Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%. Commenting on the latest update from the Bank of England, Neil Rudge, Chief Banking Officer for Commercial at Shawbrook, said “The Bank of England has chosen to keep the base rate frozen in the final decision of the tax…
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Almost half of businesses (48%) are deferring capital expenditure until after the Spring Budget according to research by Bibby Financial Services (BFS). As the Spring Statement approaches, the UK’s small and medium sized businesses are eager for economic clarity before committing to major investment decisions. SMEs have strong ambitions for growth, with 87 percent planning…
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New data from Atradius has revealed that 65% of UK businesses are confident in their ability to overcome Budget-related challenges and continue growing. This optimism is supported by a decline in claims across two-thirds of sectors compared to February 2024, signalling a positive start to the new financial year. Sectors experiencing the most significant drop…
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Chancellor, Rachel Reeves is set to announce 60 measures aimed at reducing regulatory burdens and stimulating economic. With between 100 and 130 regulatory bodies currently in the UK, the Government plans to significantly cut this number. The new ‘radical action plan’ will be published following consultations with regulators, as the Government seeks to address deteriorating…
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Latest data from Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the economy fell 0.1% in January. GDP had been expected to rise 0.1% month-on-month. Services output grew 0.1% month-on-month whilst construction output fell 0.2% month-on-month. Production fell 0.9% month-on-month. Commenting on today’s GDP figures for January, ONS Director of Economic Statistics Liz McKeown said “The…
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Profits at USMEs increased by 7.3% year-on-year in Q4 2024, according to Sage’s small business tracker. This is down from 8.2% in Q3 and 8.6% in Q2. It was also found that productivity fell by 0.9% year-on-year in Q4. While debt levels have fallen by 9.7% over the last year, cash reserves increased by 3.2%…
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Gross lending to SMEs rose by 13 per cent year-on-year to just over £16 billion in 2024 according to latest UK Finance data. The research showed that in each quarter of last year gross lending was up compared to the same quarter in the previous year. However, lending remains significantly below levels reported in the…
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Seven in ten small businesses (71%) are working on new initiatives to achieve business growth in the spring months, a rise on the previous 12-months according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. Following 2025 starting with a dip in the percentage of UK small businesses predicting growth, the latest findings suggest a solid resilience…
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A business trends report from BDO has revealed that business output fell for the second consecutive month, indicating a persistent slowdown in the pace of growth in overall activity across the UK economy. Despite the decline recorded in overall output, the Services Output Index rose from 98.05 to 98.29 in February. This reading suggests the…
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Research by the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) has found that brokers facilitate nearly three-quarters (£26.5 billion) of the UK’s £38 billion SME lending market. Lenders are attributing 67% of their SME portfolios to intermediaries on average. The data also reveals brokers’ role in diversifying SME funding access, with 33% of deals facilitated…
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A Business Confidence Survey by the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) has revealed that over 77% of business leaders in the UK have “low” or “very low” confidence in the current economic climate. The data showed that only 3.8% of respondents had ‘high or very high confidence.’ The average ‘Business Confidence Score’ across the survey was…
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Uswitch research has found that 60% of consumers say they have been dissuaded from shopping at small businesses due to the perceived extra expense. The ‘cost of living crisis has meant the prices for many essential goods in the United Kingdom have been increasing faster than household incomes. It has been wreaking havoc with many…
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New research from Microsoft has found that businesses and public sector organisations with clear AI strategies are significantly outperforming those without. The study, led by Dr Chris Brauer at Goldsmiths, University of London, reveals that the highest performing businesses and most productive public sector organisations have a clear AI strategy in place and are preparing…
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