Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The rising cost of living is driving a significant increase in credit card reliance according to new research by Money.co.uk. The research examined the spending habits consumers are using to cope with the increased cost of living. The research found that 1 in 4 (24.60%) Brits said that the cost of living is the main…
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The latest Bank of England figure has revealed that quoted household interest rates on credit cards rose significantly in July and are now at their highest level in nearly two and a half decades. New analysis from Freedom Finance has found that average credit card rates jumped 0.23 percentage points from June to hit 21.66%…
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A new study from Juniper Research has predicted that the number of BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) users will surpass 900 million globally by 2027, increasing from 360 million in 2022. The research says that the substantial growth of 157% will be driven by the anticipated economic downturn, which will increase the demand for low-cost…
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Latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 7% in June 2022 compared with the same month in 2021. In the first half of 2022, new business was 24% higher than in the same period in 2021. The credit card and personal loan sectors together…
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The Bank of England (BOE) has raised interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to 1.75%, the biggest rate rise in 14 years. The increase is the biggest increase in 27 years, with a prediction that inflation would hit 13% by the end of the year. It was the sixth consecutive raise and the biggest single…
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Latest quarterly figures from the Equity Release Council have found equity release lending reached a new quarterly high of £1.6 billion in Q2. The rise is the fourth consecutive quarterly period to close with record lending eith the total amount released in the first six months of 2022 surpassing £3.1 billon, a 36 per cent…
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New research from open banking platform, Tink, reveals that over a quarter (28%) of the UK’s self-employed struggle to access the financial services they require, leading many to believe the current system works against them due to their employment status. According to the survey of consumers, a stark 27% of self-employed people feel they have…
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Latest Bank of England figures show that people turning to credit cards and loans to cope with the cost of living crisis are being hit by higher interest rates. Average credit card rates hit 21.43% in June, with this an 0.87 percentage point rise on a year ago when the average credit card rate was…
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The latest Bank of England household interest rate figures reveal the cost of borrowing continued to increase in June across consumer credit products following a warning from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for people in financial difficulty. The analysis from Freedom Finance found that average credit card rates jumped to 21.43% and are now approaching…
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Analysis from Freedom Finance has found that the retail store and online credit sector experienced its fastest ever start to a year in 2022 and looks set to reach further highs this year, Monthly updates from consumer finance trade body, the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), show that new business volumes reached £2,120 million in…
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Poor credit scores are putting 20.2 million consumers at risk of paying an extra £693 interest on credit card balances according to new research by TotallyMoney. The credit app has calculated the cost of a poor credit score for those with interest-bearing credit card balances finding that those with a credit card balance of £2,472,…
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Buy now, pay later (BNPL) finance firm, Payl8r, is calling for the adoption of open banking as a legal requirement for credit assessing in the same way that credit checks are, to ensure safer lending for borrowers in the face of rising costs of living. Payl8r says open banking technology connects banks, third parties and…
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Consumers cut back on credit card borrowing in May, according to figures from the Bank of England. Consumer borrowing fell to a four-month low of £800 million in May, from £1.4 billion in April, with May’s total also below the pre-pandemic average of £1bn. Analysis shows that credit card loans accounted for £400 million of…
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