Mortgage affordability reached an historic low in September

16th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has published it’s latest research identifying underlying mortgage lending trends. Paul Smee, director general of the CML, said “House purchase activity appears to have steadied, we may not be seeing huge increases in activity on the scale of 2013-14 but there is a consistency in the levels in recent months. Mortgage…

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Consumer finance rises 7% in September

11th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

The latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 7% in consumer finance new business in September, compared with the same month last year. In Q3 2016, new business was also up by 7% compared with the same quarter in 2015. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 8%…

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Second-charge mortgage repossessions decrease 36% in Q3

11th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the number of second-charge mortgage repossessions in Q3 2016 was 36, down 35.7% on the same quarter in 2015. Commenting on the figures, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the FLA, said “The third quarter of 2016 saw further…

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Mortgage arrears still at 20-year low in third quarter

11th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

The overall mortgage arrears rate in the third quarter was the same as in the second quarter, with 0.84% of all mortgages recording arrears equivalent to more than 2.5% of the mortgage balance. This continues to represent the lowest arrears rate for over 20 years according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders latest statistics. The…

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Aberdeenshire Council trials social media collecions

7th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Aberdeenshire Council is sending messages through Facebook and WhatsApp in a bid to recoup unpaid rent. The Council has been contacting people living in council homes who are in debt using methods other than just post. A total of 35 evictions were carried out by the local authority in 2015/16, with £104,830 owed to the council.…

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Perth and Kinross Council forced to write-off nearly £300,000 of debt

7th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Perth and Kinross Council was forced to write-off nearly £300,000 of outstanding debts mainly due to rent arrears. In response to the problem the local authority launched its Rent 1st campaign to highlight the importance of making payments and offering extra support and advice for people who are struggling to pay. Now the housing and health…

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Central Trust appoints Regulatory Consultant

4th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Central Trust has announced the appointment of a Regulatory Consultant to its board of directors. Jane McMahon has joined the second charge mortgage lender as a regulatory consultant. As well as Central Trust, McMahon has also been appointed as regulatory consultant for Central Trust Syndicate Number One Limited, Central Loans Limited, Commercial Trust Limited and…

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The London Institute of Banking & Finance launches new Diploma

19th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

The London Institute of Banking & Finance has launched launched a CeMAP® Diploma. The new CeMAP® Diploma builds upon the success of The London Institute of Banking & Finance’s industry-leading level 3 qualification CeMAP®. To gain the advanced qualification, advisers will need to complete a new level 4 Advanced Mortgage Advice unit, building on CeMAP’s…

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September mortgage sales up by £1.2 billion

18th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

Equifax Touchstone analysis of the intermediary marketplace reveals significant growth in the mortgage market with sales up £1.2bn in September, a rise of 8.4% on August. Residential and buy-to-let sales for the month totalled £15.1billion. September buy-to-let figures jumped by 19.0% to £2.9billion, while residential sales increased by 6.2% to £12.2billion. Regional performance for the…

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Mortgage arrears on the rise again

12th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Money Charity has released statistics indicating that after years of steady falls, cases of mortgage arrears have risen for the second quarter in a row. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, at the end of Q2 2016 there were 218,279 mortgage loan accounts with arrears of more than 1.5% of the current loan balance.  This…

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Cerberus buys £2 billion book of loans from Ulster Bank

11th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

Ulster Bank has sold off £2 billion tranche of loans to Cerberus.  The portfolio consists 900 mortgages, across Ireland. Around 14% of the debt is based in Northern Ireland. A spokesman for Ulster Bank said: “Ulster Bank has confirmed the completion of a sale of significantly impaired loan portfolio, predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, enabling…

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Consumer Finance continues to grow

10th October 2016 Consumer Collections |

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 16% in consumer finance new business in August, compared with the same month last year. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 17% compared with August 2015, while retail store and online credit new business increased by 6%…

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Consumer Credit increase as mortgages hit 19 month low

28th September 2016 Consumer Collections |

Consumer credit has grown by 6.4% over the year to August, the fastest rate of growth for nearly 10 years according to the latest British Banker Association (BBA) statistics. It is thought the increase has been driven by ultra-low interest rates, people are borrowing more on credit cards and through loans and overdrafts. The number of…

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