Rate rise will create a repayment shock for millions

26th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

A rise in interest rates will result in monthly repayment shocks for millions of homeowners who are already living on a tight budget, according to figures from free debt advice provider PayPlan. PayPlan has launched an interest rate calculator this week to help clients find out how a potential mortgage rate rise might affect them.…

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‘Financial apathy’ costing millions and creating a mental health time bomb

26th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

New research suggests over six-and-a-half million people in the UK are wasting billions of pounds every year on regular payments that should be cancelled. These money worries are also the top source of stress for 15% of young adults. Digital banking service B’s independent research shows 1 in 8 (13%) people in the UK have…

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Scale of household bills spending crunch highlighted

26th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

New research has revealed that the average person works 82% (299 days – 26 October) of the year just to cover their household bills – with more than a third (35%) admitting that they are only just managing to cope with rising costs. The findings of the new poll commissioned by GoCompare, asked 2,000 UK…

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Credit card borrowing has grown over 5.5% in the past year

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

UK Finance has published its latest update on lending figures. The figures showed that Economic growth was subdued in the first half of 2017, and estimates of growth in the three months to September are only expected to be slightly higher, at around 0.4%. This compares with 0.3% growth in the first and second quarter…

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Scottish insolvencies remain stable

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The number of Scots entering insolvency solutions has held steady compared to a year ago, according to latest figures released by Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB). Statistics show there were 2,472 total personal insolvencies, which include awards of bankruptcy and protected trust deeds, in the second quarter of 2017-18, compared to 2,460 for the same quarter…

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Irish debt judgements decrease

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The number of debt judgments recorded in Ireland’s Four Courts fell during the third quarter of 2017, according to figures released today by Registry Trust. Of the 655 judgments recorded, 503 were against consumers and 152 against businesses. Consumer judgments were down nine percent compared with the same period last year. Business judgments rose slightly…

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FOS publishes latest complaints data

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The  Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has published its latest quarterly complaints figures. The data includes the number of enquiries and complaints passed to an ombudsman for a final decision, and the proportion of complaints resolved in favour of consumers. The data for the second quarter showed that new complaints received during July, August and September 2017.…

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Payplan calls on loan intermediaries to help with debt advice sign posting

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Free debt advice provider PayPlan is encouraging loan and mortgage intermediaries to do more when it comes to consumers who have previously been declined credit. PayPlan believes that consumers who are declined credit due to affordability reasons following the application of a loan or mortgage to consolidate their debts should be signposted to independent debt…

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Water and energy scheme launched to help vulnerable customers

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

A new scheme, announced jointly by Water UK and Energy Networks Association (ENA), will improve the process for customers to sign up to the Priority Service Register (PSR), a free service provided by utility companies to customers who may require additional support. Any customer who finds themselves in a vulnerable situation will be able to…

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FCA to launch investigation into Equifax data breach

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The FCA has announced today that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding a cybersecurity incident that led to the loss of UK customer data held by Equifax on the servers of its US parent. The FCA has released a short statement announcing the investigation but did not provide further details. Earlier this month, Equifax admitted…

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Families struggling with childcare costs turn to short term loans

25th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The impact of the cost of childcare on a family’s finances has been revealed in a new report, with childcare costs overtaking the cost of mortgage payments. The cost of childcare, has, in some cases, seen some parent turn to payday loans as a quick fix. As part of a UK-wide investigation, Admiral Loans researched…

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Government to assess debt ‘breathing space’ views

24th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Government has announced new plans which would mean people struggling with serious debt may soon benefit from a ‘breathing space’ from their bills. The Government is seeking views as it develops a way to provide individuals in debt with up to six weeks free from further interest, charges and enforcement action. This period would give those affected…

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BrightHouse to provide £14.8m redress to customers following FCA review

24th October 2017 Consumer Collections |

Following engagement with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), BrightHouse has committed to pay over £14.8 million (in the form of cash payments and balance adjustments) to 249,000 customers in respect of 384,000 agreements for lending which may not have been affordable and payments which should have been refunded. BrightHouse (a trading name of Caversham Finance)…

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