With the implementation date just over a year away, there is still a lot of conjecture surrounding the impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), particularly around its appropriateness and applicability once the UK leaves the EU. One thing that is clear, however, is that now is the time for any firm handling personal data to…
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Skipton Building Society has announced the sale of its Amber Homeloans Limited and North Yorkshire Limited mortgage portfolio to an affiliate of a fund managed by a global investment management firm. The portfolio is estimated be worth £220 million and consists of 1,600 UK mortgages The transaction is due to complete by the end of Apri.…
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New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell 3% in February, compared with the same month in 2016. Credit card and personal loan new business together fell by 4% compared with February 2016, while retail store and online credit new business was down by 5%.…
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Consumer credit continues to climb in the latest data release from the Bank of England. Key numbers include: Total outstanding consumer credit (excluding student loans and property related debt) hit £196bn The collective credit card balance is £67.3bn Consumers borrowed an additional £1.4bn in February alone Approvals of loans secured on dwellings fell slightly in…
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Lowell GFKL Group, a European leader in credit management services, recorded strong results for its full year ended 31 December 2016, with a 20% increase in Group Cash EBITDA to £254m showing the continuing benefits of the combined business. Publishing the results today it has also announced that, following the successful merger of the Lowell Group…
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Intrum Justitia has entered into an agreement to acquire Top Factoring, one of the leading companies for purchased debt in Romania. The purchase price on a cash and debt free basis (enterprise value) is about EUR 25 million, attributable mainly to a diversified portfolio of receivables. Top Factoring has about 210 employees, primarily involved in…
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‘Managing debt is consumers’ is a top priority when it comes to credit cards a new report from MoneySuperMarket today reveals. The report analysed two million inquiries from its Smart Search eligibility tool to reveal what Brits look for most when searching for a credit card. More than 100 credit cards were grouped into four…
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Analysis from The Insolvency Exchange, part of TDX Group, reveals that volumes of personal insolvency in the UK are likely to see a significant spike in 2017. The company’s latest Insolvency Market Trends data highlights that new Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) and Trust Deed (TD) applications continue to rise and volumes could increase by as much…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed new rules to help customers who are in persistent credit card debt. This follows the FCA’s study of the UK credit card market, which found significant concerns about the scale extent and nature of problem credit card debt. Under the FCA’s definition, credit card customers are in persistent…
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Bradford & Bingley plc (B&B), part of UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), today confirms that following an open and competitive process it has agreed to sell two separate asset portfolios comprising performing buy to let loans for a total of £11.8bn to Prudential plc and to funds managed by Blackstone. Financial completion is expected within the…
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The Bank of England’s latest money and credit statistics show consumer borrowing increasing by 10.5% in the year to February to £196 billion. As the Bank and the Financial Conduct Authority launch reviews into lending practices, Citizens Advice says more must be done to make sure lenders across all consumer credit markets behave responsibly towards…
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The number of home repossession cases going through the Scottish courts has fallen by more than 40% in a year, according to new figures published today. There were 1,874 repossession court cases initiated in 2015-16, down 43% on the previous year and 82% fewer than in 2008-09. The Civil Justice Statistics show 77,721 civil law…
Read moreThe National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of its investigation into the Department for Work & Pensions’ closure of its 1993 and 2003 child maintenance schemes. The 1993 and 2003 ‘Child Support Agency’ schemes struggled with IT problems leading to poor customer service, backlogs and incomplete information about amounts due. Inaccurate assessments can…
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