Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Bank of England has maintained the base interest rate at 3.75% but warned that rates could increase this year as officials look to curb inflation following a ‘significant energy price shock’ from the conflict in the Middle East. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted eight to one to keep rates unchanged, with Chief…
Read more
Two men have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to a combined two years and eleven months for working together to sell fraudulent SMS spamming services online to fraudsters. The sentencing follows investigation and arrest by a specialist banking industry-sponsored police unit, the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU). Between June 2020 and November…
Read more
Latest data from Rightmove has found that higher mortgage rates have pushed monthly repayments above the cost of renting for the first time since June 2025. The average advertised monthly rent across the UK is currently £1,547, compared to an average new monthly mortgage payment of £1,670. Rightmove used the current average asking price for…
Read more
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a review into whether Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) help consumers understand borrowing costs, with the regulator seeking views on whether it should change how these are communicated in credit advertising. APRs indicate the yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and fees. A representative APR means at least half…
Read more
Latest complaints data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for H2 2025 showed that financial services firms received 1.87m complaints, a 0.9% increase from 2025 H1 (1.85m) The main product groups to experience a notable increase in their complaint numbers were insurance & pure protection, which increased 10.1% from 717,523 (2025 H1) to 790,329 (2025…
Read more
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has led international action to stop illegal finfluencers putting consumers’ money at risk. Seventeen regulators worldwide took part in the ‘week of action’, which included enforcement activity, consumer awareness campaigns, and educational programmes for finfluencers who want to act responsibly. Activity started on 20 April 2026. In the UK, the…
Read more
Nearly one in eleven people in Britain say they are living with dental pain because they cannot get treatment, according to research by banking app thinkmoney. The data showed that while 11% of people say they avoid the dentist as they are scared of the drill, almost as many – nearly one in ten (9%)…
Read more
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have announced that firms will benefit from reduced costs and greater flexibility, and find it easier to comply with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR). The changes, which come as the first phase of a multi-stage package of reform from the Government and regulators, will maintain the core principle of senior leader accountability, and will benefit firms by giving more time to submit senior…
Read more
The Government has announced new measures on how it intends to modernise payment services regulation and update it to support innovations in money and payments. The measures include improving the regulation of payment services and electronic money by integrating it with the UK’s core regulatory approach for financial services. This will mean establishing a single,…
Read more
The Association of British Credit Unions (ABCUL) has announced it has rebranded to become All Together Money. All Together Money says that the change in name reflects a renewed commitment to bringing credit unions together, strengthening their collective voice and helping them grow in a fast-changing world. Built on cooperation, not competition, All Together Money…
Read more
Mortgage adviser activity rose sharply in March, with total searches reaching 2,150,593, as borrowers responded to ongoing economic uncertainty and shifting mortgage pricing, according to the latest Mortgage Market Snapshot from Twenty7tec. Data from Insight Pro shows this represents a 19% increase compared with February and a 17% rise year on year, marking the highest…
Read more
With just three months until new buy now pay later (BNPL) regulations come into force on 15th July 2026, RSM UK warns firms need to ensure they are fully prepared for the changes now, or face no longer being authorised to provide credit to consumers. Zoe Morton, Consulting Director at RSM UK said “Firms providing…
Read more
Adverts which used edited, unauthorised clips of Martin Lewis to make misleading claims about average motor finance compensation and used the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) logo without permission have been banned by the FCA. Conclusive Financial Ltd (Conclusive), a claims management company (CMC) which also trades as PCP Refunds, was required to remove its advertising…
Read more