New Financial Services Bill receives Royal Assent

30th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

The UK has taken an important first step in shaping its own financial services regulation outside the EU with the new Financial Services Bill receiving Royal Assent. The Bill, which is now an Act, will ensure the UK remains an open and dynamic financial centre, with the highest regulatory standards, and protect people across the…

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Lending Technology Think Tank review

29th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Credit Connect’s hosted its first-ever Online Lending Technology Think Tank last week which saw lending strategies and the future of the sector discussed by thirteen leading professionals from a variety of lending sectors. The themes of fraud, open banking, credit risk and the future of lending were discussed by panellists and Chair Chris Warburton from…

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Community access to cash pilots scheme launches

28th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

A pilot scheme testing solutions to local cash access being trialled in several locations across the UK. Funded by the banking and finance industry, the Community Access to Cash Pilot is testing measures that enable consumers and small businesses to deposit or exchange cash and receive face-to-face support from branch staff. Two ‘BankHubs’ have opened…

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Money Statistics: April 2021

27th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Here is an overview of The Money Charity’s latest statistics for April 2021 Personal debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,698.4 billion at the end of February 2021. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £60,935 and per adult was £32,053, around 108.2% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by…

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Nearly two in five consumers plan to save more of their income after the pandemic

27th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Nearly two in five (39%) consumers,  equivalent to 20 million people, plan to save a higher share of their income after the pandemic than they did before, including 17% who plan to save significantly more according to research by financial mutual Scottish Friendly and the Centre for Economics research. The business research has also revealed…

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Nearly half of households fear that they will run out of money

27th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Since the pandemic began, 45% of households have started scrutinising their finances more regularly, compared to just 4% who said they paid less attention to their spending, according to new research from comparethemarket.com. The research also found that for those who are paying closer attention to their outgoings,  nearly half (45%) are concerned about running…

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Financial Service firms should demonstrate statutory duty of care to customers

26th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

The House of Lords Liaison Committee has called on the Government to introduce a new requirement for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to establish a statutory duty of care that banks and other financial services providers must operate towards their customers. The call comes in a new report from the House of Lords Liaison Committee…

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Quarter of BNPL customers can’t afford to pay household bills

26th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

A quarter of young people making Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) repayments haven’t been able to pay for food, rent or household bills as a result of the commitment, research by Citizens Advice has found. The research shows 45% of 18 to 34 year olds in the UK have used Buy Now Pay Later in…

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Financial fraud cases rise by a third

23rd April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Complaints about fraud made to companies in the finance sector were up by almost a third (29%) in 2020, according to Resolver’s latest research. The Fraud complaint figures rose by 29% to hit more than 3,600 in 2020 with the report revealing that accounts being opened fraudulently using fake identification, from bank accounts to payday…

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One in ten finding it difficult to pay for housing

22nd April 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Government’s Second WaveHousehold Resilience Study has indicated that one in ten mortgagors (712,000) and one in five private renters said it has been difficult to pay for housing in the past year with 12% of people were behind with at least one household bill. Among private renters, this rose to 24%. Private renters were…

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37% of consumers estimated to be using BNPL

22nd April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) specialist travel agency, Butter has predicted that the UK BNPL sector will be worth £26.8bn by 2024, a 175% increase driven by an increasing market share of the UK’s e-commerce market. The company says that the BNPL sector has established a firm foothold within the UK, driven in prominence by…

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Card spending falls to its lowest point since the first lockdown

21st April 2021 Consumer Collections |

Latest UK Finance card spending data for January has revealed that the number and value of debit card and credit card purchases fell to its lowest point since the first lockdown. Credit card spending fell to £10.7 billion in January, down 37.9 per cent compared to January 2020. With high street shops closed due to lockdown…

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Mortgage loyalty costs £1,000 a year

20th April 2021 Consumer Collections |

New analysis has indicated that 42% of people whose fixed-term mortgages have ended since lockdown began in March 2020 may be paying a ‘loyalty penalty’ of high interest according to new Citizens Advice research. The charity found one in five (21%) customers who did not switch said the process was too time-consuming. Many have also…

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