Consumers have overpaid £7bn in mortgages over past 6 months

3rd August 2021 Consumer Collections |

New research by LifeSearch has found that 7% of Brits have overpaid on their mortgage over the past six months with on average, those who have overpaid their mortgages have done so at an average rate of £319 per month, which across the UK as a whole, is £1.5 billion a month or £7 billion…

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Consumer finance new business grows by 28%

3rd August 2021 Consumer Collections |

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 28% in June 2021 compared with the same month in 2020.  In the first half of 2021, new business was 18% higher than in the same period in 2020. The retail store and online credit sector reported…

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Consumers have repaid £2.4bn of their debts

2nd August 2021 Consumer Collections |

New research by LifeSearch has found that 14% of consumers have repaid debts in the last six months, rising to 20% of Generation Y (aged 25-39);  an average of £319 was repaid per month, totalling £2.4 billion nationwide, and rising to £469 pm among the over 55s. A further 7% have overpaid on their mortgage,…

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Borrowers releasing equity from homes nears pre-pandemic levels

30th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

The number of borrowers releasing equity from their homes has neared pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest figures from the Equity Release Council (ERC). There were 20,352 new and returning customers in the market between April and June, a rise from 16,527 in Q1 2021 and 13,617 in…

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Mortgage borrowing hits record high

30th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Latest Bank of England (BOE) data has shown that mortgage borrowing hit a record monthly high in June, climbing to £17.9 billlon. This marks a 163% jump on the £6.8bn recorded in May. The increase came as buyers looked to complete deals before the stamp duty holiday started to taper. While the threshold at which…

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Barclays sees profits soar

29th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Barclays reported a large rise in first-half profit driven by a drop in credit impairment charges as the economy recovers. Pre-tax profit for the six months through June jumped to £4.98 billion, up from £1.27 billion year-on-year. Credit impairment releases fell to £742 million, down from £3.79 billion, more than offsetting a 3% drop in…

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Virgin Money’s personal lending and mortgage numbers grow

29th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Virgin Money has cut the amount of money put by for bad debts in the pandemic, releasing £19 million of cash set aside for loans that could turn sour in its third quarter. The lender added that the remaining £678 million of provisions could be cut further alongside full-year results if the rebound in the…

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Money Statistics: July 2021

28th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for July 2021 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,721.3 billion at the end of May 2021. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £61,933 and per adult was £32,544, around 108.7% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by…

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One in three retiring in debt this year

28th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Nearly one in three people are retiring in debt this year with an average £20,650 to pay off, new research by equity release adviser Key, has indicated. People expecting to retire this year are facing debts around a fifth higher than those who finished work last year the study shows – although the number of…

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Card spending rise suggests consumers are adjusting to ‘new normal’

28th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

New spending analysis of UK card trends by FICO for May 2021,  suggests that some consumers are practising pragmatic financial management, as well as continuing to make use of savings accrued during the pandemic. There are, however, warning signs of the financial pressure growing for those already in debt. Whilst the effects of a full…

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Starling Bank acquires Fleet Mortgages

27th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Starling Bank has agreed to a £50 million deal to acquire for buy-to-let mortgage group Fleet Mortgages. The deal is the first acquisition by the Goldman Sachs-backed start-up that is targeting an initial public offering within two years. Fleet Mortgages, based in Hampshire, focuses on providing mortgages to professional and semi-professional buy-to-let landlords, only via…

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Tesco Bank to close personal current accounts

27th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

Tesco Bank has announced that all Tesco Bank Personal Current Accounts will close from Tuesday 30th November 2021. Tesco Bank’s Current Account was closed to new business in December 2019 and will now also close for existing customers. Tesco Bank will write to Current Account customers to inform them of the closure of their account…

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Call for policy-makers to back tailored forbearance

26th July 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Credit Services Association (CSA) is urging policy-makers to take extra care before prescribing detailed forbearance schemes that could make a customer’s debt problems worse not better. The CSA believes that constraining the flexibility that exists in the current regulatory framework, and which enables customers and their creditors to agree solutions based on an individual’s…

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