Brits to take on £6.4 billion in debt to fund Christmas

15th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Millions of people will be relying on their credit cards to fund Christmas this year. Research conducted by comparethemarket.com found that Brits who celebrate Christmas expect to spend £640 on average over the festive season. Over a fifth (22%) anticipate that they will pay for the majority of their expenses by credit card, suggesting that those…

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FCA launches consultation on changes to its FSCS rules

14th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced that it is inviting views on the future funding of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and has also launched a consultation on a number of specific changes to its scheme rules. The FSCS is the UK’s statutory compensation scheme of last resort, which can step in…

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December 2016: Money Statistics

13th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The latest Money Stats indicate that consumer credit has risen above £190 billion, the highest level seen since 2008. The report by the Money Charity says that’s £7,042 for every household in the UK in credit cards, personal loans and other borrowing not secured against property. Day-to-day, people have more control over how much they borrow…

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93% stayed debt free – up to five years after clearing what they owed

12th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has publishied new findings that show 93 per cent of clients stay free of problem debt years after receiving help. The Freedom Report, to be delivered this evening an event in Parliament, contains information gathered from 214 phone interviews with people who had become debt free with the charity up…

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FCA reminds debt management firms of annual review requirements

9th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have sent a letter to CEOs of all debt management firms expressing their concerns with the way firms are carrying out annual reviews and to remind them of the requirements of administering debt management plans (DMPs). All debt management plans must be reviewed at least once a year. If a…

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Money worries ‘put Christmas at risk’ for up to five million Britons

5th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Five million Britons suffer from money worries and stress in the run up to Christmas, and one in three adults are putting Christmas presents on credit this year, according to new research from National Debtline, run by charity the Money Advice Trust. The research, based on a poll of more than 2,000 British adults conducted online…

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Almost half of Scots admit to debt just weeks before Christmas

22nd November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Research from a YouGov poll has revealed that almost half (49 per cent) of people in Scotland admit to being in debt with many of these feeling the strain, just weeks before Christmas. The poll, which was commissioned by Scotcash and Scotwest Credit Union, revealed almost 1 in 2 (49 per cent) of adults surveyed…

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Family debt takes it toll on children

17th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Families with children are more than twice as likely to have been trapped in problem debt as childless households, research by The Children’s Society has revealed. A survey commissioned by the charity found that one in five families with children in England and Wales (20%) have struggled with problem debt in the last year. By…

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Majority of British adults’ personal finance confidence unaffected by Brexit vote

14th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Three-fifths (59%) of British adults say they are neither more pessimistic nor more optimistic about their personal finances following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, according to new research by insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. However, the R3/ComRes survey of over 2,000 British adults found that one-in-four (25%) say they are more pessimistic…

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Mortgage arrears still at 20-year low in third quarter

11th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

The overall mortgage arrears rate in the third quarter was the same as in the second quarter, with 0.84% of all mortgages recording arrears equivalent to more than 2.5% of the mortgage balance. This continues to represent the lowest arrears rate for over 20 years according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders latest statistics. The…

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Household debts rise to top £1.5 trillion

7th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Household debts have risen to £1.5 trillion in the UK for the first time, new statistics from The Money Charity. After a period of flat growth, debt has begun to rise again in recent years. The Money Charity, which compiled the statistics, says UK adults owe an average of nearly £30,000 each – mostly in…

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Study shows debt halves recovery rate for depression

2nd November 2016 Consumer Collections |

A new report suggests that a failure to address financial difficulty in the main NHS talking therapies programme is holding back the recovery of tens of thousands of people with depression and anxiety. A quarter of people with ‘common’ mental health conditions like depression or anxiety are also in problem debt, which is likely to be holding…

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6.5 Million households at debt risk

28th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

Over 6.5 million households are in debt, or face the prospect of falling into debt within a month, should they lose their jobs, according to new research from The Equality Trust. Over 40 per cent of non-retired households have too little saved to pay even a month’s worth of household bills, the research finds. A non-retired household in…

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