Thousands searched for debt help over Christmas

2nd January 2025 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt help

According to a free money advisory service, nearly 4,000 people searched for debt help over Christmas. Data from the Money Wellness website showed that 3,994 people visited the website on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day seeking advice on dealing with unmanageable debt. Almost 2,000 (1,835) people in London searched for support, followed by…

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Rental market driving financial hardship

New figures from Rightmove has shown that average rents are set to increase next year as demand outstrips supply in the private rental sector. The rental market study finds that the average number of enquiries sent to agents about each available property is still nearly double the level it was in pre-pandemic 2019, with an…

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Half of students struggle to repay credit card balance within 3 months

Almost one in two (48%) university students have been struggling to repay their credit card balance within three months according to research by Compare the MArket, with the main reasons being the rising cost of everyday expenses (33%), increased university costs (31%), and having to prioritise other household bills such as energy or rent (23%).…

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Credit card debt rises by 6.6%

Outstanding balances on credit card accounts have grown by 6.6 per cent over the twelve months to September and 49.4 per cent of outstanding balances incurred interest compared to 50.1 per cent in September 2023 according to latest card spending date from UK Finance The data showed 2.2 billion debit card transactions in September, 4.5…

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Three-quarters of families rely on credit to fund Christmas

A new survey by credit management company, Lowell has found that almost three-quarters (74%) of households rely on credit products like Buy-Now-Pay-Later schemes and credit cards to manage Christmas expenses, with repayments stretching into mid-April. The average family is set to allocate over half (53.6%) of their monthly salary—approximately £1,546 based on the national average…

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85% of parents worry they will give their children bad financial advice

A poll by Skipton Building Society has found that 85 per cent worry they will give their children bad financial advice. The data also found that many aren’t confident to give advice when it comes to investing (29 per cent) budgeting (25 per cent) and credit scores (23 per cent). While 21 per cent have…

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Money Statistics: November 2024

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for November 2024 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,868.1 billion at the end of September 2024. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,777 and per adult was £34,594, around 95.3% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending increased by…

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Low pay and housing costs causing debt problems for young adults

27th November 2024 Arrears and Recoveries | #debt

New research by StepChange Debt Charity has found that low pay, unemployment and high housing costs are driving debt problems among its clients aged 18-24. A new from the charity shows incomes are 28% lower among its clients aged 18-24 compared to all StepChange clients, equating to £490 less per month. With rent taking up…

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One in three are unhappy with their finances heading into retirement

26th November 2024 Arrears and Recoveries | #retirement

One in three are unhappy with their finances and 35% fear they won’t be able to afford the retirement they want according to research by Oxford Risk. The data showed that over-55s are struggling in the run-up to retirement with just two out of five (38%) clear on how much money they will need when…

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Two thirds use retail credit to pay for Christmas

Two-thirds of consumers have used or plan to use retail credit during the Christmas season according to research by Moneyhub. The report has revealed that retail credit users spend an average of £1,012.55 over the holidays, with £759.71 with nearly three-quarters financed through retail credit. The data showed that 64% of people are struggling to…

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Personal insolvencies fall by 14%

Latest monthly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvency figures fell in October with 8,952 individuals entering into insolvency, this was 14% lower than in September 2024. The personal insolvencies consisted of 596 bankruptcies, 3,793 debt relief orders (DROs) and 4,563 individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs). Monthly DRO numbers between…

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Credit card spending continues to rise

Latest UK Finance data releases has shown tha credit card spending and transactions increased in August 2024. The data showed that there were 381 million credit card transactions in August, 1.3 per cent more than in August 2023. The total spend of £20.9 billion was 1.9 per cent higher than in August 2023. There were…

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Growing regulatory bill risks limiting credit availability for consumers

A new report, from the Credit Services Association (CSA), the trade body for the debt collection and purchase sector, has recommended  an urgent in-depth review of rising financial services regulatory costs, and their impact on innovation, growth and competition. The report warns that if the sector continues to face rising regulatory costs, firms, markets, and…

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