Bank of Mum and Dad needed for 1 in 4 housing transactions

30th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

The Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) will be the equivalent of a £5.7bn mortgage lender in 2018, according to new research and forecasts from FTSE100 financial services group Legal & General and Cebr. ‘BoMaD’ remains a major force in the UK housing market in 2018. 27% of buyers will receive help from friends or…

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Northern Irish judgments rise to 2012 levels

30th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

The total number of defaults and small claims judgments issued in Northern Ireland during the first quarter of the year rose to the highest levels since Q1 2012, according to figures released by Registry Trust. There were 2,242 small claims judgments in Q1 2018, 16 per cent more than during the same quarter last year…

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Household card spending increases by 9.8%

29th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

Latest statistics from the UK Finance’s household finance for April 2018 has revealed that card spending was 9.8 percent higher than a year earlier. Outstanding levels of credit card borrowing grew by 5.2 percent over the year, down from an annual growth rate of 5.7 percent in March. Other key statistics showed that: Gross mortgage lending in April…

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People with mental health problems failed by companies

25th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

Citizens Advice research reveals limited, inconsistent and patchy support for people with mental health problems. Energy and telecoms were rated the worst sectors for customer service and additional support, while water companies were seen most favourably. The number of people with mental health problems seeking advice from Citizens Advice on utilities and communications issues has…

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Scottish consumer debt decrees increase

25th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

The number of debt decrees registered against Scottish companies sharply rose during the first quarter of 2018, according to latest figures released by Registry Trust. During Q1 2018, 7,259 debt decrees were registered against Scottish consumers, six percent more than in Q1 2017. Despite rising in number, a 14 percent fall in average value led…

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Irish credit and debit card statistics Q1 2018

25th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

The latest credit and debit and credit card statistics have been released by Ireland’s Central Bank. The statistics indicate that debit card Point of Sale (PoS) transactions in March 2018 were €2.9 billion, 5percentt higher than the same month in 2017. Debit card PoS transactions accounted for 55 per cent of gross new transactions on…

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GDPR evolution begins

25th May 2018 Regulation and Compliance |

Today (25th May) marks the biggest change to UK data protection law in a generation. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an evolution of the current Data Protection Act (1998) and comes into effect today. Regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the new law gives people more control about how their data is…

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Three million people in arrears on essential bills in 2017

24th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

New analysis by StepChange Debt Charity has reveals that two in five clients who received advice in 2017 were behind on at least one of their essential household bills (such as energy bills, council tax, mortgage or rent). Across Great Britain, the charity estimates the number of people behind on priority bills was over three…

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Cifas announces line-up for annual fraud conference

24th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

Fraud prevention service Cifas has announced its conference line up for this year’s annual conference. Senior figures from leading fraud prevention organisations across the globe will come together in London to discuss international approaches to tackling fraud and financial crime. CEOs from South Africa, the US, Australia and the Netherlands will come together on stage…

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90% in danger of financial hardship should serious illness strike

24th May 2018 Consumer Collections |

Consumers are under-protected should serious illness strike, according to new research from Scottish Widows. Despite more than a fifth (21%) of people admitting their household wouldn’t survive financially if they lost their income due to long-term illness, fewer than one in 10 (9%) have a critical illness policy. People are, in fact, more likely to…

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Over 65s will owe £86bn by the end of 2018

23rd May 2018 Consumer Collections |

New research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) commissioned by equity release lender more 2 life estimates that over 65s will have amassed a record £86bn of debt in 2018, up from £78 billion in 2017. Last year’s research predicted that the total debt of over 65s would only reach £65 billion…

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Which letter to FCA highlights rip-off bank overdraft fees

23rd May 2018 Consumer Collections |

New research by Consumers’ Association brand Which has revealed that the most expensive overdraft fees cost seven times as much as a payday loan. Which says it first raised the alarm over these fees in 2016 and is concerned that, despite scrutiny from the regulator, not enough has been done to protect consumers from these sky-high fees.…

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Digital innovation reshaping customers’ financial services experience

23rd May 2018 Consumer Collections |

UK Finance has published a new report in association with EY which indicates that today’s social media savvy consumer taking advantage of more banking webchat services than ever before. The Way We Bank Now report, reveals that the popularity of services such as Twitter, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, is encouraging banks to invest in similarly fast and…

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