There were more county court judgments (CCJs) against consumers in England and Wales during 2016 than any year on record, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. A judgment is incontrovertible proof that debt has not been managed. In 2016, 912,389 judgments were registered against consumers in England and Wales. Rising almost a quarter…
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The Credit Services Association (CSA) has criticised a report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) that suggests only a fraction of the cash being raised by a new levy on firms of a certain size from April will be spent on Apprenticeships. The CSA also disagrees with the IFS claim that increasing the number…
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FEATURE: Brexit and Debt Recovery When it comes to Brexit, we’re in unchartered waters. The government has yet to invoke Article 50, and is still working out, and trying to negotiate, acceptable terms. Prior to the referendum, as a member of the common market, the UK benefitted from over 50 EU-established trade agreements with the…
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If the macroeconomic changes of the last few months have taught the utility sector anything, it is that companies must have nuanced strategies in place to deal with household debt. Debt strategies in the utilities sector are evolving, driven by fresh technology, regulation and mounting competition. In volatile times, customer circumstances may alter in new…
Read moreThe British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has releases it’s latest figures indicating a growth in consumer borrowing during December, but there are signs that demand may soften in 2017 as consumers and businesses anticipate higher interest rates. Gross mortgage borrowing totalled £12.6bn, up 3.6% from December 2015; while net mortgage borrowing grew by 2.5% compared to December…
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Weightmans and Ward Hadaway have issued a joint statement addressing merger discussions: “The legal market is changing and it is always sensible to look at opportunities that might benefit a business, its clients and its staff so Weightmans and Ward Hadaway are currently talking to each other to see if there are benefits of working…
Read moreBanks and financial institutions must change the way they operate to give customers with mental health problems equal access to good customer service, a leading mental health think tank has urged. New research fully demonstrates for the first time how financial capability – people’s ability to manage everyday financial tasks like paying bills or budgeting –…
Read moreHSBC has voluntarily agreed to set up a redress scheme for customers who may have suffered detriment by paying an unreasonable debt collection charge imposed by HFC Bank Ltd (HFC) and John Lewis Financial Services Limited (JLFS), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced today. Both HFC and JLFS are now part of HSBC Bank…
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Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for January 2017: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.512 trillion at the end of November 2016. This is up from £1.460 trillion at the end of November 2015 – an extra £1017.04 per UK adult. Based on November 2016 trends,…
Read moreThe Money Charity has released it’s latest monthly statistics with it’s research revealing that each Briton is spending, on average, £1001 a year on debt interest repayments, 3.79% of average earnings. That is more than £50 billion at an annual rate – the lowest figure seen since 2003. Debt might have grown to a record 12…
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January is the month of the most registered deaths and the highest funeral bills of the year according to latest figures released by SunLIfe. The month always sees more registered deaths than any other time of the year, with 47,336 in the first four weeks of 2016; 17% more than the rest of the year. And…
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New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 9% in consumer finance new business in November, compared with the same month in 2015. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 10% compared with November 2015, while retail store and online credit new business increased by 3%…
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Target Group has announced the purchase of the operating business of Commercial First. Commercial First are a provider of commercial and residential mortgage servicing, due diligence and property valuations for clients ranging from blue chip banks and fund managers to private equity and mortgage securitisations. Established in 2002 and based in Skipton, Commercial First provides…
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