Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in August, according lates to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, after contracting by 0.1 per cent in July. The data comes ahead of the Budget next month and new forecasts by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which have said that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves…
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UK SMEs say specific Government initiatives designed to help them survive and grow don’t go far enough, according to new research from independent funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS). The Q3 2025 SME Confidence Tracker, which surveys 1,000 UK SMEs, reveals that over half (52%) of small businesses believe measures such as the Fair Payment Code,…
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Rising insolvencies and supply chain shocks are quickly depleting emergency cash cushions, according to trade credit insurer Atradius. The report shows that UK SMEs face a widening resilience gap— the difference between the cost of escalating business risks and the limited accessible liquidity they hold to withstand them. Cash buffers that once offered protection are…
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Business confidence sank to its lowest level in three years as record high tax worries ravaged firms ahead of next month’s Budget, according to research by ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) quarterly index. Sentiment in Q3 stood at -7.3, down from -4.2 in the previous quarter. Confidence is now at its weakest level since Q4…
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Business volumes in the financial services (FS) sector fell at the quickest rate since June 2020 in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest CBI data. Despite the sharp deterioration in activity, sentiment was broadly flat in the three months to September, marking an improvement compared with the previous quarter’s steep drop. The…
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New data from Purbeck Insurance Services has found that loans to small and medium-sized enterprises are showing record levels of funding being secured, along with a strong demand for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) protection for business owners. The data shows the average loan secured has risen to £289,827 from £204,035 in Q3 2024 – a 42%…
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The percentage of small business owners predicting growth has fallen for the fourth consecutive Quarter to a new five-year low (25%) – and in every industry sector, the percentage of enterprises predicting growth is down on the start of the year, according to new tracking research from Novuna Business Finance. Following last summer’s General Election…
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The UK economy grew just 0.3% in the second quarter (Q2), down from 0.7 per cent in the first, according to latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Growth slowed from 0.7% in Q1, with services up 0.4% and construction up 1.0%, offset by a 0.8% fall in production. The figures show resilience but also highlight…
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The Institute of Directors’ (IoD) latest Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy, fell to -74 in September 2025 from -61 in August. This exceeds the recent record low of -72 in July 2025 and marks the lowest reading of the Index since its introduction in July 2016.…
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Optimism among businesses has declined sharply over the last month according to latest analysis by Lloyds Bank. After four months of elevated confidence, September saw a return to levels seen in the first part of the year. The latest Lloyds Business Barometer saw a reduction of 12 points in September, with confidence remaining above the…
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New analysis by Barclays has shown that, if UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were to invest at rates in line with larger companies, £60 billion of new investment could be unleashed per year into the UK economy. In 2024, UK business investment reached a record level, and in the first half of 2025, business…
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A third (32%) of UK SMEs that do not currently trade internationally plan to do so this year, according to research from Shawbrook. While 38% of SMEs are already trading outside of the UK, a further third now plan to begin doing so within the next year. Only 28% do not currently trade internationally nor…
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New research by challenger business, Allica Bank, has shown a sharp rise in broker confidence for the months ahead. Though just over 18% expressed concern for the next six months, over half (51.2%) of brokers said they had a positive outlook, a significant increase on Quarter 4, when confidence was just 24%. A further 30%…
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