Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
While the use of AI in payments management continues to grow, the UK is proving slower to adopt AI solutions than its European peers, with skills gaps and regulatory uncertainty slowing progress according to new research by Intrum. Intrum’s European Payment Report, based on a survey of over 8,000 businesses in 20 markets, is produced…
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Consumer confidence declined by three percentage points during the first quarter of 2026 to reach its lowest level since Q3 2023, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. The fall in confidence, based on responses from 3,200 UK consumers aged 18+, was also the biggest quarterly drop since Q1 2022. Overall confidence was also down…
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British households reduced non-essential spending last month due to rising fuel prices and uncertainty from the Iran war. According to Barclays’ consumer spending report, fuel spending rose 1.6% year-on-year, pushing essential spending up by 0.5%. However, non-essential spending growth slowed to 1.1%, with travel spending down 3.3% due to flight disruptions. Consumer card spending increased…
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Two thirds (64%) of couples claim higher living costs is making money a bigger issue in their relationship according to new research from Hymans Robertson Personal Wealth. Despite this, less than half (46%) say they know how much their partner earns and only 14% of couples say they regularly discuss their finances together, suggesting many…
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New Barclays research shows that a long‑standing reluctance to talk about money continues to affect how confidently adults manage their household finances. While many avoid financial conversations – often reflecting attitudes shaped in childhood – there is growing recognition that being more open can make a real difference. With six in ten adults (59 per…
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Families in the bottom decile of the income distribution will be at the sharp end of the latest development in the cost of living crisis, and changes to energy and fuel prices alone could mean they experience a rate of inflation almost a percentage point higher than households in the top income decile by the…
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London is the only major city in Britain where household financial health is worsening, according to new research by Lowell. While financial pressure is beginning to ease across much of the country, London is not sharing in the recovery. Households in London are using up their savings: London is the only major city where emergency…
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New research commissioned by subscription lender Creditspring found that more than three quarters of mothers (77%) have worried about money in the past three months because of child-related costs such as birthday parties, activities, clothes and days out. That compares with 70% of fathers. The research also suggests many mums feel responsible for managing these…
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New research by Confused.com has found that almost half (48%) of people admit to lying to their partner about their financial situation in the past. With the cost of living crisis putting financial pressure on people it’s not surprising that money can sometimes cause issues in relationships. Over one in two (58%) partners argue about…
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Consumer sentiment has dropped sharply since the conflict in the Middle East escalated, according to a survey by Barclays. The survey found that around 80% of consumers are concerned that the conflict will increase inflation and energy costs. Nearly half of the respondents said they had already started adjusting their spending behaviour. The data showed…
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The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says allowing five water companies to increase their customers’ bills even further will heap more pressure on households already struggling to absorb recent price hikes. CCW has responded to the final determinations of the Competition and Markets Authority which has ruled on the appeals made by five water companies – Anglian Water,…
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New Age analysis of DWP data has found that, despite the rise in women’s State Pension age, the number of female pensioners in the UK has fallen by 740,000 since 2010-11, while the number of women living in poverty has stayed steady at 1.1 million. Age UK warns that this is a failure of policy and…
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Research from the Current Account Switch Service shows that a third of people (34%) say ‘No‑spend February’ is the point in the year when they finally tackle the life admin tasks they have been putting off, from cancelling unused subscriptions to checking whether their financial products still offer great value. The findings highlight the financial…
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