Credit Reference Agency announces plans to include BNPL data on consumer credit reports

Global information and insights provider TransUnion has announced it is set to accept Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) finance into UK consumer credit files, becoming the first credit reference agency in the UK to do so. Following extensive research and product innovation, buy now, pay later finance – also known as deferred payment credit –…

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Spending and credit card balances increased over the Christmas period

10th February 2022 Consumer Lending | #credit cards

Latest data from Fico has indicated that spending and credit card balances increased over the Christmas period. The average active balance continued its strong upward trend at £1,550 in December, although it will take several more months of continuous growth to reach the £1,719 average seen in December 2019. The percentage of payments to balance…

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Consumer spending slowed in January with Plan B restriction keeping consumers at home

9th February 2022 Consumer Lending | #spend

Data collected by Barclaycard reveals that growth in spending on debit and credit cards slowed in January as Plan B restrictions kept consumers at home. The analysis showed that spending increased by 7.4% in January compared with pre-pandemic levels in January 2020, the lowest level of growth since April 2021. Fuel spending rose by 6.7%,…

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Incomplete data means 5 million are needlessly ‘financially excluded’

More than 5 million adults are unnecessarily financially excluded, meaning they could potentially struggle to access affordable and fair financial services and the most affordable home energy and broadband deals, according to research conducted by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. The report found that 1 in 7 adults in the UK (c.7.1 million people) fall into the…

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Klarna to launch card

28th January 2022 Company News | #Buy now pay later

Global banking, payments and shopping service, Klarna has announced the launch of Klarna Card in the UK, which it says will give consumers with greater control, transparency and choice over how they pay. The new physical card will bring Klarna’s flexible and transparent payments experience to in-store payments anywhere where cards are accepted. The launch…

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Card spending in January up 27% compared to 2020

25th January 2022 Consumer Lending | #consumer spending

Retail debit card spending soared 27% in the first two weeks of January compared to 2020, months before the pandemic hit, according to latest data from Lloyds Bank. The research found that 42% more was spent at restaurants and bars, whilst high-street stores, such as clothing outlets (34%), electrical goods stores (27%) and department stores…

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Older homeowners release a record £4.4bn in property wealth

20th January 2022 Consumer Lending | #Private equity

Older homeowners released a record £4.4 billion in property wealth last year at a rate of more than £12 million a day as customers helped family and secured their own finances by repaying debt or remortgaging existing borrowing, data from the UK’s leading equity release adviser Key shows. Around one in five equity release plans (19%) taken…

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Buy-now, pay-later spending rose by £1bn over Christmas

The amount of Christmas shopping put on buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) rose by £1billion in 2021 according to new analysis by Credit Karma. The research found that as Banks and retailers continue to jump on the increasing popularity of the BNPL payment method, with its high approval rates, 52% of consumers view BNPL as ‘easy credit.’…

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Lenders report lower borrowing demand

14th January 2022 Consumer Lending | #consumer lending

Lenders have reported a lower borrowing demand at the close of the year according to a new report from the Bank of England (BoE). The quarterly survey of banks and building societies found that demand for secured lending for house purchases fell in the final quarter of last year. The demand for mortgages fell back…

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Card spending increases to two-year high

Black Friday and Christmas has helped card average spending to increase to a new over two-year high according to new analysis of UK card trends for November 2021 by FICO. With average spending and cash usage rising, the data was typical of previous festive seasons. However, a drop in the percentage of payments to balance…

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Consumer card spending grew 12.2% per cent in December

11th January 2022 Consumer Lending | #consumer spending

Consumer card spending increased 12.2 per cent in December compared to the same period in 2019, as Brits finished their final preparations for Christmas. However, the impact of restrictions and fears over the Omicron variant began to take effect across the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the…

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Huge age discrepancy in credit score attitudes highlighted in research

New research by Lowell has highlighted a huge age discrepancy in credit score attitudes. The research found that almost one-third (32%) of the 16–24-year-olds who know how to check their credit score, check it multiple times a month. According to the data, those aged 55 and over (15%) are most likely to check their credit…

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House prices rise at fastest pace since 2007

10th January 2022 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

The average price of a property in the UK increased by more than £24,500 last year to hit a new record high of £276,091, according to the Halifax. The 9.8% rise during 2021 was the fastest increase for any calendar year since a 12.5% rise in 2004. The mortgage lender said buyers sought more space…

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