Third of lending market is underserved due to affordability regulatory fears

A third (30%) of the lending market is being underserved amid heightening scrutiny around affordability and compliance rules designed to raise the bar for how lending decisions are made, according to the latest market study from Chartis Research and LexisNexis® Risk Solutions. In line with HM Treasury’s push to expand access to affordable credit, nearly…

Read more

£110.8bn of new lending was distributed in the eight months to August 2026

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that FLA members across the asset finance, consumer finance and motor finance markets provided £110.8 billion of new lending in the eight months to August 2026, 4% higher than in the same period in 2025. Of this total 27.5 billion was provided to…

Read more

One in three parents ‘too busy’ to plan future finances

15th October 2026 Consumer Lending | #finances#planning

One in five (20%), the equivalent of around 10.4 million people aged 18-802, are not planning for their financial futures because they are ‘too busy’ according to research by Standard Life.. While financial pressures are an obvious barrier to saving for retirement, with over half (52%) of those who worry they are not saving enough…

Read more

Mortgage rates soar to 6%

6th October 2026 Consumer Lending | #mortgage rates

The average interest rate for a new five-year fixed mortgage has reached 6%, the highest in three years, according to Moneyfacts latest analysis The data shows that the number of sub-5% fixed mortgage deals has plunged by 99%, from 1,494 since the start of September 2026 to just nine today. This figure excludes deals that…

Read more

One in five remortgage borrowers consider variable rate to avoid payment shock

Around one in five remortgage borrowers were considering variable and tracker mortgages in September while first-time buyers’ interest in variable rate products collapsed, new Money Facts analysis has found. The data in September, 21% of remortgage borrowers researching mortgages on Moneyfactscompare.co.uk were considering variable or tracker mortgages, compared with 14% in July. Whilst  7% of homemovers…

Read more

Mortgage borrowing increased to £4.4bn in August

30th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #mortgage borrowing

The latest Bank of England Money & Credit statistics for August find that mortgage borrowing increased to £4.4 billion in August, from £4.1 billion in July, but remained below the previous 6-month average of £5.2 billion. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases – an indicator of future borrowing – decreased to 54,900 in August, down…

Read more

Consumer finance falls by 1%

24th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #consumer finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance providers advanced £10.3 billion of new credit in July 2026, 1% lower than in the same month in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, new business in this market was 4% higher than in the same period in 2025.…

Read more

Four in five say paying off debts is important before retiring

17th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #retirement

New research from Standard Life has found that among those aged 55-70 with a defined contribution pension found 90% of those yet to retire want to have their finances as simple and straightforward as possible before retiring, whilst over half of all those aged 55-70 with a DC pension (54%) view retirement as an opportunity to…

Read more

Consumer spending hits 13-month high

9th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #consumer spending

Consumer spending reached a 13-month high in August, driven by a resurgence in entertainment and travel, according to analysis by Barclays. Card spending grew by 2.1 % year-on-year in August, building on July’s 2.0 % increase, but remaining below the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.1 %. Both essential and non-essential spending increased 2.1 %,…

Read more

Low-deposit mortgages hit highest share in 18 years

9th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Latest Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics for Quarter 2 data from the Bank of England, have shown that low-deposit mortgages hit their highest share in 18 years. The data also showed that the value of outstanding mortgage balances with arrears decreased by 1.9% from the previous quarter to £19.7 billion, the lowest since 2023 Q3,…

Read more

Major lenders reprice as mortgage rate rises loom

7th September 2026 Consumer Lending | #mortgage rates

Major lenders have raised mortgage rates to catch up with recent rises in swap rates, according to the latest Moneyfactscompare.co.uk analysis. Over the coming days, more lenders are expected to review mortgage rates in response to higher swap rates, with HSBC and NatWest so far the biggest banks to increase rates since the start of…

Read more

Mortgage borrowing and approvals fall

Latest Bank of England data shows mortgage approvals fell to 56,100 in July, down from 58,215 in June and below the six-month average of 60,800, as higher borrowing costs weighed on housing demand. The figure was below the average of around 60,800 over the previous six months. Approvals for remortgaging increased to 34,500 from 34,100,…

Read more

Parents give children £403 a year in pocket money

2nd September 2026 Consumer Lending | #pocket money

New research by Confused.com has found that 66% currently give their child regular pocket money. A further 8% have done so in the past and 19% plan to start in the future. Among parents who currently give or previously gave pocket money and provided an amount, the most common weekly payment is £5 to £9.99…

Read more

1 2 3 … 102