Just under half (49%) of working women are now classed as financially vulnerable, compared to 35% of men, according to analysis by the financial wellbeing firm Hymans Robertson Personal Wealth. The research investigated the financial wellbeing of the UK workforce, lifting the lid on how frequently they have stressful feelings about their finances and where…
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More than half (52%) of adults aged 25-55 have experienced a major life event, such as redundancy, serious illness, bereavement, or relationship breakdown, in the last three years, according to new research commissioned by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline. These events often have significant financial consequences, with one in five…
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New research by the Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol, in partnership with StepChange Debt Charity and funded by NatWest Group, has revealed acute housing pressures, debt and lasting pandemic impacts affecting under-35s. According to the report, almost half (44%) of StepChange clients aged 18-34 surveyed have borrowed money to cover their housing costs.…
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Fewer than one in ten (9%) adults with living parents have discussed how finances should be managed if they developed a condition such as dementia. This is despite more than half (53%) saying they would feel comfortable having the conversation, according to new research from Nationwide. A lack of preparedness means that nearly a quarter…
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Latest Bank of England data (Quarter 3 2026) has shown that credit card defaults increased in the three months to August, with banks and building societies expecting further rises by November, highlighting growing risks in unsecured lending. Within the overall figure, demand for credit card lending was unchanged. Mortgage defaults fell slightly and are expected…
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The past five years of a near-continuous cost of living crisis have caused the real incomes of typical working-age households to fall rather than grow, leaving them £2,900 (7.9 per cent) worse off this year compared to a world of normal inflation, according to new analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. The report Counting the…
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Half of young adults in the UK say a lack of financial education directly contributed to their housing struggles, according to new research published today by financial education charity Money Ready and funded by the Berkeley Foundation. Launched ahead of World Homeless Day, the findings highlight that millions of young people are entering the housing…
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Households experiencing financial difficulties are struggling to build the financial resilience needed to cope with unexpected costs, leaving many vulnerable to being unable to pay for expenses such as car repairs, broken appliances and emergency dental treatment. This is a key finding from research by StepChange Debt Charity supported by PRA Group. Among the 1,600…
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Intrum’s annual European Consumer Payment Report has shown that consumers can meet their immediate needs, but their reliance on borrowing has increased dramatically, suggesting that pressure is growing beneath the surface. The data showed that late payment levels have remained static; 72% of consumers have borrowed money or used credit to pay bills in the past…
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Energy UK has again warned the Government of the growing economic cost of failing to tackle high energy bills, with predictions pointing to the biggest rise in four years come January, while customers are in an even more challenging financial position. This week saw the current price cap, which runs until the end of December,…
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Ahead of household energy bills rising by 4% from 1st October, Cornwall Insight have released new forecasts which suggest a bigger increase is on the way in the new year. The price cap is expected to rise by 16% compared to October, reaching £1,999 a year for a typical dual-fuel household¹ in January 2027, an…
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Consumer credit borrowing grew to £2.5 billion in August, up from £2.1 billion in July and above the previous 6-month average of £1.9 billion. Within this, credit card borrowing was £1.2 billion in August (up from £0.9 billion in July) and borrowing through other forms of consumer credit (such as car dealership finance and personal…
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With households already stretched by the cost of food, energy and other essentials, new research suggests millions of UK drivers are just one fault away from a financial shock. New research commissioned by subscription lender Creditspring among 1,273 UK drivers found that a quarter (25%) have no money put aside specifically for vehicle emergencies, leaving…
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