Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
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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Total like-for-like retail sales (in-store and online) grew by just +2.8% in July, compared to a base of +3.0% in July 2024, according to the latest High Street Sales Tracker from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO. Sales in bricks-and-mortar stores grew by just 0.8% compared to July 2024, delivering a result significantly below inflation and therefore…
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The percentage of small businesses working on new initiatives to power future growth has fallen to a four-year low (65%) and is significantly down on the start to the year (71% for Q1 2025), according to research from Novuna Business Finance. The tracking study of a representative sample of 1,000 small business owners also revealed…
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The Government has announced new plans to tackle late payments, which it says is part of the most significant legislative reform in 25 years. Late payment is an issue that costs the UK economy £11 billion a year and shuts down 38 businesses every day Late payments are one of the biggest barriers to small…
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Iwoca’s latest SME Expert Index reveals that the Government has hurt small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during its first year in power. The research showed that almost three-quarters (70%) of SME finance brokers say that conditions for small businesses have deteriorated during the Labour Government’s first year in office. The Government has made little progress…
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The Institute of Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leaders’ optimism in prospects for the UK economy, fell to -72 in July 2025 from -53 in June.This exceeds the previous record low of -69 in April 2020 and marks the lowest reading of the Index since its introduction in July 2016. Business leaders’ confidence…
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Firms across the private sector expect activity to fall in the next three months (weighted balance of -18%), extending a run of negative sentiment that began in late 2024, according to latest Confederation of British Industry research. The downturn is expected to be broad-based, with business volumes in the services sector set to decline (-19%),…
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The UK economy is projected to grow by 1% in 2025, surpassing earlier forecasts, which suggests that the economy would expand by just 0.8% according to an EY Item Club forecast. However, the EY ITEM Club Summer Forecast predicts that persistent uncertainty in the global economy and international trade policy, alongside tightening fiscal policy, a…
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Latest research by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has shown that that the rise of inflation has shaken consumer confidence. The data showed that consumer expectations over the next three months with the state of the economy worsening to -33 in July, down from -28 in June. Personal financial situation worsened to -7 in July, down from…
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New data from Atradius has shown that insurance claims rose in June, reversing the downward trend observed since the start of the year. Despite this uptick, several sectors are showing signs of recovery – highlighting the resilience of UK businesses amid ongoing economic uncertainty. Claims rose notably in: · Consumer durables – up 140% YoY,…
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UK-listed companies issued 59 profit warnings during Q2 2025, a 20% rise compared to the same period last year (49), according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. The leading factor behind profit warnings during the second quarter was policy change and geopolitical uncertainty, cited in nearly half (46%) of warnings. This marked a significant increase…
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British businesses are struggling to cover expenses, pay debts and invest in their businesses, as half have said cash flow is an issue for them (49%), with one in ten (10%) businesses admitting it is a significant issue, according to research from Shawbrook. 46% say their cash flow issues are primarily driven by an increase…
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