Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
New Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) research has warned that people should review and avoid using certain credit builder products. The review looked into credit builder products and the harm that they can cause to consumers, particularly if they are struggling with debt. Credit builder products claim to help people build a record of making payments,…
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The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4% which affects a wide range of consumer loan agreements from credit card to mortgage payments. Commenting on the MPC’s decision not to change the Bank Rate from 4%, Andrew Gall, Head of Savings and Economics at the Building Societies Association (BSA) said “Many aspiring homebuyers…
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New research by the Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in partnership with Cifas and Tietoevry has found that scammers stole an estimated £9.4 billion from consumers over the past 12 months with the report highlighting that one in five (20%) adults say they were targeted and had money taken, with the average victim having £878.60 stolen. The…
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Thousands of people at risk of experiencing homelessness will be able to open bank accounts for the first time through a new pilot between Shelter and five major banks, which will allow Shelter to support people without a fixed address removing a major barrier which stops people being able to get paid work. Lloyds, NatWest,…
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Latest figures from The Equity Release Council have shown that the equity release market space continued to demonstrate resilience in Quarter 3 2025, with total lending rising to £639 million, up from £636 million in Q2 and 4% higher than the same period in 2024. While total plan numbers were lower this quarter, customers released…
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The Financial Conduct Authority has provided a further update on its motor finance redress consultation, raising feedback that analysis of the extensive market-wide data is taking firms a while and therefore extending the consultation deadline until 12th December. Final rules are now expected to be published in either February or March 2026. Commenting on the…
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TSB has reported an 11% increase in purchase fraud cases from January to September 2025, with these scams making up 63% of bank transfer fraud, up from 52% in 2024. Victims lost an average of £452 per scam. Experts advise consumers to verify sellers and use secure payment methods to avoid falling victim to these…
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Fraud prevention service, Cifas has announced a partnership with Trend Micro to deliver JustMe, a first of its kind mobile app designed to protect individuals from identity fraud and online scams. Fraud accounts for as much as 44% of all recorded crimes in England and Wales, with an estimated £219 billion annual cost to the UK…
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Up to 1.9 million adults, equivalent to 4% of the population, are estimated to have used unlicensed money lenders or loan sharks in the past 12 months, according to an IPSOS UK survey commissioned by Fair4All Finance. The cost of living crisis has exacerbated this situation for many, reducing households’ headroom to absorb unexpected financial…
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A coalition of businesses and charities have outlined a series of demands for urgent reform to unlock home ownership for millions of renters. Following a summit in London on 29th October, the group have sent a joint letter to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget, urging reforms that would ensure renters’ payment history is…
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Latest data has shown that complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) fell to 46,300 in the quarter ending September 2025, down from 73,700 a year earlier. The decline follows the introduction of charges for professional representatives referring cases. FOS recorded 305,726 complaints for the year ending 31st March, with this driven by grievances over…
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The DWP has published income-related benefits data, including Pension Credit, indicating that up to £2.5 billion of Pension Credit goes unclaimed by 950,000 eligible families. The data showed that 62% of those entitled to Pension Credit received the benefit in the tax year 2023/24, down from 65% in 2023. The research showed that the number…
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New research from FICO has revealed that consumers are prioritising fraud protection over other considerations when selecting financial service providers. Banking-related fraud, such as stolen cards and identity theft leading to application fraud, tops their list of concerns, while traditional scams like cash theft and shopping fraud rank far lower. The data showed that 35%…
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