Online Collections Technology Think Tank 2.0 confirms line up

11th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Online Collections Technology Think Tank 2.0 has confirmed its agenda and speaker line-up ahead of the event next Thursday (18th March). The second Collections Technology Think Tank has been created as an online event platform so that collections professionals can specifically discuss the role of the technology as we potentially emerge from the pandemic,…

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Mortgage agreements hit 13 year high

11th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

The value of new mortgage agreements has reached a 13-year high after rising over 24% in Q4 according to new data from the Bank of England (BoE). The figures showed that more mortgages have been agreed for early 2021 than any time since the financial crisis Mortgage commitments (agreed for the coming months) were £87.7…

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Financial Education more effective than previously thought

11th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

A new report, released by The Money Charity has shown that Financial Education delivered using Active Learning Methods (ALMs), leads to big improvements in young people’s financial understanding. With the UK’s pupils returning to school this week, the charity is calling for more support in getting this vital subject the prominent and prioritised place on…

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‘Generation Covid’ targeted as money mules

10th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Young people whose job prospects have been impacted by the pandemic are being targeted online by criminals looking to recruit money mules to launder the profits of their crimes, UK Finance and Cifas have warned. The latest research from Cifas has revealed there were 17,157 cases of suspected money muling activity involving 21-30 year olds…

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Nearly three in ten women Over 50 are financially worse off from the pandemic

9th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Older women are one and a half times as likely to have seen their financial and mental health decline during the pandemic than men according to research by SunLife. The company’s report ‘Exploring the impact of the pandemic on Over 50s’ also found that older women are more likely than men to have seen their…

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Consumers in Kingston upon Thames have the highest average credit score

9th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

People living in Kingston upon Thames (KT) have the highest average credit scores in the country, according to analysis price comparison site MoneySuperMarket. The company’s Credit Monitor analysis of over 200,000 credit reports revealed that those with a KT postcode have the highest average credit score at 586 out of a possible 710 points,  17…

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Exizent and Scottish Building Society agree bereavement notification partnership

9th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Technology firm, Exizent has announced a pilot project with Scottish Building Society to help families navigate legal and financial processes when an account holder passes away The new system aims to simplify the entire journey, from notice that a customer has died, to identifying their accounts, releasing any funds held, and closing the case. The…

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Average spend on credit cards falls 14%

8th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Furlough and forbearance appear to be masking the true impact of the pandemic, which may well lull politicians and lenders into a false sense of security according to software provider FICO. The company’s analysis of UK card trends for January 2021 has highlighted a mixed and perhaps confusing picture of UK consumer finances. The company’s…

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Guarantor loans top FOS financial complaints list

4th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Latest date from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has shown that guarantor loans were the most complained-about product during the three months period between October to December 2020. The new figures mean that Guarantor loans have overtaken Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) as the most complained about product that the Financial Ombudsman Service adjudicates on. Complaints…

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SPRING BUDGET 2021: Chancellor announces furlough extension measures.

4th March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the extension of several Covid-19 support schemes until the end of September, including the furlough scheme, self-employed income and an extension of the universal credit uplift as part of his budget announcement. In response to the budget debt charity StepChange says that the budget announcement extends much-needed support for people…

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Pandemic set to tip 370,000–480,000 households into debt

2nd March 2021 Consumer Collections |

The number of households experiencing problem debt could rise to 1.5 million by the middle of the year, the highest level since the period following the global financial crisis and an increase of 370,000–480,000 since the start of the pandemic, according to research published by Pro Bono Economics for Citizens Advice. The report also suggests…

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Households paid back £2.4bn of debt in January

2nd March 2021 Consumer Collections |

Latest Bank of England data released shows that households paid back £2.4 billion of borrowing on credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts in the first month of 2021. The total amount outstanding on credit cards and loans shrank to £199.4 billion, falling below £200billion for the first time since April 2017. Consumer borrowing fell at…

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Government completes sale of financial crisis ‘bad bank’

1st March 2021 Consumer Collections |

The Government has announced that it has completed the £5 billion pound sale of the final chunk of its ‘bad bank’ comprising failed lenders Bradford & Bingley (B&B) and Northern Rock (NRAM0. The Government says that the final sale constitutes a significant milestone in the work to achieve the government’s objective of returning the institutions…

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