Consumers spent £647 billion using payment cards in 2016

2nd March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Consumers spent £647 billion using payment cards in 2016, new figures fromThe UK Cards Association show. There were 14.8 billion card transactions in 2016, equivalent to 40.5 million transactions a day or 469 a second, data from The UK Cards Association shows. Three-quarters of retail spending (76.4 per cent) was on payment cards. Retail spending on…

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Level of unsecured lending debt increases by 10%

1st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Bank of England has released it’s latest Money & Credit statistics for January 2017. In response to the statistics, Peter Tutton, Head of Policy at StepChange Debt Charity, said: “While the consumer credit growth rate has slowed, the level of outstanding unsecured debt continues to increase by more than 10% year on year and another £1…

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Equifax gains full FCA authorisation

1st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Equifax has been granted full Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation. The FCA approval comes at a pivotal time for credit reference agencies (CRAs), with technological advances and shifts in customer behaviour fuelling important developments in data sharing, evidenced by industry initiatives such as Commercial Credit Data Sharing (CCDS) and the Open Banking Standard. Patricio Remon, President…

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Standard Financial Statement launches

1st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Today sees the launch of the new Standard Financial Statement (SFS), an initiative designed to bring greater consistency to the way organisations assess people’s finances when they are in debt. The SFS, the launch of which has been co-ordinated by the Money Advice Service, will be adopted by all major debt advice providers across commercial and…

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Masthaven appoints new Mortgage MD

1st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Masthaven have appointed Matt Andrews as the new Managing Director of Mortgages. Andrews is the Managing Director of Bluestone Mortgages. Andrews brings 10 years of mortgage leadership experience with him and prior to his role at Bluestone he was Managing Director of a Merrill Lynch mortgage division and a Director at Kensington Mortgages’ direct to consumer operation.…

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Experian receives FCA authorisation

1st March 2017 Consumer Collections |

Experian has announced that it has achieved full Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation Charles Butterworth, Managing Director at Experian said ” The process has allowed Experian to stress-test our risk management structures and the plans we have in place to ensure fair outcomes for our customers. We have always looked to implement effective resolutions for people, to…

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Provenir and Bisnode announce partnership

28th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

Provenir has announced a partnership with Bisnode. The collaboration paves the way for innovative, real-time risk decisioning services for European businesses. In search of growth and cost efficiency, companies in Europe seek solutions to optimise their credit risk processes. Agile solutions that can respond quickly to rapid and on-going business and regulatory changes are vital. Bisnode…

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Payday loans complaints rise by 22%

28th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The latest complaint figures released by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) shows that Payday loans complaints have risen by 22%. Complaints to the financial ombudsman about payday loans have risen to almost 200 a week. During the second half of 2016 the Financial Ombudsman Service received 5,095 new payday lending complaints, up 22% on the first six…

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Bluestone appoints new MD

28th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

Bluestone Group has announced the appointment of David Torpey as Managing Director (MD) of Bluestone Mortgages and Group Chief Operations Officer (COO). Torpey will fill the newly created COO role as well as assuming the position of Managing Director of Bluestone’s mortgage business, replacing Matt Andrews who has recently left the business. Torpey brings nearly…

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Consumer borrowing grows by 6.7%

24th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The British Banking Association’s (BBA) latest high street banking data shows that consumer borrowing through overdrafts, loans and credit cards grew at an annual rate of 6.7%. Other findings include: Gross mortgage borrowing totalled £13.8 billion in January, 6.3% higher than the same period last year Re-mortgaging approvals in January were 15.7% higher than January…

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New home owners need £23,300 deposit to join the property ladder

24th February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has published an interactive housing affordability calculator, allowing users to see what level of household income they might expect to need in order to be able to get a mortgage on an entry-level property in their neighbourhood. The calculator uses some assumptions about the size of the deposit, the multiples…

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Gross Mortgage lending reaches £18.9 billion in January

23rd February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £18.9 billion in January. This is 6% lower than December’s lending total of £20 billion, but 2% higher than the £18.6 billion lent in January last year. This is the highest lending total for a January since 2008 (£25.2 billion). Commenting on market conditions…

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FCA publishes new data trends in the retirement income market

23rd February 2017 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have today published it’s latest data bulletin for The Consumer Contact Centre. The bulletin includes the latest trends in the retirement income market. The Consumer Contact Centre is the main point of contact for consumers of financial services firms who want to interact with the FCA; it handles more than…

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