finance. In the past year, the proportion of drivers saying they will opt for finance, leasing or renting for their next car has increased by 15% (from 37% in 2018 to 43% now). While…
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 7% in April, compared with the same month in 2018. New business in the plant and machinery finance and business equipment finance sectors was up by 8% and 9% respectively, while commercial…
Seven in ten (70%) businesses that have attempted to raise capital have failed at least once, according to the new report from Smith & Williamson, the financial and professional services firm. Securing funding is often critical to helping businesses scale quickly and maximise their potential. However, it’s often not plain sailing. Two in five (39%)…
More than half of small business owners say they want more help managing their finances, with almost a third adding they have lost sleep over money matters as Brexit continues to dominate the UK economy according to a report funded by small business finance broker Funding Options. Fifty-one per cent of small firms said they “need…
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 9% in January, compared with the same month last year. The plant and machinery finance and IT equipment finance sectors reported new business growth in January of 26% and 45% respectively, compared…
Net lending to SMEs shrank to £500m last year, compared with £700m in 2017, according to a new report by the British Business Bank. The study also reveals a dramatic slowdown in the growth of alternative forms of funding, including peer-to-peer lending and asset finance. Lending through peer-to-peer platforms rose by 18% last year, compared…