Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
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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UK inflation fell to 3% in January, down from 3.4% in December, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was the lowest inflation figure since March last year. The change was partly driven by lower fuel prices, lower airfares and lower food prices. Core CPI (CPI excluding energy, food,…
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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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Listed companies in the FTSE Construction and Materials sector issued 18 profit warnings during 2025, more than three times the five warnings recorded in 2024 and the highest annual total since 2020 (33 warnings), according to an EY-Parthenon report. The data also reveals that a third (33%) of the sector’s listed firms issued at least…
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Small businesses across the UK are now operating under pressures comparable to and in some cases exceeding those experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a major new report published today by the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee. The Committee’s inquiry finds that while emergency support was rapidly mobilised during the pandemic, there…
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New global payment data analysis from Sidetrade is showing that late payments now account for 37% of the payment cycle. The data shows that businesses took an average of 51 days to get paid in 2025, composed of 32 days of contractual payment terms and 19 days of payment delay.The data indicates that short commercial…
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Rising tax and cost pressures forced more than one in five (21%) SME bosses to lay off staff last year, according to a survey commissioned by Rathbones. A targeted poll of more than 1,000 SME founders, owners and senior executives reveals a challenging landscape for business leaders, with cost pressures – including business rates and national…
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New data from Novuna Business Finance has revealed the first green shoots of a potentially new upward trend in small business growth forecasts. Following a worrying 18-month period since mid-2024, when the percentage of small businesses predicting growth fell for five-consecutive quarters, to a five-year low of 25%, January 2026 sees an upturn, with 27%…
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Latest Red Flag Alert research from Begbies Traynor has revealed a considerable 43.8% year-on-year increase in ‘critical’ financial distress in Q4 2025. Throughout 2025, UK businesses continued to grapple with a prolonged period of economic uncertainty, rising operating costs driven by inflation and higher wages, increased tax burdens, elevated interest rates, and weakened consumer demand. The persistence…
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Business confidence weakened this month over concerns about the global economic outlook, according to the latest Lloyds’ business barometer. The survey reported a net balance of 44% in January, down from 47 per cent in December, driven by a 14-point drop in businesses’ net economic optimism. However, businesses’ expectations for their own activity rose by…
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Trade credit insurer Atradius has issued a red flag to the motor industry as new data reveals a sharp rise in claims for unpaid and late invoices. Failed and late payment claims against automotive businesses, including OEMs, original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers and dealerships, have risen 78% year-on-year (Nov 2025). Claims across the wider transport sector,…
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