Nearly eight in ten denied a loan say outdated affordability criteria was a key factor

New research, by card issuing platform Marqeta, has indicated that nearly eight in ten (79%) were denied a loan say outdated affordability criteria was a key factor. The data from a survey of European consumers on their attitudes and experiences of lending shows that many consumers still feel frozen out of the lending bubble, held…

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Half of young people think the current credit score system is flawed

1st April 2022 Consumer Lending | #featured

More than half (54 per cent) of young people, aged 18-34, think the current credit score system is fundamentally flawed according to new research from MyLifeKit. More than 44 per cent of all other respondents, aged 35 and older, also agreed that credit scores are flawed, contributing to an average of 46 per cent of…

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Travel-related average credit card spend increases 453%

1st April 2022 Consumer Lending | #credit card

Credit provider, NewDay has published insights into its customers’ spending trends for the first two months of 2022. The data showed consumers prioritised booking holidays, with average credit card spend on hotels, flights and travel bookings increasing 453% in January and February year-on-year (YoY) as consumers took advantage of reduced global travel restrictions. The further…

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Credit card borrowing hits record high

Latest figures from the Bank of England (BoE) has indicated that consumers borrowed a net £1.5 billion on credit cards in February, the highest monthly amount since records began in 1993. The figures showed that lending to consumers rose by the most in nearly five years in February, jumping 90% compared to January. Consumer credit…

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Men feel optimistic about finances despite credit reliance

28th March 2022 Consumer Lending | #credit

Men are 50% more likely than women to feel more optimistic about their finances than ever before – a quarter of men (25%) felt this way compared to just 15% of women according to research by Creditspring. However, men are also more likely to rely on credit, with around one in six (15%) men admitting…

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Five million ‘credit invisible’ consumers at risk of exclusion from financial system

New research from Experian has revealed that there are over 5 million (5,049,129) people in the UK who are virtually invisible to the financial system, because there is insufficient information available about their financial track record. These people, referred to as credit Invisibles, find it difficult to access mainstream financial services or have to pay…

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Increase in prime borrowers using second-charge mortgages

A new report by Evolution Funding has found an increase in the number of prime borrowers who are taking out second-charge mortgages. The report says the second-charge product split by volume of mortgages is 73% for traditional debt consolidation borrowers, compared to 27% of prime borrowers in the three months to the end of February.…

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Seven in ten people feel overwhelmed by financial jargon

New research commissioned by the Post Office has found that seven in ten people are left feeling overwhelmed by the amount of jargon used around money and savings. Half admitted they did not understand personal loans, APR (Annual Percentage Rate), interest rates, tax codes, dividends, rebates or the stock market. Whilst just a fifth are…

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CMA criticises banks over Open Banking breaches

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has criticised Lloyds and Barclays for mistakes made when giving information to price comparison websites, potentially misleading customers and breaking open banking rules. The CMA outlined a number of instances where the two banks breached the 2017 Retail Banking Market Investigation Order in relation to open APIs. The CMA said both…

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Consumer spending jumps 19% 

22nd March 2022 Consumer Lending | #spending

Consumer spending grew by close to a fifth (19%) in February compared to the same month in 2021, despite the rising cost of living starting to show signs of impacting behaviour, according to Nationwide’s latest Spending Report. The Spending Report is a full monthly breakdown of around 190 million debit and credit card and direct…

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Monthly housing costs for buying is almost £1400 cheaper than renting

The monthly housing costs for first-time buyers are now £115 (13%) lower than the cost of renting an equivalent home, and the difference could add up to more than £27,600 over a 25-year mortgage, according to analysis by Halifax. The Halifax Buying vs Renting Review is based on the housing costs associated with a mortgage…

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Mortgage affordability is a growing barrier to buying a home

18th March 2022 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

A Property Tracker Report from the Building Societies Association (BSA) has highlighted that mortgage affordability is a growing barrier to buying a home. The data reveals that just 18% of people think now is a good time to buy a property. This is the lowest figure seen since the Report began at the height of…

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Bank of England Interest rate rises to 0.75% – industry reaction

18th March 2022 Consumer Lending | #interest rates

The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75% as it looks to tackle soaring inflation, which has hit a three-decade high of 5.5% and is set to climb higher still. The rate increase,  the third in four months, takes rates to the highest level since March 2020. The Bank has…

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