Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Bibby Financial Services’ (BFS) latest SME Confidence Tracker reveals that small businesses’ greatest wish for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey’s first Autumn Budget is to reduce the cost of doing business. SMEs’ wish-list for the Budget shows that reducing the cost burden is a number one priority. The data showed that a…
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Chief Executives (CEOs) of the UK’s biggest businesses are feeling much more upbeat about the growth prospects for their businesses than in 2025, ranking joint third globally, according to KPMG’s 2026 Global CEO Outlook. The findings of the annual KPMG survey represent the views of 1,400 CEOs, including 150 from some of the largest businesses…
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Applications by business owners for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) rose 62% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data from Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance. Applications were also 9% higher than in Q2, making Q3 2026 the second-busiest quarter recorded since 2021, behind only Q1 2026. The data is a measure…
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Business lending growth is forecast to more than halve from 5.3% last year to 2.1% this year, then rise modestly to 2.8% in 2027, according to a new EY UK Bank Lending Outlook analysis. Higher costs and economic uncertainty weigh on investment demand. From 2027, stronger spending on AI and wider digital technology is expected…
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New analysis by Purbeck Insurance of personal guarantee-backed small business loans shows how the rising cost of doing business over the past 18 months (notably the increase in National Insurance contributions) has led to an increase in the value of loans taken on by small business owners, outpacing the value of the family home in…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 2% in July 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, new business was 6% higher than in the same period last year. Growth was…
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Gross lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) hit £5.35 billion in the second quarter of this year, its highest level since the pandemic, UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review found. SME lending has shown growth for two and a half years, with gross lending more than 26 per cent higher than in the same…
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Bank lending to small businesses across Great Britain falls £27bn in three years, with nine in 10 postcode sectors receiving less finance. The data has revealed a sustained and widespread decline in high street bank lending to UK small businesses, with total outstanding SME credit falling to its lowest level in more than a decade.…
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A review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found no evidence that its regulation is a major barrier to SME access to finance. Many of the challenges identified relate to wider market, information and capability challenges. The review found that the challenges are often greatest for microbusinesses, which make up 95.5% of all SMEs…
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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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Flexible finance, including small business credit cards, remains the most frequently used type of borrowing among UK SMEs, according to the British Business Bank however, research by Purbeck has warned that most directors sign up for this everyday form of finance without realising it carries the same personal risk as a six-figure business loan. The…
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New figures published today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show its members provided £84.3 billion of new lending in the first half of 2026, 5% higher than in the same period last year, helping businesses invest, households make essential purchases and supporting economic growth across the UK. The figures underline the central role…
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Latest research from the Finance & Leasing Association for Q2 has shown an improvement in confidence across the finance and leasing industry, despite continued economic uncertainty. While most respondents (61%) still expected UK economic conditions to weaken over the next 12 months, this was down from 81% in Q1 2026. At the same time, the…
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