Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Nearly 40% of commercial mortgage brokers have reported an increase in applications in the second half of 2025, while a further 30% said applications remained stable, pointing to resilient momentum despite a challenging economic backdrop, according to new research by Allica. Rising demand was driven primarily by businesses seeking to purchase their own premises (44%),…
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A bounce in services sector activity pushed UK business output to its highest level in a year, according to the latest Business Trends report from accountancy and advisory firm BDO. BDO’s Output Index, which measures activity across key sectors in the UK economy, increased to 98.80 in February, up from 97.67 the previous month. This…
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New research from Paragon Bank has shown that SMEs are rapidly adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), with half of businesses (50%) saying they are likely to replace some staff roles with AI or other technology‑based solutions. One in four (24%) SME leaders have no plans to reduce headcount through AI, while the remainder remain uncertain about…
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The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism about prospects for the UK economy, dropped back to -63 in February 2026, from -48 in January. Business leaders’ confidence in their own organisations also fell, to +1 in February from +14 in January. There were also declines in many of the underlying indicators,…
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Late payments are forcing an estimated 14,000 businesses to close every year, equivalent to 38 closures every single day, as cash-strapped firms struggle to survive unpaid invoices, according to new analysis from Funding Circle. Construction is the sector most exposed, with over 2,100 firms estimated to have closed in 2024 due to delayed payments, driven by…
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Barclays has published new policy recommendations urging the UK government to take further action to support the nation’s exporters, particularly smaller businesses. The analysis draws on proprietary data covering current and potential future exporters, alongside the bank’s own in‑house expertise and long-standing experience supporting UK firms trading internationally. This work comes at a time when…
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Late payments are increasingly undermining the stability of UK SMEs, threatening payroll, job security and growth potential, according to new research by Bibby Financial Services (BFS), with the data showing that late payments from customers prevented more than two-fifths (42%) of SMEs from paying staff salaries on time in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, nearly…
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More than three in four small business owners (78%) say business worries keep them awake at night – as concerns over economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainty reach a record high (52%) – according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. Compared to the position two-years ago, the biggest rises in business owner concerns related to…
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Latest data from Barclays has revealed diverging behaviour, with larger firms increasing longer-term lending and smaller firms relying more on shorter-term liquidity financing in the last quarter of 2025. While economic uncertainty remains the greatest challenge businesses are facing, confidence in the UK is resilient. Six in ten (58 per cent) back the home market…
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Following growth of 6.9% (net) in 2025, bank-to-business lending is forecast to slow to 3.5% (net growth) this year, as global and economic headwinds impact business confidence and reduce investment demand, according to the latest EY ITEM Club Bank Lending Forecast. While falling interest rates helped boost business lending last year to the highest level since…
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The British Retail Consortium (BRC) latest survey of retail CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) and Finance Directors reveals a sharp rise in anxiety about labour costs over the next year. These concerns have shot up the agenda since the start of the implementation of the Employment Rights Act, which became law in January. With weak wage…
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The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is sounding a warning shot ahead of a looming cost crunch in April that could push many small firms to breaking point. In less than two months, rising energy bills, business rates hikes, spiralling employment costs and changes to Statutory Sick Pay will all rise at a record pace,…
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More than half (58%) of finance brokers cite increased running costs as small business owners’ biggest concern, according to iwoca’s latest SME Expert Index. This represents a 10-point increase from 48% in Q3 2025 and is the highest level recorded since iwoca’s SME Expert Index began tracking this question in Q4 2022, highlighting the intensifying…
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