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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Report: Credit card map of Britain

5th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

‘Managing debt is consumers’ is a top priority when it comes to credit cards a new report from MoneySuperMarket today reveals. The report analysed two million inquiries from its Smart Search eligibility tool to reveal what Brits look for most when searching for a credit card. More than 100 credit cards were grouped into four…

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Industry reaction on new proposed FCA rules for credit card firms

4th April 2017 Consumer Collections |

In response to the FCA credit card market study consultation paper issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Richard Koch, Head of Policy at The UK Cards Association, said: “We welcome the FCA’s considered proposals and support their view that the overall package is robust, and that the combined effect will address the concerns it…

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FCA proposes new credit card rules to help millions get out of debt

3rd April 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed new rules to help customers who are in persistent credit card debt. This follows the FCA’s study of the UK credit card market, which found significant concerns about the scale extent and nature of problem credit card debt.  Under the FCA’s definition, credit card customers are in persistent…

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TUC sounds alarm over rising household debt level

31st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Commenting on figures published by the ONS today (Friday), which shows that unsecured borrowing is at its highest level (as a share of household income) in 8 years, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Today’s figures should set alarm bells ringing.  The last thing our economy needs right now is another consumer debt crisis. But…

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Financial fraud amounts to loss of £768.8 million

30th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Financial fraud losses across payment cards, remote banking and cheques totalled £768.8 million in 2016, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year, figures from Financial Fraud Action UK show. The new data shows banks and card companies prevented £1.38 billion of fraud last year, equivalent to £6.40 in every £10 of attempted…

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Card spending up by £5 billion year on year

20th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

The UK Card Payments Association has releases the latest card expenditure statistics for January 2017. Highlights include: Payment card spending in January 2017 was £57.1 billion, up by £0.5 billion (0.8 per cent) on December pending was up by £5 billion year on year The number of purchases reached a new monthly record of 1.3 billion…

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Capital One announces new head of UK Business

14th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Capital One Financial Corporation has announced the appointment of Amy Lenander as UK CEO.  Lenander will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and general management of the UK credit card portfolio, replacing Chris Newkirk who has recently been appointed President of International and Small Business Card at Capital One. Since joining Capital One as…

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March 2017: Money Statistics

14th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for March 2017: Personal debt in the UK The average total debt per household – including mortgages – was £56,310 in January. The revised figure for December was £56,148. Based on January 2017 trends, the UK’s total interest repayments on personal debt over a 12…

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Consumer finance rises by 10% in January

10th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 10% in consumer finance new business in January, compared with the same month in 2016. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 11% compared with January 2016, while retail store and online credit new business increased by 1%.…

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Report: Household debt – statistics and impact on economy

6th March 2017 Consumer Collections |

The government has published a report on Household debt. The report includes the latest statistics and forecasts for household debt in the UK and international comparisons. There is also a guide explaining how to understand and interpret household debt statistics and a summary of research looking at its effects on the economy. In the report…

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Consumers spent £647 billion using payment cards in 2016

2nd March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Consumers spent £647 billion using payment cards in 2016, new figures fromThe UK Cards Association show. There were 14.8 billion card transactions in 2016, equivalent to 40.5 million transactions a day or 469 a second, data from The UK Cards Association shows. Three-quarters of retail spending (76.4 per cent) was on payment cards. Retail spending on…

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