Financial complaints increase

Complaints in the banking and insurance sectors have increased in the first half of this year, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The rise in banking and credit complaints has driven the increase in grievances taken to the ombudsman. Mortgage and home finance complaints have edged up compared to the previous six months, while…

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Concerns raised over longer mortgages and rise in credit card use

The Bank of England’s Financial Stability Report has forecast a continued rise in households with high debt servicing ratios and an increase in the use of consumer credit. The report says that while households and businesses are already facing cost-of-living pressures and higher borrowing costs, the full impact of higher interest rates has yet to through…

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Three in five 50-79-year-olds distrust financial firms

11th October 2023 Consumer Lending | #featured

A new survey by LiveMore has revealed a lack of trust in financial service providers among those aged 50 to 79. LiveMore’s latest findings closely mirror those of a similar survey conducted by the compnay in October 2022, which reported a trust shortfall of 58%. Women were slightly more mistrusting than men, with percentages of…

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Consumers cut back to save for festive season

10th October 2023 Consumer Lending | #consumer spending

Latest credit card spending figures from Barclays have shown a shift towards saving. The data shows that consumers are cutting back on eating out and reining in on buying takeaways to save up for the expensive the Christmas season season. Consumer card spending grew 4.2 per cent year-on-year in September – less than the latest CPIH*…

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Consumer finance new business falls by 7%

9th October 2023 Consumer Lending | #consumer credit

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell in August 2023 by 7% compared with the same month in 2022. In the first eight months of 2023, new business remained 3% lower than in the same period in 2022. The retail store and online credit sector…

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Consumer car finance fell by 11% in August

9th October 2023 Consumer Lending | #car finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) have shown that consumer car finance new business fell 11% by both value and volume in August 2023 compared with the same month in 2022. In the first eight months of 2023, new business was 6% lower by both value and volume compared with the…

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Rising fuel prices impact motorist driving habits

4th October 2023 Consumer Lending |

Rising petrol and diesel costs are forcing drivers in the UK to change their driving habits, according to the latest research from carwow. The company polled more than 1,400 motorists and 44% of respondents admit they have changed their driving habits as a direct result of rising fuel prices, with more than two thirds (69%)…

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UK consumers least likely to worry about cost of living impact on credit rating

4th October 2023 Consumer Lending | #credit reference

UK consumers are the least likely in Europe to worry about how the cost of living has impacted their credit rating, despite being among the most impacted by it. The research from CRIF, Europe’s leading provider of digital transformation solutions for the financial services industry, finds that only one in five (20%) British consumers are…

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Poor credit scores cost up to £272,000 more over a lifetime

3rd October 2023 Consumer Lending | #credit reference

A poor credit score could cost £272,302 in additional interest over a course of a lifetime (ages 20 – 68) compared to a good credit score. The in-depth study by free smart money platform, Credit Karma, found that someone in their 20s, who has a poor credit score, will pay hundreds of thousands of pounds more…

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Quarter of young homeowners opt for 35-year mortgages

A quarter of young homeowners, aged 29 and under, have opted for repayment terms of at least 35 years to make their monthly mortgage payments more affordable, according to Experian. This is up from one in 10 in 2020, an increase of 150%.   The increased cost of borrowing means that many people will be nearing retirement…

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Over two fifths of advisers see increase in demand for interest only mortgages

2nd October 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

With interest-only mortgages recently discussed as an appealing option for UK borrowers, over two fifths (44%) of mortgage advisers have seen an increase in enquiries about interest-only mortgages over the past year, according to new research from global research and insights agency Opinium. Additionally, similar research conducted from Opinium among consumers found that one in seven (15%)…

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Gen X and Millennials outspend Gen Z on BNPL

2nd October 2023 Alternative Consumer Lending | #BNPL

Millennials and Gen X said they spent more than Gen Z when it comes to using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) for online shopping over the past 12 months according to the latest Q3 2023 Consumer Pulse survey from a global information and insights company TransUnion. Compared to 54% of Millennials and 39% of Gen…

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Consumer credit borrowing increased by £1.3bn in August

2nd October 2023 Consumer Lending | #consumer credit

Latest Bank of England (BoE) data has shown that borrowing of consumer credit by individuals amounted to £1.6 billion in August, up from £1.3 billion in the previous month. Consumer credit growth rose to 7.6 percent in August 2023 with outstanding balances for consumer credit now standing at £217 billion. Net borrowing of mortgage debt by…

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