Asset finance new business grew by 3% in July

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in July 2025 grew by 3% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the seven months to July 2025, new business was 1% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…

Read more

Commercial mortgage applications increase by 48.5%

Latest data from Allica Bank has revealed that 48.5% of brokers have seen an increase in applications over the past six months. That’s up from 40% in Q4 2024, and comes despite a period marred by global uncertainty, trade tensions, high costs, and the introduction of higher employer National Insurance contributions. Only 20.3% of brokers…

Read more

Three in five brokers submit SME finance applications to alternative lenders

Almost two-thirds (61%) of SME finance brokers report submitting over half of their loan applications to alternative lenders in the last four weeks, according to research by Iwoca. Iwoca says that the shift underlines a change in business attitudes, with demand for modern, tailored financial solutions now outpacing traditional banking options. Speed of decision-making is…

Read more

Bank of England cuts interest rate to 4% – business industry reaction

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4%, with the cut from 4.25% marking the fifth reduction since August 2024. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 5:4 for a cut. One voted for a 0.5% cut and four voted for rates to be held. Responding to the news, Federation of…

Read more

Asset finance grows by 1%

7th August 2025 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in June 2025 grew by 1% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the first half of 2025, new business was also 1% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…

Read more

Asset finance new business holds steady

Latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in May 2025 was at a similar level to the same month in 2024.  In the first five months of 2025, new business was 1% higher than in the same period in 2024.…

Read more

SME loans for working capital fall by 24%

Latest data from Purbeck Insurance Services has found SME loans for working capital fell 24% in Quarter 1 (Q1) 2025.  The number of SMEs needing finance to keep their business on an even keel has not been this low since Q3 2024, based on Purbeck’s data. In contrast, refinancing deals grew dramatically year on year…

Read more

North West businesses see spike in demand for SME funding

Online businesses in the North West are securing much larger advances than their southern counterparts, reflecting the region’s growing digital economy and the impact of regional investment in tech hubs. The median advance approved for online businesses in the North West of the country has now increased by 483% year-on-year, to an amount of £175,000…

Read more

Asset finance fell by 7% in April

18th June 2025 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell in April 2025 by 7% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the first four months of 2025, new business was 2% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…

Read more

SME lending hit £4.6bn in Q1

Lending to small businesses by high street banks hit the highest level since 2022, a sixth consecutive quarterly rise in the opening three months of 2025. UK Finance data showed that lenders issued £4.6 billion worth of loans in Quarter 1 (Q1), with this a 14% year-on-year jump. This represents a 14 per cent increase…

Read more

2025 Credit & Collections Industry Award winners revealed

The winners of the 2025 Credit & Collection Industry Awards have been announced following a live in-person event yesterday (Thursday 22nd May) at the Milner Hotel in York There were eighteen winners (four of which were partnership wins) from the twenty awards categories, which were presented by awards compare’ Brennan Reece. The Credit & Collections…

Read more

80% of SME owners are concerned about inflation and the cost of living

Nearly eight in ten (78%) of SMEs are worried about inflation and the cost of living, according to Shawbrook’s latest research amongst senior decision makers, an increase from 69% in 2024. SMEs are particularly concerned about the rising cost of running their business (76%), with three quarters (75%)  of decision makers listing economic uncertainty a…

Read more

Percentage of small businesses that rely on finance hits eight year high

The percentage of small businesses that rely on finance or funding to invest in business growth has reached an eight-year high, and those most in need of it are the enterprises predicting significant expansion for the months ahead, according to new research by Novuna Business Finance. The nationwide poll of 1,242 small business owners revealed…

Read more

1 2 3 34