Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
New figures from UK Finance show that consumers spent almost £16.9 billion on credit cards in May, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%. The annual growth rate of outstanding balances on credit cards stood at 4.1 per cent in May 2019, continuing the downward trend from its recent peak of 8.3 per cent at the start…
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New research from KPMG has found that 30% of the UK public have changed their spending as a result of Brexit uncertainties. A fifth (22%) have avoided making big ticket purchases with almost one in ten (9%) missing out on overseas holidays and 6% avoiding investing in the economy via stocks & shares. Meanwhile, 8%…
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Consumers struggling to make ends meet are being urged to avoid loan sharks at all costs as latest figures show debt advice enquiries have hit a record high. The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, is urging people desperate for a loan to steer clear of illegal money lenders who…
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New figures released by UK Finance has shown that whilst the numbers of homeowners in arrears have remained at a historic low there has been an increase of 15% (1,270) in the number of repossessions in the second quarter (Q2) of 2019. UK Finance said repossessions were still well below levels experienced between 2009 and…
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Up to half of older homeowners are using equity release to repay debt as they struggle to meet payments, new analysis from independent equity release adviser Key shows. Analysis of customer data suggests that 30% of people are using equity release to repay unsecured debt while 20% are using it to repay mortgages. Debt is a…
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The income squeeze that followed the last financial crisis has left low and middle-income households more vulnerable to the next economic shock than they were in 2008, according to new analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. The report titled ‘A problem shared?’ examines the distributional impact of recessions in the light of the financial crisis.…
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Latest figures from the Insolvency Service have shown that the number of individuals entering a personal insolvency procedure has increased and shows few signs of slowing as the rolling 12-month insolvency continues to rise, representing the highest Quarter 2 (Q2) figure since 2010. following an 8 year high in Q4 2018. This was driven by…
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The Bank of England has announced its latest Money & Credit statistics which showed that the extra amount borrowed by consumers to buy goods and services was £1 billion in June, in line with the average of the past year. Annual lending growth to UK consumers slowed to 5.5% in June however, from 5.7% in…
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Controlling spending temptations and unintentionally falling into debt are the main consumer concerns when it comes to owning a credit card, according to research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert. The online survey of over 2,000 people does however reveal positive awareness about the potential benefits of spending on credit cards, including credit…
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RSM is predicting that official figures, due to be published next Tuesday, will show a 9 per cent rise in personal insolvency rates in England and Wales in quarter two when compared to the same quarter last year. The data from Tracker, RSM’s early online warning system, predicts that total insolvencies for the quarter will reach…
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Research by TotallyMoney has revealed that credit card owners are often caught out by high fees because of not knowing what classifies as a cash advance. The annual Financial Awareness Survey 2019, carried out by OnePoll and commissioned by TotallyMoney asked a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults about cash advance fees. It reports:…
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The number of County Court judgments (CCJs) issued against consumers in England and Wales in the first half of 2019 rose just three per cent, to 586,765, compared to the same period of 2018, according to latest figures released by Registry Trust. First half-year judgment numbers were rising every year since 2012’s record HY1 low…
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The number of personal insolvencies (bankruptcies and protected trust deeds) in Scotland rose by 7% in April-June 2019 compared with the previous quarter (January-March 2019), and rose by 9% compared with the same quarter the previous year (April-June 2018) according to latest Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) statistics. The figures showed that there were 3,520 personal…
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