Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) has appointed two broker members to its board as Non-Executive Directors. Tom Perkins, Director and Co-Founder of Charles & Dean, and Evette Orams, Managing Director of Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions, have joined the NACFB board. NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham said “Having individuals of Evette’s and Tom’s calibre join…
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More than half of companies are planning to raise prices in the next three months as they face rising costs and taxes pressures according British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Following the Budget, concern about taxation is now cited by 63% of responding firms, up from 48% in Q3. This is the highest level of tax…
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The Institute of Directors (IoD) Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism about the UK economy, crept up to -61 in December 2024 from -65 in November. The rise represents the fourth-lowest reading of the index since its introduction in July 2016. Business leader confidence in their own organisations also rose to +8 in December, from…
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Most businesses are optimistic about their prospects for 2025, with new surveys indicating plans for growth despite lingering economic challenges. According to Lloyds Bank’s monthly survey of 1,200 businesses revealed that about 70% expect their turnover to rise in the coming year, an increase from 62% recorded in December 2023. Additionally, 73% of respondents expressed…
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Business confidence in the UK has fell to its lowest level at the end of 2024, dropping two points to 39%, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. Despite the fall, 55% of businesses expressed optimism about the broader economy, with nearly two-thirds anticipating stronger output. However, 19% of respondents plan to reduce their workforce,…
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New research from R3 shows that in November, the number of overdue invoices in Northern Ireland fell to a 2024 low. The restructuring body’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows that businesses in Northern Ireland had 62,544 unpaid invoices on their books last month – the lowest monthly total in 2024. Overdue invoices in…
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The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.75%. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6 to 3 in favour of holding rates flat, with three members preferring to cut rates by 0.25% to 4.5% Commenting on the decision, Anna Leach, Chief Economist of the Institute of Directors, said…
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New research by Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), in a survey of 200 professional Credit Managers, has shown that more than four out of five (81%) say their organisations have experienced fraud this year with two out of five (40%) saying the frequency of attempted frauds has increased. The most common frauds relate to…
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Latest ONS data has shown that year-on-year inflation rose to 2.6% in November, up from 2.3% in October, rising for the second month in a row. Year-on-year core Inflation (excluding food and energy) rose to 3.5% in November, up from 3.3% in October whilst , month-on-month inflation rose by 0.1% in October, down from 0.6%…
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The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is calling for ‘real consequences’ to help address the ‘endemic culture’ of late payment within the UK construction industry. The NFRC’s latest State of the Roofing Industry report has revealed that 45% of respondents experienced delays getting paid in quarter three of 2024. The proportion of those not…
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A review by the Lending Standards Board (LSB) of its registered firms’ application of the Standards of Lending Practice for business customers has identified 102 areas where action has been needed to bring firms into compliance with the Standards’ requirements. The business standards set the best practice framework for SME lending and are the only…
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New research from SME lender ThinCats shows significant confidence in growth but an even split for those believing the Government is creating the right environment. The research which was conducted after the Chancellor’s Budget among more than 2000 UK SMEs shows that 81% of businesses are confident that their business would grow next year. Confidence…
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New research by by Sidetrade and PwC France and Maghreb hs found that 80% of companies are investing in Artifical Intelligence (AI) to improve cash flow despite budget cuts. The research revealed a significant shift in investment and renewed boldness within the finance function, driven by a sharpened emphasis in 2024 on cash flow generation…
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