Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Tesco Bank has announced that it has ceased new mortgage lending and is actively exploring options to sell its existing mortgage portfolio, including the complete transfer of related balances and ongoing administration of relevant accounts. The Bank, which has offered mortgages since 2012, currently serves over 23,000 customers with total lending balances of £3.7billion. Gerry…
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The average consumer doesn’t begin to worry about their debt until it hits £6,012, a new study has found. The research also revealed many only consider themselves to be ‘in debt’ once they are £3,882 in the red. But they only begin to see the deficit as a ‘serious concern’ when they owe more than…
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The latest UK card stats reveal that the growth in credit card spending is down to 4.9% in February. In February 2018 the corresponding figure was 8.3%. However, the use of credit cards continues to increase as a payment method in the UK. There were 246 million transactions on cardholders’ credit cards in February 2019,…
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The number of complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) about fraud and scams has surged to record highs, figures show. The 40% rise in grievances after people have been tricked out of their money has pushed the overall number of complaints to its highest level in five years. For the first time in ten…
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The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has released its latest complaints data which shows that complaints against high-cost short term loan providers (payday lending) rose by 130% in March. High-cost short term lending complaints accounted for 39,715 of the new disputes. FOS said the surge of complaints in the sector contributed to a 14% rise in…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the number of second charge mortgage repossessions in Q1 2019 was 24, 47.8% lower than in the first quarter of 2018. The rate of second charge mortgage repossessions (as a percentage of outstanding agreements) was 0.08% in the twelve months to March 2019.…
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Three in ten (28%) consumers ran a ‘deficit budget’ in the past month, spending more during the month than they received in income, according to new research from R3, the insolvency trade body, and ComRes. One in six consumers (17%) spent up to £100 more than they received in income over the past month; 7%…
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Free debt advice specialist, PayPlan, has surveyed its clients to find out how being in debt has impacted their mental health. The survey found that over 85% of clients reported that being in debt negatively impacted their mental health, reporting feelings of stress (91%), anxiety (84%) and depression (68%). Almost half of those surveyed visited…
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The Treasury Committee has published a new unanimously-agreed Report on consumers’ access to financial services. The report says access to financial services and financial inclusion are issues of fundamental importance to the Treasury Committee, UK consumers, and also the functioning of the economy. Everyone can be vulnerable at some point, so financial inclusion matters to everybody,…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 2% in March compared with the same month last year. In Q1 2019 as a whole, new business was at a similar level to Q1 2018. Retail store and online credit new business increased by 4% in…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point of sale (POS) consumer car finance market fell 1% by volume in March, compared with the same month in 2018. The corresponding value of new business was at a similar level to March 2018. The POS consumer new…
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Homeowner mortgages in arrears figures remain at historically low levels according to the latest figures from UK Finance. The figures published reveal that there were 76,580 homeowner mortgages in arrears of 2.5 per cent or more in the first quarter of 2019, four per cent fewer than in the same quarter of 2018. Whilst the…
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Challenger bank Monzo has announced that it has launched a new feature that lets customers switch energy supplier in minutes, from the Monzo app. Monzo says the new app feature will give customers a quick, convenient way to get a good deal on their energy, and avoid paying more than they need to. People can…
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