New Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposals which would give more SMEs the opportunity to refer disputes related to financial services firms to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) have been backed by experts from a debt services provider. The FCA recently launched a consultation on the issue of SME access to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)…
Read moreFollowing the launch of the Water Industry Registration Scheme – Accredited Entity (WIRSAE) in January 2018, Lloyd’s Register has awarded the scheme’s first accreditation to Engage Services.The accreditation means that Engage Services, specialist field visit agency, can now carry out temporary disconnections and reconnections for water meters up to 40mm in the non-domestic water sector direct…
Read moreThe Government has announced plans to improve the UK’s corporate governance framework to ensure the UK remains one of the best places to start and grow a business. The rules include: Directors selling companies recklessly to face tough new sanctions including fines and disqualification Creditors could have money returned to them by reversing inappropriate asset stripping…
Read moreThe Minister for Small Business says the collapse of Carillion must act as a catalyst to supporting small businesses, and prompt payment is a central part of the solution. Interviewed exclusively for ‘Credit Champions’, a news and current affairs-style programme created by The Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) and ITN Productions, Andrew Griffiths MP…
Read moreThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced proposals which would give more SMEs the opportunity to refer financial services disputes to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FCA recently launched a consultation on the issue of SME access to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) after highlighting that such businesses can often struggle to resolve financial…
Read moreProposed reforms that would allow high court enforcement officers and certificated enforcement agents to enforce small sum County Court Judgments and Consumer Credit Act judgments have been put to the Government in a joint industry submission. The joint submission by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) and the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) has been…
Read moreSME finance monitor shows only 41% of SMEs seeking finance were confident the bank would lend to them in Q4 2017. Nic Beishon, Head SME of Commercial at Equifax, said “There are millions of companies in the UK with fewer than 10 employees and many who apply for finance often have a limited credit history –…
Read moreThe Government has announced its commitment to end late payment culture as part of its Spring Statement. Responding to the news the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chairman Mike Cherry, said “The Chancellor has sent a clear message to UK boardrooms today by committing to ending the late payment crisis that destroys 50,000 businesses a year. We…
Read moreBusinesses in England and Wales faced the first rise in adverse County Court Judgements (CCJs) in eight years during 2017, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. In 2017, 105,633 CCJs were registered against businesses in England and Wales, up 30 percent on 2016 and the first year-on-year increase since 2009. The rate of…
Read moreThe Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), has announced the first three candidates to successfully attain their Level 2 Apprenticeship in Credit Control and Collections. The three successful apprentices, Bradley Abbott of Aggregate Industries UK, Ryan Coton of Adecco Group UK & Ireland and Lewis Pace of Smiths News were fully supported throughout the programme…
Read moreSmall businesses could be stung with £355 million of extra interest payments if rates rise by 0.25 percent, new research has claimed. The research by debt adviser Hadrian’s Wall Capital shows that SMEs would be liable for an extra £355 million in interest payments in the first year if rates increased by a quarter. If…
Read moreNew laws to help protect company directors from identity fraud and personal harm will be introduced by the Government. The new laws will enable company directors to remove their personal addresses from the UK’s official company register on Companies House. Directors must still provide their business address as a legal requirement. This comes in response…
Read moreJudge and Priestley LLP (J&P) has announced that it has recently gained Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation. This comes in addition to its traditional authorisation and regulation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The move to seek FCA authorisation came in response to increasing client demands for J&P Credit Solutions (J&P CS), the debt recovery…
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