Money Statistics: July 2018

25th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for July 2018: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.5877 trillion at the end of May 2018. This is up from £1.54 trillion at the end of May 2017– an extra £920.71 per UK adult. Per adult in the UK that’s an average debt of £30,670 in…

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Money worries a cause of nightmares

25th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

Financial fears are creeping into sleeping hours, according to new research by Royal London which shows money worries are a top cause of nightmares. Two in five (41%) people said money makes them anxious, which can have a big impact on the subconscious. One of the most common types of dreams is teeth falling out…

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FCA report highlights borrowers falling into early arrears

24th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

New data published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as part of its annual report has revealed that 0.3 per cent of borrowers has failed to make their mortgage payments within six months of taking out their loan. This figure compares to 0.25 per cent of households falling behind on their payments after six months…

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Child-poverty rate rises as living standards drop

24th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

The Resolution Foundation has published its annual report analysing living standards in the UK. The report estimates how household incomes have performed over the past year, producing a ‘nowcast’ of the figures before the official data is released.  Key findings from the report include: An estimate that typical incomes increased by just 0.9 per cent…

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Half of consumers put credit score at risk by not checking their eligibility

18th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

More than half of consumers have never checked their eligibility when applying for a credit card, loan or mortgage, new research from Experian reveals. Each time someone makes an application, a “hard search” is recorded on their credit report which could impact their credit score and reduce their chances of getting accepted for the best…

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FCA outlines plans to keep existing definition of vulnerability

17th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced it is retaining its existing definition of vulnerable consumers in response to its Consumer Approach consultation, with new guidance on vulnerability set to be published next year. The consultation, which was launched in November last year, proposed a new definition for vulnerable consumers. A range of organisations…

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FEATURE: Instilling a truly customer-centric mindset in your collections staff 

17th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

Consumer debt continues to be a pressing issue and one that isn’t going away. Our research into debt recovery processes earlier this year highlighted this, finding that more than one in three consumers (35%) have fallen into arrears due to their outgoings rising above household income – a 7% increase since we carried out similar…

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Consumers unaware of banking options

16th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

Online research from Equifax has revealed the lack of awareness of banking options among consumers. When presented with a list of digital banks 60% hadn’t heard of any of the brands and only 20% would opt for a challenger bank if opening a new account today. The survey, conducted with Gorkana, showed 44% of consumers…

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Consumer Credit Awards reveals winners

16th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

The 2018 winners of the UK’s largest consumer-voted awards for the consumer credit industry have been revealed at a ceremony in London. Launched in 2016, Birmingham-based not-for-profit Fair for You took home two awards, including ‘Best Alternative Finance Provider’ and the much coveted ‘Firm of the Year’, beating some of the UK’s largest consumer credit…

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Women and seaside towns see rise in personal insolvencies in 2017

13th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

A higher percentage of women than men in England and Wales entered insolvency in 2017, continuing the trend of recent years, says insolvency trade body R3, commenting on the annual personal insolvency statistics released by the Insolvency Service. Looking at the geographical spread in the statistics, the North East and coastal towns such as Plymouth…

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Remortgaging figures continue to increase

13th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

UK Finance has released its Mortgage Trends update for May. Highlights from the report include: There were 32,200 new first-time buyer mortgages completed in the month, some 8.1 per cent more than in the same month a year earlier. The £5.4bn of new lending in the month was 12.5 per cent more year-on-year. The average…

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FCA calls for considerate use of financial services data

12th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called for considerate use of big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms in financial services. The FCA is urging firms to use the technologies in a way that is not detrimental to customers’ trust. Speaking at a Reuters event earlier in the week, Charles Randell, FCA payment systems…

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‘Flawed’ Universal Credit causing debt for social housing families

12th July 2018 Consumer Collections |

The National Housing Federation, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Community Housing Cymru and the Northern Irish Federation of Housing Associations, are joining together to warn that the Universal Credit system is “flawed” and causing debt, suffering and hardship for the families they house. Together these organisations represent more than 1,000 housing associations housing over…

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