Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The first independent research to analyse the impact of the regulation and price cap on the high-cost short term credit market has been published. The study by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), commissioned by the Consumer Finance Association (CFA), shows consumers are now paying less to borrow. According to the report, high-cost short-term credit plays…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced that it is seeking evidence and feedback to further inform its work on high-cost credit, including a review of the payday loan price cap. Since taking over regulation of consumer credit in April 2014, the FCA has focused on products that it believes pose the highest risks…
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Elevate UK has added four new members to its executive team. Lauren Darby joins as Vice President of Marketing, Karen Taylor as General Counsel & Director of HR, George Power as Senior Director for Product Development, and Steve Grice as Chief Technology Officer. Lauren Darby is heading up Elevate UK’s marketing division, which includes leading…
Read moreNearly two years on from tough regulations implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority, the payday loan market continues to show signs of irresponsible lending and poor treatment of people in financial difficulty, according to a new report from StepChange Debt Charity. The proportion of people coming to the charity with payday loan debts has fallen from…
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The Financial Ombudsman (FOS) has published it’s latest complaints data for the second quarter of the financial year 2016/17. The complaints data shows a rise in issues with payday loans. Between, April and September 2016, the Ombudsman received over 5,000 payday loan complaints, compared to 3,200 between April 2015 and March 2016. There has also been…
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Motormile Finance UK Limited, a debt purchase and collections firm, has entered into an agreement with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide redress to more than 500,000 customers for historic failures in its due diligence and collections process. The firm had inadequate systems and controls over due diligence. In particular, it failed to conduct sufficient…
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Scottish Councils could be handed more powers to limit the number of controversial pay day loan shops opening on Scotland’s high streets. The Scottish Government has faced calls to introduce legislation even though there is now a cap of 0.8 per cent APR on the amount pay day loan firms can charge, campaigners have expressed concern…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a warning over an unauthorised lender which is using the details of an authorised firm. Brits Finance claims to offer personal loans that can be used for house repairs, but the FCA has confirmed it does not authorise this firm. Instead, the FCA has warned that Brits Finance…
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Wage Day Advance has revealed that the cost of becoming regulated has resulted in a post-tax loss of £7.7million for the year ending 31st December 2015. In recently published accounts, the lender revealed it had made a loss in 2015 after making a post-tax profit of £3.4million for the year before. Wage Day Advance put…
Read moreThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned Andrew Barry Hart, the sole director, controller and ultimate owner of Wage Payment and Payday Loans Limited (WPPL), from performing any role in regulated financial services. The FCA has also cancelled WPPL’s interim permission and refused its applications for WPPL to be authorised to carry out regulated activities…
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Following a decision by the United States Department of the Treasury(link is external) to designate the PacNet Group as a ‘significant transnational criminal organisation’, we understand that the ceasing of PacNet Group firms’ operations has led to some customer payments, including direct debits, not reaching creditors and firms. Firms affected by this should assess their payment…
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Wonga has admitted that it double-charged 7,000 customers for their loans on Friday. It says an internal system error resulted in extra payments being taken from bank accounts. Wonga has promised that extra costs and charges incurred will be refunded. The short-term lender said that the rogue payments were refunded later on Friday, but may not yet…
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Intelligent Lending, trading as Ocean Finance has been fined £130,000 after sending more than seven million texts offering a new credit card powered by a major lender. Manchester-based Ocean Finance believed it was complying with the law because the third party firm it obtained names and phone numbers from claimed it had people’s consent to send…
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