2026 Credit & Collections Industry Awards Review published

Credit Connect has published the annual 2026 Credit & Collections Industry Awards Review. The annual review highlights why the judges decided the winners at this year’s Industry Awards, which were announced in May in York. The review provides background and context for the award results, recognising companies for advancing industry standards and excellence. The review…

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One in three renters face 35-year wait to save for first-home deposit

A third of renters are saving £100 a month or less and face a 35-year slog to get on the property ladder – with the goalposts moving if house prices climb. According to data from Connells, part of the Skipton Group, the current average first-time buyer deposit stands at £41,403, with properties they are buying…

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Second charge mortgages grew by 21% in April

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 21% in April 2026. Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer Finance & Mortgages and Inclusion the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said “The…

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Credit & Collections Spring Series 2026 review

Credit Connect hosted its second annual Spring Series of events at the end of May at Eastwood Hall Hotel in Nottingham. The event opened with the first-ever Industry Leaders networking dinner, which hosted 60 attendees who have been nominated and ratified by Credit Connect’s Industry Leaders partner associations: CIVEA, CICM, CCUA, CCTA, Cifas and Registry…

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Households cost rise highlights higher rate of inflation for renters compared to homeowners

The latest data from the ONS on households’ costs highlights the higher rate of inflation that renters are experiencing compared to homeowners. Mortgagors and outright owner occupiers each had the lowest annual inflation rate of all tenure types, of 3.6% in the year to March 2026 with mortgagors experiencing a slight decrease from 3.7%; both…

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Credit Connect announces 2026 Industry Leaders list

Credit Connect has announced its 2026 Industry Leaders list. The Leaders list was announced as part of the inaugural Industry Leaders Dinner at the Eastwood Hall in Nottingham, which is part of the Credit Connect Spring series event. The Spring event series also includes the Commercial Credit & Collections Conference, Credit & Collections Think Tank…

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Mortgage arrears remain low

Latest data from UK Finance has shown that the overall proportion of mortgages in arrears remains low, at 0.91 per cent of homeowner mortgages and 0.47 per cent of BTL mortgages. In the first quarter of 2026, there were 79,110 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5 per cent or more of the outstanding balance. This…

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Second charge mortgages grow by 20%

Latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes  grew by 20% in March 2026. Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer Finance & Mortgages and Inclusion the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said “The…

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UK businesses lagging on AI payments adoption

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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Second charge mortgages hits highest level since 2008

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 27% in February 2026. Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Geraldine Kilkelly, Director of Research and Chief Economist at the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said “The second…

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Lending defaults hits two year high

Latest data from the Bank of England has found that loan defaults have risen to 6.2% in early 2026, the highest since late 2024 (7.8 per cent), when the UK had seen several hikes in interest rates. Unsecured lending defaults hit 18.6% in Q1 this year, the highest figure since the last quarter of 2023.…

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2026 Credit & Collections Industry Awards shortlist announced

Credit Connect has announced the shortlist of companies and partnerships for this year’s third annual Credit & Collections Industry Awards. The finalists for this year’s awards consist of 108  entrants (whittled down from nearly 115 entries) from nearly 80 companies within the shortlist. There are over 20 partnership entries in the running to win across…

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Third of renters’ monthly take home pay now goes straight to landlords

Renters are now handing over 39% of their monthly take-home pay to their landlords, on average. That’s the equivalent of two days a week worth of work being spent purely on rent according to new research by Confused.com home insurance, which found that the average monthly rent cost is now £839. Although for some, this…

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