The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has warned that the growth of new lending to already indebted firms, through leveraged-loans, has parallels to the subprime mortgage boom which ended with the global financial crisis in 2008. Minutes from the FPC’s latest meeting also reveal warnings over the rise in loans with weaker covenants…
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed plans to extend access to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The changes will mean that SMEs with an annual turnover below £6.5m and fewer than 50 employees, or an annual balance sheet below £5m will now be able to refer unresolved…
A third of the 1.1 million UK SMEs with EU suppliers would be unable to operate without imports from the bloc, according to the latest SME Confidence Tracker from independent financial services provider, Bibby Financial Services (BFS). The research news comes as a potential ‘no-deal’ Brexit threatens to disrupt trade between the UK and EU, and…
Rivers Finance Group, holding company of Rivers Leasing has been named in the Financial Times (FT) Future 100 UK, which lists the fast-growing companies making an impact on their industry or wider society.. The ranking comes months after Rivers Leasing was featured for the second consecutive year in the FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies. Launched…
UK Finance has released its latest Business Finance update for July 2018 which has revealed that lending to manufacturers grew by 7.4 per cent in the last 12 months, in contrast to a wider 2.1 per cent contraction overall in UK business borrowing. UK business deposits for non-financial companies grew by 1.5 per cent in…
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) overall grew in July by 8% compared with the same month last year. New business for deals of up to £20 million increased by 10% over the same period. The IT equipment finance and…
The Government-backed Bank Referral Scheme since the scheme which was launched in November 2016 means that small businesses have been able to source more than £15 million in funding. The scheme allows small businesses rejected by high street lenders to source alternative finance through the referral scheme. The scheme has enable financial support to nearly 19,000 small…
UK Finance has published its July Business Finance update indicating that lending to manufacturers grew by 7.1 per cent in the last 12 months, in contrast to a wider 2.2 per cent contraction overall in UK business borrowing. Whilst K business deposits for non-financial companies grew by 1.9 per cent in the last 12 months. Commenting…
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell in June by 3% compared with the same month in 2017, but grew by 5% in the second quarter of 2018 as a whole. The commercial vehicle finance and IT equipment finance sectors…
Small firms are finding it increasingly costly to raise new finance, according to the latest research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The findings were announced ahead of a Bank of England (BoE) decision to raise interest rates to 0.75% Four in ten (42%) small firms describe new credit as ‘unaffordable’ in Q3 2018,…