Creditfix acquires Carrington Dean

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Personal insolvency specialist practice, Creditfix has completed the acquisition of fellow Glasgow-based debt solutions provider, Carrington Dean. The sale will see Creditfix become the largest provider of Trust Deeds in Scotland, adding to its position as the largest provider of individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Carrington Dean will continue to…

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Motor consumers are ‘promotors’ of the dealer finance experience

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Research by MotoNovo Finance has found that 89% of Consumers are positive ‘Promotors’ of the dealer Finance The findings have been generated by an independently managed customer monitoring programme run on behalf of MotoNovo Finance, assessing feedback from consumers financing their vehicle with the business. The latest quarterly update to the end of September shows that…

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Sword Apak appoint Global Sales Manager

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Financial software specialist Sword Apak have appointed Kris Turner to head up their global expansion sales efforts, where sales momentum has seen the business expand across the USA, Europe and Australasia over the last three years. Commenting on the appointment, Sword Apak’s Vice President of Global Sales Jeff Bunch notes; “The capabilities of our technology are…

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Some vulnerable customers lose out in two-tier energy market

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Ofgem has launched its annual State of the Energy Market report. The report gives a detailed assessment of how well the energy market is working for consumers in terms of competition, affordability, decarbonisation, and security of supply. In the section dedicated to affordability Ofgem notes that even if suppliers provide energy at the lowest feasible…

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FCA must step in to curb the rise of consumer debt

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Bank of England consumer credit statistics shows that consumer borrowing has risen by 9.9% in the year to September 2017, now totalling £204 billion. Other highlights from the report include: The annual growth rate of consumer credit has remained broadly unchanged since June, at around 10%. The flow was £1.6 billion in September, also…

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42% of consumers worried about an interest rate hike

31st October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Ahead of the Bank of England interest rate decision this Thursday (2 November) research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, reveals 42% of Brits are worried about an interest rate rise. The online survey, conducted by YouGov, found that only 5% of people expect a rate hike within the next month, with 21%…

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High levels of consumer credit will ‘increase scrutiny’ on household debt

30th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Latest figures released by the Bank of England suggest that high levels of consumer credit will ‘increase scrutiny’ on household debt. The Bank of England has published its latest monthly Money and Credit report showing continued growth in consumer credit of 9.9 percent in the year to September. Outstanding balances for consumer credit now stand at…

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Majority of consumers feel under pressure to cut their spending

30th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Over half of consumers in the UK say they feel under pressure to cut back on their spending at the moment, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Spending Power Report. In an Ipsos MORI survey of over 2,000 bank account holders in the UK, almost two-thirds (63%) of people expressed concern about current levels of…

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Monmouthshire Building Society appoints new CEO

30th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Monmouthshire Building Society has appointed Will Carroll as its new Chief Executive Officer. Carroll has served as interim Chief Executive at the society since James Bawa stepped down in June. Carroll previously held the role of Finance Director at the society and has been a member of the board for eight years. Chairman Haydn Warman said:“Our financial…

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Personal Insolvencies rise 11%

27th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The latest results Insolvency statistics from The Insolvency Service for Quarter July to September 2017 (Q3 2017) indicate that total individual insolvencies increased, driven primarily by an increase in individual voluntary arrangements, (IVAs) which reached a record high. Personal insolvencies rose 11% from Q2 to Q3 2017 and are 8% higher than this time last…

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Call to cut wait for first Universal Credit payment welcomed

27th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Citizens Advice has welcomed DWP’s Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report calling for the waiting time for Universal Credit to be cut from six weeks to a month. Last month the charity published research which shows some people are pushed into financial difficulty as they wait for their first Universal Credit payment. Citizens Advice has helped people with over…

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Business water billing and charges complaints treble

27th October 2017 Regulation and Compliance |

Retailers operating in the new water market are working closely with the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) to tackle the root causes of a rise in complaints from businesses to the watchdog. CCWater received 559 complaints from non-household customers during the second quarter of the year – around three times as many as the same…

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Link Financial acquires Spanish loan servicing platform

27th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Link Financial Group has announced that it has bought a specialist loan servicing platform, Aiqon Capital Espana. Based in Madrid, the one hundred and ten people strong team will add further capacity to Link’s existing Spanish business, Link Finanzas. The team will continue to service the €6 billion portfolio of loans bought by the Group’s…

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