Third of people say their retirement savings are a cause of ‘significant stress’

14th March 2022 Debt Management and Advice |

A third of people say their retirement savings are a cause of ‘significant stress’ according to new research by NerdWallet, The research found that 34% consider their retirement finances to be a source of significant stress, with only 37% saying they have a clear retirement savings strategy. On average, employees said they save £298 into…

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Properties with market value of £426m have been repossessed over the last year

£426m worth of property has been repossessed over the last year according to research by HBB Solutions. The company analysed government data on the level of homes to have been repossessed over the last 12 months, as well as the price they achieve as a result of this repossession and how this compares to their…

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Rising energy costs likely to push two in five families into debt

A hike in the energy price cap of £693 is set to push two in five families into debt, according to the latest Household Financial Confidence Tracker from comparethemarket.com. The price cap was announced in February and will come into effect in April. 42% of families with children at home believe they will need to take on…

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One in three people overspent even before prices rocketed

10th March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #spending

New ONS data has indicated that one in three people (35%) were spending more than we made, even before the pandemic, so the cost-of-living squeeze is set to cause enormous problems. More than half (57%) of single people of working age overspent before the pandemic: a higher percentage than any other household type with 43%…

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57% of people experiencing financial difficulties as a result of cost of living rises

Research by KIS Finance has revealed that as a direct result of the rising cost of living, 57% of people in the UK are either already struggling financially, or expect to do so in the very near future. With no solution to the war in Ukraine in sight, the situation is set to get much worse, as…

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One in seven people borrow to pay bills

8th March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #bills

Latest ONS statistics highlighting the social impacts of Coronavirus have indicated that one in seven people borrow to pay bills. The research also showed that  81% of people said their cost of living has risen over the past month. When asked how this was affecting them, 22% of people said they were spending their savings.…

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1.8m Scottish people have taken a financial hit during the pandemic

8th March 2022 Consumer Collections |

Over 1.8 million adults in Scotland have seen their finances get worse during the Covid pandemic, according to new analysis from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). Polling for the charity by YouGov found 41 per cent of Scottish adults found their financial position got worse during the pandemic, with 15 per cent saying their position has…

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UK faces the biggest income squeeze in generations as inflation heads towards 40-year high

8th March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #economy

The Resolution Foundation has warned that a typical household’s income will fall by about £1,000 this year once the effect of inflation is accounted for. The change in inflation would be the biggest real-terms fall in incomes since the mid-1970s, the think tank added. It expects inflation to peak in April at 8.3% – much…

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Charities warn £3,000 energy bill could leave 8.5 million households in fuel poverty

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition (EFPC) has issued a warning that the energy crisis could leave 8.5 million households unable to heat and power their homes. The group, which represents almost 50 organisations, claims that cold homes cost lives and that more frail and older people could die next winter without further action from the…

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Pandemic has had a very distinct impact on the progress of people seeking debt advice

The Covid pandemic has had a very distinct impact on the progress of people seeking debt advice, according to research by StepChange. The debt charity measured the impact of debt advice on clients – primarily on progress on resolving debt, but also wider measures such as wellbeing – through surveys undertaken at three months, nine…

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Students face paying extra £28,000 towards their loans

The largest student loan reform since 2012 will reduce the cost of loans for high-earning borrowers but increase it for lower earners with graduates face paying extra £28,000 towards their loan over their lifetime according to new analysis by the  Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) Starting with the 2023 university entry cohort, graduates will pay…

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Cost of living now in top five reasons for debt

2nd March 2022 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

January saw the usual seasonal increase in people looking for debt advice, according to the latest client insights report from StepChange. The debt charity’s website was visited by 358,000 users in January, a 34% rise on December 2021. Between December and January, there was also a 7% increase in visits to the ‘emergency funding’ page…

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Energy price hike prompts £4.7bn debt crisis

The UK’s energy crisis has prompted one in five (20%) consumers to rely on credit cards, loans and overdrafts to manage the mounting costs recorded over the last three months according to research by Credit Karma. The research found that the vast majority of consumers (78%) say they have experienced price hikes since the beginning…

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