Credit, collections & insolvency news
Official figures show that inflation jumped to 5.4% in December, with this the highest rate since the 7.1% recorded in March 1992. The consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation was up from 5.1% in November, with soaring food costs and energy price increases helping drive the rate up. The Office for National Statistics (ONS)…
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More than a quarter (27%) of consumers think they could be losing money due to lack of, or insufficient, understanding of financial terminology, according to recent research from Aviva. The insurer also found that women (30%) are more likely to think financial lingo could be losing them money than men (23%). To understand the saving…
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New research by Moneyfarm and Dectech has revealed that 25% of the nation are financially dependent on a partner. A further 17% are reliant on their parents with a further 10% reliant on other relatives. Whilst 8% of UK adults are dependent on their children, most surprisingly, 22% of 18 to 30-year-olds are actually financially…
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New research from Quilter has found that if another lockdown is implemented as a result of the Omicron variant, many women consider themselves in a worse off position financially. The research, carried out by YouGov for Quilter, found that more than one in five (22%) women said they were in a worse position financially than…
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Households have suffered the sharpest fall in the amount of cash they have available to spend for almost eight years, amid a worsening cost of living crisis driven by high inflation and rising energy bills. Research by Scottish Widows’ Household Finance Index found that surging living costs hit people’s pockets and led to the steepest…
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The Bank of England data for November showed a significant net increase in borrowing on credit cards, which StepChange Debt Charity warns may be an indicator of increasing underlying financial stress among some households. Credit cards remain the most common type of unsecured debt held by new StepChange clients at the time they take advice.…
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More than four in five (82 per cent) people have seen their living costs such as grocery or energy bills and day-to-day essentials increase in the past few months, according to new research by TSB. The bank’s research, through its money confidence barometer, indicated that as a result of the cost of living rises, nearly…
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New research by Evolution Money has indicated that second charge mortgages more likely to be used for debt consolidation. The company analysed data from two different types of its second-charge mortgage products, split between those borrowers using the loans for debt consolidation purposes, and those clients who have prime credit ratings. The research showed a…
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New research by Scottish Friendly has indicated that households set to spend £1.3 billion this Christmas using buy-now pay-later (BNPL) schemes. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that nearly three in ten (28%) are likely to make Christmas-related purchases using BNPL schemes this year. On average they will spend £162 using BNPL payment options,…
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Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for December 2021 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,749.9 billion at the end of October 2021. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £62,965 and per adult was £33,086, around 108.3% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by…
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One in four consumers expects to take on additional debt at Christmas, according to Intrum’s annual consumer report conducted in 24 European countries. Although households with families are more likely to take on debt to pay for food and presents than the average consumer, the age group being most likely to do so is Generation…
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Almost a quarter (23%) of UK families with children living at home are set to spend less on Christmas compared to last year, as the rising costs of living and household bills, alongside the ongoing effects of the pandemic, hit household budgets. According to comparethemarket.com’s latest Household Financial Confidence Tracker,two-fifths (41%) of families feel their financial wellbeing…
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Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that inflation hit 5.1% in the 12 months to November, exceeding forecasts of a 4.7% increase and driving the rate further beyond the Bank of England’s (BoE) 2% target. The rate up on the 4.2% recorded a month earlier and means inflation is now at its…
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