Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Refund fraud could be costing UK online retailers up to £5.76 billion a year, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth, funded by fraud prevention service, Cifas. The research found fraudsters have been using these channels to openly share techniques, target retailers, and sell fraudulent refunds as a paid service. Some ‘refund‑as‑a‑service’ vendors…
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The winners of the 2026 Credit & Collection Industry Awards have been announced following a live in-person event yesterday (Thursday 21st May) at Eastwood Hall, Nottingham. There were 19 winners (three of which were partnership wins) from the awards categories, which were presented by awards compere Eshaan Akbar. The Credit & Collections Industry Awards were…
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Consumer confidence increased this month, defying expectations, with the GfK index rising to minus 23, despite economic concerns affecting lower-income households’ purchasing intentions. Four measures were up and one was down, compared to last month’s announcement. Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, an NIQ Company, said “Consumers appear to be in a more generous mood…
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Around one in seven consumer insurance customers surveyed either decided against buying insurance or cancelled certain types of cover in the past year, new research from Premium Credit. The research found that 15% of consumers in the past year have cancelled or decided against cover, up from 11% in last year’s Insurance Index. Despite cancelling…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 9% in March 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In Q1 2026, new business in this market was 6% higher than in Q1 2025. The credit card and personal loans sectors together reported new business…
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Latest data from Moneyfacts has revealed that despite mortgage turmoil easing in April, first-time buyers remain under pressure from reduced choice and stretched affordability. Mortgage product choice has contracted by around 10% since the start of March, with higher loan-to-value deals (10% or less deposit or equity) falling by 14%, a blow to first-time buyers…
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Homebuyers are experiencing the highest mortgage affordability pressures in nearly 20 years, with repayments consuming 21.3% of gross income, according to UK Finance. The data showed that 723,000 house purchase mortgages advanced in 2025, up 17 per cent year-on-year with average borrower spends 21.3 per cent of gross income on repayments. The analysis shows significant…
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Latest data from the Bank of England has shown that consumer credit growth climbing to 8.9%, exceeding the 8.6% recorded in February. Within this total, the annual growth rate for credit card borrowing increased to 12.3% from 12.1% a month earlier. Consumer deposits with banks and building societies increased by £5.5 billion in March. The…
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Latest data from the Equity Release Council has found that total lending fell to £574 million in Q1 2026, down 9% on the previous quarter (£632 million) and 14% year-on-year (£655 million). Customer numbers also declined, with 12,958 new and returning customers accessing housing wealth, down 7% on the quarter and 10% annually. The data…
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Latest data from Rightmove has found that higher mortgage rates have pushed monthly repayments above the cost of renting for the first time since June 2025. The average advertised monthly rent across the UK is currently £1,547, compared to an average new monthly mortgage payment of £1,670. Rightmove used the current average asking price for…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a review into whether Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) help consumers understand borrowing costs, with the regulator seeking views on whether it should change how these are communicated in credit advertising. APRs indicate the yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and fees. A representative APR means at least half…
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Nearly one in eleven people in Britain say they are living with dental pain because they cannot get treatment, according to research by banking app thinkmoney. The data showed that while 11% of people say they avoid the dentist as they are scared of the drill, almost as many – nearly one in ten (9%)…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 5% in February 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In the first two months of 2026, new business in this market was 4% higher than in the same period in 2025. The credit card and…
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