Mortgage borrowing and approvals fall

Latest Bank of England data shows mortgage approvals fell to 56,100 in July, down from 58,215 in June and below the six-month average of 60,800, as higher borrowing costs weighed on housing demand. The figure was below the average of around 60,800 over the previous six months. Approvals for remortgaging increased to 34,500 from 34,100,…

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42% of small firms have been paid late over the past 12 months

Latest data from Enterprise Nation has shown that 42% of small firms have been paid late during the past 12 months, compared with a range of 24% to 34% through 2023 and 2024. Among businesses employing staff, the incidence of late payment has more than doubled since summer 2024. The report also cites Small Business…

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Parents give children £403 a year in pocket money

New research by Confused.com has found that 66% currently give their child regular pocket money. A further 8% have done so in the past and 19% plan to start in the future. Among parents who currently give or previously gave pocket money and provided an amount, the most common weekly payment is £5 to £9.99…

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Economy outlook remains uncertain

The latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Economic Forecast suggests the outlook for the UK will remain uncertain. While the economy was more resilient in Q2 than expected, higher energy and business costs are likely to keep growth weak this year and next.    GDP is anticipated to grow by 1% in 2026, which is only…

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Shop price inflation reaches two year high

Shop price inflation accelerated to 1.5% in August from 0.9% in July, reaching its highest level in two years, according to British Retail Consortium figures. The data shoed that food inflation rose to 2.8% from 2.2%, with ambient food prices climbing 2.5% as higher energy, commodity and input costs increasingly filtered through supply chains. Fresh…

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Households take £2,400 financial hit from Iran war

Households will have suffered a £2,400 financial hit, on average, from the Iran war by the end of 2027 according to new analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) calculating that there has been  jump in inflation since the conflict began, and weaker wage growth, will knock £1,100 off the real income…

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Business optimism rises

The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism about the UK economy’s prospects, rose to -49 in August, from -63 in July 2026. Conversely, business leaders became slightly less optimistic about the prospects for their own organisations, with confidence falling to -5, from -2 in July. Most of the survey’s underlying indicators…

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Intrum appoints new Managing Director 

1st September 2026 Appointments | #appointments

Credit management firm Intrum UK has announced that it has appointed Phil McGilvray as its new Managing Director (MD). McGilvray has a career in financial services leadership spanning more than 25 years. He will take the UK business into its next stage of development as the company expands its market-leading financial services offering. McGilvray was…

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Government introduces secondary legislation regulating bailiff firms

The Government has announced it will be introducing secondary legislation which will place all bailiff firms under the purview of the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), the existing voluntary regulator for the sector. The ECB was formed in 2022 to provide oversight for the enforcement sector, after years of campaigning from advice organisations. Individual bailiff firms…

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Renters face £419,000 bill in retirement

Rents are expected to more than double over the next 20 years, taking the total cost of renting in retirement to around £419,000, according to new analysis from Standard Life.  This is set to place significant pressure on retirement incomes, with renters facing materially higher financial requirements than those who own their homes outright. The analysis…

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Asset finance growth hit 15% in June

28th August 2026 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 15% in June 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In the first half of 2026, new business was 7% higher than in the same period last year. Growth was broad-based…

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Consumer car finance grows by 7%

28th August 2026 Consumer Lending | #car finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes grew by 7% in June 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. The corresponding value of new business was 11% higher over the same period. In the first half of 2026, new business volumes grew by…

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Second charge mortgages grow by 9%

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) have shown that second charge mortgage new business volumes  grew by 9% in June 2026 Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer Finance & Mortgages and Inclusion the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said…

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