Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The latest official statistics show that personal solvency numbers in Scotland for the whole of 2019 were 13% higher than in 2018, and were at their highest level since 2013. Meanwhile, the number of personal insolvencies (bankruptcies and protected trust deeds) in Scotland fell by 5% in October-December 2019 compared with July-September 2019, and rose by…
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Deceased account management specialist, Phillips & Cohen Associates has announced the appointment of Linda Fonner as Global Chief Financial Officer. Fonner is a global finance leader and process improvement specialist, with significant experience overseeing multi-jurisdictional financial planning, strategy, risk & control initiatives for major corporations. Linda brings with her numerous certifications and over two…
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One in three consumers expects to retire with an average debt of £17,460 this year according to new research by Key. The research has found that the debt will take three-and-a-half years to clear. Initial findings from this work suggest that the ‘Retirement Class of 2020’ faces significant debt challenges with more than one in…
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Low-income households have seen the fastest rise in the use of consumer debt since the financial crisis, and are too exposed to financial shocks, according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation. The ‘An outstanding balance?’report explores changes in the use of consumer debt – including credit cards, store cards, mail order and hire…
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Unsecured debt hit a new peak of £14,540 per household in 2019 according to TUC analysis. Meaning that the average household debt is now 31% above its peak before the financial crisis. The analysis shows that unsecured debt per household rose to £14,540 in the third quarter of 2019, which is up £430 on a…
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New data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, has revealed that spending on essentials declined 0.9 per cent in December, with supermarkets contracting by 0.9 per cent compared with December 2018. Petrol expenditure also fell by 0.5 per cent. Many retailers also continued to see contractions in…
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Lantern Debt Recovery Services has achieved a ‘gold’ award from customer experience experts, Investor in Customers (IIC). This is Lantern’s third IIC assessment – with scores steadily increasing from ‘Silver’ in 2017 and 2018 to Gold this year. IIC is an independent assessment organisation that conducts rigorous benchmarking exercises. These exercises determine the quality of…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England (Bank) have outlined their plans to develop their data and analytics capabilities. Both authorities depend on access to high-quality data to fulfil their respective missions of maintaining monetary and financial stability, market integrity, effective competition and consumer protection. The FCA’s refreshed Data Strategy sets out a transformation…
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Aberdein Considine has announced that it has strengthened its Lender Services Practice Group (LSPG) with the appointment of a UK banking veteran Colin Soulsby as Client Relationship Manager. Soulsby has left his senior role with the Royal Bank of Scotland to join the firm in a newly-created relationship management role. During a four-decade career in…
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Credit card debts have fallen for first time since July 2013 according the latest Bank of England Money and Credit Banking statistics. The latest figures show that borrowers repaid £100 million in November, reflecting falling demand for consumer lending. The annual growth rate in unsecured consumer lending dropped to 5.7% from 6.1% in October, as…
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More than half of the UK consumers (almost 27 million), will head into 2020 in debt, with almost five million owing over £10,000 in loans and credit, according to a poll conducted by money.co.uk. Money.co.uk polled 2,018 people living in the UK, aged 16-64 years, and found that, not including mortgages, almost two thirds (63%) will…
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According to new research by GoCompare, only 43% of consumers will start the new decade with their finances in good shape. Younger adults are the least optimistic about their finances. Just 29% of 18 to 24-year olds and 26% of 25 to 34-year olds feel they are in good order. In stark contrast, over half…
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Research by credit specialist TotallyMoney and MoneyComms has warned that lenders are putting the squeeze on introductory 0% interest cards for balance transfers. Consumers looking to take charge of their debt in the new year may struggle to find a deal that lasts long enough to clear their debt interest-free. The research shows lenders are…
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