British Business Bank responds to NAO report on Bounce Back Loans

7th December 2021 Alternative Business Lending | #fraud

A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) says the Government only put basic anti-fraud checks on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) for small firms once more than £28 billion had already been paid out. The British Business Bank stepped up to deliver the Bounce Back Loan Scheme on behalf of Government to ensure…

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£28bn in Covid loans paid out before anti-fraud measures started

3rd December 2021 Alternative Business Lending | #fraud

A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) says the Government only put basic anti-fraud checks on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) for small firms once more than £28 billion had already been paid out. Checks to ensure that a company was not applying for more than one bounce back loan were not put…

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Recognise Bank appoints new MD of Commercial Banking

2nd December 2021 Appointments | #appointments

New SME lender Recognise Bank has appointed Ian Workman as its Managing Director (MD) of Commercial Banking. Workman joins from Barclays Bank where he spent the bulk of his 30-year career in financial services, the last five years of which he was Head of SME Banking Relationships in the UK. He will oversee Recognise Bank’s…

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Business confidence dips in November

1st December 2021 Business Lending | #economy

New analysis from Lloyds Bank has indicated that business confidence dipped by three points to 40% in November, although it remains above the annual average. Nine out of the 12 UK regions and nations saw confidence decline, with Wales, the South East and East of England the only places to register an increase in confidence.  The…

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Demand for consumer credit surges to £706m in October

Latest Bank of England data has shown that October saw a surge in credit card borrowing. Consumers borrowed a net additional £706 million last month, with new credit card borrowing accounting for £637 million of the credit, the largest amount of card borrowing since July last year. Between the start of the pandemic and April…

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Fifth of businesses unable to repay government-backed Covid borrowing

A fifth of UK businesses is unable to repay government-backed Covid borrowing according to business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves. The research also found that. a third of UK owner-managed businesses report lower cash reserves now than when going into the Covid pandemic The research published today in a report Shaping your future is based on…

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Bibby Financial Services announces new central London office opening plans

23rd November 2021 Business Lending |

independent invoice financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), is to open a new central London office as it looks to grow its support for SMEs and intermediaries in the South East of England. BFS’s new premises are located at 30 Crown Place in the heart of the City, between Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations. Speaking of…

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P2P loans increasing competition with traditional banking

European countries with stable and developed economies are leading in terms of consumer and business lending according to researchby Robocash. The complete digitalisation of the financing process becomes one of the most important advantages of Peer 2 Peer (P2P) loans compared to traditional banks. Germany leads in consumer lending among other European countries due to…

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Access to finance jeopardising job creation

Almost half of small businesses across the UK (49%) are relying on securing finance to help them fulfil their growth plans for the year ahead. After three consecutive quarters when small business outlook has remained unchanged (with 34% of business owners predicting growth), the new Business Barometer study from Hitachi Capital Business Finance suggests access…

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GB Bank appoints Chief Lending Officer

19th November 2021 Appointments |

GB Bank has announced the appointment of Neil Williams as its Chief Lending Officer. GB Bank recently announced it had secured its provisional banking licence making it the UK’s newest challenger bank. Positioned as the ‘go to bank’ for property developers in the North, GB Bank will address the shortage of funding required to get…

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Danske Bank reprimanded over Bounce Back loans

15th November 2021 Business Lending | #business lending

Danske Bank has been reprimanded by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the treatment of some small businesses applying for Coronavirus Bounce Back loans, having required up to 205 firms to open business accounts to access a loan. The CMA said this meant the firms faced new fees, warning that the practice restricts customer…

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United Trust Bank appoints Asset Finance Head of Sales

9th November 2021 Appointments |

United Trust Bank (UTB) has announced that it has appointed Astrid Michael as its new Head of Sales for its Asset Finance division following the retirement of Keith Sangwin earlier this year. Michael has worked in the Asset Finance industry for 20 years and is a highly experienced professional with a strong track record of…

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Asset finance grows by 6% in September

8th November 2021 Asset Finance | #asset

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 6% in September 2021 compared with the same month in 2020. In the nine months to September 2021, new business was 20% higher than in the same period in 2020. The…

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