Consumer finance growth continues

15th May 2017 Consumer Collections |

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 10% in consumer finance new business in March, compared with the same month last year, and 6% growth in Q1 2017 as a whole. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew in March by 7%, compared with the same month…

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Money Statistics: May 2017

5th May 2017 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for May 2017: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.529 trillion at the end of March 2017. This is up from £1.484 trillion at the end of March 2016 – an extra £886.84 per UK adult. The average total debt per…

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Consumer borrowing rises whilst mortgages hit a six month low

5th May 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Bank of England’s latest money and credit statistics have revealed that mortgage approvals have fallen to a six month low. The statistics also show an increase in consumer debts such as credit cards and loans. The Bank of England’s figures for March 2017 show consumer credit increased by 10.2% in the year to March, to…

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Over-65s mortgage debt set to double by 2030

3rd May 2017 Consumer Collections |

A study, by the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK), supported by the Building Societies Association (BSA) has found that borrowing into older age is likely to move from niche to mainstream within the next decade. The amount of mortgage debt held by over 65s is set to increase by more than £19 billion by 2030 (from…

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Cards spending increases by £300 million in February

28th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

New figures fromThe UK Cards Association show that total card spending in February 2017 was £57.2 billion, an increase of £300 million on January, and up from £52.2 billion in February 2016. Other findings in the report showed: The number of card purchases increased to 1.3 billion, up by 14 million during the month and…

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Over 50s becoming big users of contactless payments

28th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

Almost 12 million over 50s are actively using contactless payments with one in five tapping the plastic up to three times a week according to research by Saga Money. The survey of almost 10,000 shows that half (50%) of over 50s use their contactless cards when doing the weekly shop, whilst almost a third (29%)…

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Financial complaints top 3 million

26th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published data on the number of complaints reported by firms under new rules which came into force on 30 June 2016. The total number of complaints reported by firms in the second half of 2016 was 3.04 million. This number is higher than previous reporting periods because under the…

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Report: One in Five consumers have concerns about new payment methods

26th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

Almost four in five (77%) British consumers have concerns about using new payment methods according to data from global law firm Paul Hastings. A survey of over 2,000 consumers highlights how security fears are preventing many consumers from embracing new payment technologies, yet providers of new methods are often leading the way in creatively addressing…

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FCA publishes its Business Plan

18th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its Business Plan and Mission. The Mission gives firms and consumers greater clarity about how the FCA prioritises its interventions in financial markets. For the first time, the FCA has also published its Sector Views, which highlight the issues and developments the FCA sees in the sectors it regulates.…

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April 2017: Money Statistics

12th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for April 2017: Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1.524 trillion at the end of February 2017. This is up from £1.476 trillion at the end of February 2016 – an extra£964.450 per UK adult. Based on February 2017 trends, the…

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FEATURE: “Compliance and Close Customer Communications” – Why Speech Analytics Drives Collections Success

11th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

New market and regulatory forces are having a major impact on the UK debt collections sector. The industry is going through a transitionary phase and as a result, businesses are having to shift their operational focus and adapt their business models. One of the biggest changes has been in the nature of the regulatory environment.…

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FEATURE: GDPR – The Accountability Principle

11th April 2017 Arrears and Recoveries |

With the implementation date just over a year away, there is still a lot of conjecture surrounding the impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), particularly around its appropriateness and applicability once the UK leaves the EU. One thing that is clear, however, is that now is the time for any firm handling personal data to…

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Consumer Finance new business falls by 3% in February

7th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell 3% in February, compared with the same month in 2016. Credit card and personal loan new business together fell by 4% compared with February 2016, while retail store and online credit new business was down by 5%.…

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