Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Consumers are set to pay, on average, an estimated £333 more for their energy over the next year if they roll over on to a standard tariff, as 70 fixed price tariffs come to an end in Q2 2017, equating to nearly a whopping £200m “inertia windfall” for energy companies. comparethemarket.com’s data shows that there…
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The number of mortgages in arrears fell slightly in the first quarter of 2017, and is down on both the previous quarter and a year ago, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). There were 92,600 mortgages in arrears, representing 0.84% of all mortgages, the lowest quarterly rate on record. Within the total…
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A company behind 99.5million nuisance calls has been fined a record £400,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Keurboom Communications Ltd has been issued the ICO’s highest ever nuisance calls fine after more than 1,000 people complained about recorded – also known as automated – calls. The calls, made over an 18 month period, related…
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The Bank of England’s latest money and credit statistics have revealed that mortgage approvals have fallen to a six month low. The statistics also show an increase in consumer debts such as credit cards and loans. The Bank of England’s figures for March 2017 show consumer credit increased by 10.2% in the year to March, to…
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New market and regulatory forces are having a major impact on the UK debt collections sector. The industry is going through a transitionary phase and as a result, businesses are having to shift their operational focus and adapt their business models. One of the biggest changes has been in the nature of the regulatory environment.…
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With the implementation date just over a year away, there is still a lot of conjecture surrounding the impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), particularly around its appropriateness and applicability once the UK leaves the EU. One thing that is clear, however, is that now is the time for any firm handling personal data to…
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Intrum Justitia has entered into an agreement to acquire Top Factoring, one of the leading companies for purchased debt in Romania. The purchase price on a cash and debt free basis (enterprise value) is about EUR 25 million, attributable mainly to a diversified portfolio of receivables. Top Factoring has about 210 employees, primarily involved in…
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Bradford & Bingley plc (B&B), part of UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), today confirms that following an open and competitive process it has agreed to sell two separate asset portfolios comprising performing buy to let loans for a total of £11.8bn to Prudential plc and to funds managed by Blackstone. Financial completion is expected within the…
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The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings of its investigation into the Department for Work & Pensions’ closure of its 1993 and 2003 child maintenance schemes. The 1993 and 2003 ‘Child Support Agency’ schemes struggled with IT problems leading to poor customer service, backlogs and incomplete information about amounts due. Inaccurate assessments can…
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The HMRC spend on private sector debt collection agencies to chase people who have fallen behind on their tax bills has jumped by 92% in just one year to £24 million according to latest figures released by UHY Hacker Young. This is compared to a spend of £12.5 million on private sector debt collection agencies…
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Target Group has signed a deal to supply its Bluechip Web Portal to Bridging Finance Solutions (BFS), the short-term property finance provider. To further improve processing efficiencies BFS panel solicitors will have access to their allocated cases via the portal and will be able to upload documentation and leave case notes, which updates the Bluechip…
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The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) and The UK Cards Association are today launching a new publication – Vulnerability; a guide for debt collection – that will help their members to better identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances. Both trade associations worked in partnership with the University of Bristol’s Personal Finance Research Centre (PFRC)…
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Today sees the launch of the new Standard Financial Statement (SFS), an initiative designed to bring greater consistency to the way organisations assess people’s finances when they are in debt. The SFS, the launch of which has been co-ordinated by the Money Advice Service, will be adopted by all major debt advice providers across commercial and…
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