Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
A Covid fraudster who bought a house in Huddersfield using Bounce Back Loan funds has been jailed. Mohammed Rashidzadeh appointed solicitors to help him buy a three-bedroom semi-detached house in the Almondbury area of the town just two days after receiving the £50,000 loan in June 2020. The 34-year-old also attempted to strike his Cozy…
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New research by challenger business, Allica Bank, has shown a sharp rise in broker confidence for the months ahead. Though just over 18% expressed concern for the next six months, over half (51.2%) of brokers said they had a positive outlook, a significant increase on Quarter 4, when confidence was just 24%. A further 30%…
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The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.0%. The MPC voted 7 to 2 in favour of the hold, with two dissenting member preferring to cut rates by 0.25% to 3.75%. Commenting on the MPC’s decision not to change the Bank Rate from 4.00%, George Lagarias, Chief Economist at…
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New data from Millbrook Business Finance has found that four in ten (35%) said access to affordable finance is one of their biggest challenges. The survey data asked SMEs what the single biggest challenge facing their business right now, with 14% highlighting rising operational costs, whilst 14% noted economic uncertainty, and 13% cited late payments. A…
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The owner of a scaffolding company who fraudulently obtained £100,000 in Covid loan funds has been ordered to repay the money in full, with interest of more than £15,000. Mark Degnan, repaid £55,608 before appearing at Leeds Crown Court on Monday 15 September where he was ordered to repay the remaining £59,578 within six months.…
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New research by Capital on Tap has found that 46% of business owners don’t have a business credit card, with 54% of consumers actively avoiding them For business owners, cash flow management is the main purpose of a credit card, with 80% highlighting this as their reason for use. Employee-related expenses such as payroll and…
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UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review shows that SME lending by the main high street banks increased by 8 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 to £4.24 billion, compared with the same period last year. Within this total, gross lending to small businesses (with a turnover of up to £2 million) increased the…
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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…
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Shawbrook has agreed to acquire alternative lender, ThinCats. The acquisition of ThinCats represents a strategic investment in accelerating the growth of Shawbrook’s existing presence in the specialist SME lending market. ThinCats will continue to operate as a separate brand with independent teams, and will maintain a distinct proposition for owner-managed and sponsor-backed businesses. Amany Attia,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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