StepChange statistics highlight debt problems

4th October 2018 Consumer Collections |

New statistics published by StepChange Debt Charity have laid bare the alarming scale and changing nature of problem debt in the UK. They show that 326,897 people contacted the charity for help with their debts in just the first six months of 2018. Of the 180,644 who received full debt advice and a recommended debt…

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Citizens Advice issues super-complaint over £4bn loyalty penalty

28th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

Citizens Advice has revealed customers who stay loyal to their providers are losing out on over £4 billion a year. The national charity has lodged a super-complaint with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), calling for the regulator to outline how the problem can be fixed. The practice of overcharging loyal customers is widespread and…

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Ofcom outlines plans for mobile crackdown

27th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

Ofcom has set out proposals to ensure fairer, more transparent prices for mobile customers who pay for handsets and airtime within the same contract. The regulator says that buying a handset with a mobile contract is a popular way for people to receive a new phone, as it allows them to spread the cost over many months.…

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Money Statistics: September 2018

20th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for September 2018: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.592 trillion at the end of June 2018. This is up from £1.545 trillion at the end of June 2017– an extra £900.74 per UK adult. People in the UK owed £1.5955 trillion at the end of July…

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Mobile providers overcharge four million on contracts

19th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

New research from Citizens Advice reveals an estimated 4 million people in the UK have been charged for phones they already own, paying a total of £490 million extra on their last contracts. Three of Britain’s biggest mobile phone networks – EE, Three and Vodafone – routinely charge customers extra for their handsets after they…

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2018 Credit & Collections Technology Award winners announced

17th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

The winners of the second annual  2018 Credit & Collections Technology Awards have been revealed. There were sixteen winners from the eighteen Awards categories which are covered by four main headings of Credit, Collections, Credit & Collections services and Innovation. The awards ceremony was held at Credit Services Association’s (CSA) annual Gala dinner at the…

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Consumer finance new business increases by 9% in July

10th September 2018 Consumer Collections |

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show consumer finance new business grew in July by 9%, compared with the same month last year. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 11% compared with July 2017, while retail store and online credit new business increased by 4%. Second charge…

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Demand for debt advice reaches a five-year high

3rd September 2018 Consumer Collections |

People are increasingly struggling with ‘smaller but trickier’ debts on everyday household bills, according to new figures from National Debtline, run by the Money Advice Trust. The charity expects the number of calls to National Debtline to hit 189,000 by the end of the year – the highest level in five years – with webchat…

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2.6m caught out by ‘hidden loan fees’

22nd August 2018 Consumer Collections |

New research from LiveLend has revealed that more than one in four (26%) people who took out a loan in the last five years were stung by extra costs they’d not noticed.  The research showed that most consumers are most likely to be caught out by fees for ‘same day money’ followed by missed or…

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Charity urges tougher regulation of bailiffs as household debt levels hit £18.9bn

21st August 2018 Consumer Collections |

Citizens Advice is calling for better regulation of unaccountable bailiff firms as it reveals households have fallen behind on their essential bills, such as council tax and utilities, by an estimated £18.9 billion. Last year, the charity helped one person every 3 minutes with bailiff issues. In 2014, the government introduced reforms which were meant…

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Money Statistics: August 2018

15th August 2018 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for August 2018: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.592 trillion at the end of June 2018. This is up from £1.545 trillion at the end of June 2017– an extra £900.74 per UK adult. Per adult in the UK that’s an average debt of…

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‘Nouveau bills’ cost consumers £41bn a year

14th August 2018 Consumer Collections |

New research from GoCompare has revealed the £41billion bill for modern goods and services -things that are sapping our finances now, but which most of us wouldn’t have been paying out for just 10 years ago. The comparison site has identified 20 so-called ‘Nouveau Bills’ that are costing UK adults £66 a month or £788 a year…

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Mortgage arrears and possessions continue to fall

9th August 2018 Consumer Collections |

Latest figures released by UK Finance has shown that mortgage arrears and possessions are continuing to decline. The figures indicate that there were 76,740 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5 per cent or more of the outstanding balance in the second quarter of 2018, 8 per cent fewer than in the same quarter of the…

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