Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Almost a third of grandparents say they have lent or gifted money to their grandchildren, with the elderly family members paying out £2,119 on average according to new research by Saga. 17 per cent of those surveyed said they had used the cash to buy a first property and the same amount saying that it…
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New research from Ipsos and Fair4AllFinance shows that 3 million people have borrowed money from an illegal ‘loan shark’ lender over the past three years, as high-street lenders turn people worrying about rising bills and mortgage rates away while the cost of living bites. Results from a new online survey amongst a representative quota sample…
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One fifth (18%) of teachers have been forced to rely on buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options to afford their weekly shop, according to new research from responsible lender, Creditspring. More than a quarter of teachers (26%) say they wish they’d never used BNPL options, with 14% admitting they’d were unable to meet repayments…
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Since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis, 6% of people have started borrowing for the first time, and 8% are borrowing more according to research by Hargreaves Lansdown. The research found that some groups are more likely to have stepped up their borrowing – including younger people, women, renters, and parents. Meanwhile, other groups have…
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A survey of consumers by NewDay has highlighted concerns about the lack of regulation in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options, with only 16% of UK consumers deeming BNPL’ trustworthy’. Almost half (45%) worried that unregulated BNPL could get them into debt, and 58% of respondents had never used BNPL options and wouldn’t consider using…
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New data from the Bank of England has found that the total Credit Union borrowing hit a record £2 billion in 2022 with all-time high membership of unions at nearly 2 million. The data showed Credit Union membership rose by 60,863 to reach 1,980,964 at the end of 2022 as more borrowers widened their net…
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Research from Freedom Finance has revealed that the leading challengers and neo banks added over £1.5 billion of capacity to the UK’s unsecured personal loan market in 2022. The analysis reveals that a basket of challenger brands and digital-only lenders increased unsecured personal lending to consumers by over £1.5 billion, an increase of 34% on…
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New research from TransUnion has found that nearly four in 10 (38%) adults are using buy now, pay later i(BNPL) when shopping online, which is consistent with the previous year. More than half (53%) of those that used buy now, pay later in the past 12 months spent a total of between £100 and £499…
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Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union have announced that they completed a merger agreement. The Credit Union will now be called Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union (WASCU) says that the name change will reflect a new focus on encouraging savings and will continue to offer the same high level of service. Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union…
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Sub-prime lender Amigo Loans is to be liquidated after months of trying to come up with a rescue plan ended in failure. The company said Amigo said it would stop lending with immediate effect and will be placed into an orderly wind-down, with all surplus assets transferred to the creditors of its compensation scheme. Those owed compensation…
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Complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) against Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) firms have jumped 36% over the last three years according to research by Creditspring. The research found that 220 complaints were made against BNPL firms during 2022, compared to 208 in the previous year and 162 in 2020. Creditspring says that the…
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Zopa has announced that it is set to acquire buy now pay later (BNPL) specialist DivideBuy. Dividebuy provides point-of-sale (POS) finance technology and lending platforms. The transaction, which will complete in the next few months, marks Zopa’s first acquisition and follows just weeks after the digital lender raised a £75 million to fund acquisitions. DivideBuy…
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The government has announced its intention to regulate interest-free Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) products. The government consulted on policy options to deliver a proportionate approach to regulation in October 2021, followed by a consultation response in June 2022. It is now consulting on the proposed draft legislation that will bring BNPL into Financial Conduct Authority regulation.…
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