Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
DFC Global the owner of Dollar UK which includes the Money Shop brand has been put up for sale amid a squeeze on profits following payday fee caps, according to Sky News sources. DFC Global has appointed the US investment bank KBW to sound out potential buyers for the business. Dollar UK brands also include the…
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The government’s plans for a fresh round of welfare cuts, dubbed ‘Bedroom Tax 2’, threatens to undermine housebuilding projects, increase homelessness, and weaken public sector finances across Scotland, it has been claimed. According to The Herald, payments to help tenants meet their social housing costs will be capped by the UK government for the first time with…
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Monese, a London, UK-based mobile banking service, has raised $10 million in funding. Backers included Anthemis Exponential Ventures, Korea Investment Partners and STE Capital. The company intends to use the funds to expand into mainland Europe as well as to launch new features like direct debit and credit services. Led by Norris Koppel, Chief Executive…
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that Mastercard’s acquisition of VocaLink gives rise to competition concerns. Mastercard UK Holdco Ltd, a subsidiary of Mastercard International is buying VocaLink Holdings Ltd (VocaLink). It already owns and operates credit and debit card schemes Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus, and has also bid to supply infrastructure services…
Read moreHousehold bills rose by almost £200 in 2016 according to new findings from comparethemarket.com. An analysis of costs across energy, motor and home insurance found that, after a £180 drop in 2015, bills rose by 9.7% in the past year from £2,032 in 2015 to £2,223 in 2016. Key finings in the report included: The…
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Credit broker specialist firm Loan Link Limited has appointed liquidators. Loan Link was based in Cardiff with it’s main activities were brokering loans and arrears management services for its parent company Nemo Personal Finance. Principality Building Society acquired Loan Link Limited and formed second charge lender Nemo Personal Finance in 2004. In February 2015, second charge lender…
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The biggest rise in food and drink expenditure for 20 months has driven essential spending to its strongest level of growth since February 2014, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Spending Power Report. Overall essential spending grew by 1.0% last month, the third consecutive month of positive growth. Lloyds Bank’s analysis of its own current…
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South Tyneside Council has seen the amount of Council Tax it is owed almost double over the last three years. Data obtained shows that the authority was owed £1.19million at the end of the 2013/14 financial year. By the end of 2015/16, that figure had jumped to £2.04million – a rise of more than 70%.…
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Target Group has announced the signing of a new two year contract with the DVLA using their payments collection system. In 2014, Target and the DVLA introduced a newly automated system, which provided consumers with an alternative method of paying their vehicle tax. The payments solution was delivered in 18 weeks and supported the DVLA…
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Peer-to-peer lending platform RateSetter has completed a sale of £2.1million worth of non-performing debt to 1st Credit. The sale is believed to be the first of its kind for a UK peer-to-peer lender. The debt sold comprises non-performing loans worth £2.1million written between 2010 and 2015, where RateSetter believes that it stands a low chance…
Read moreCatalogue customers who ‘buy now and pay later’ are being hit with shock fees for failing to pay in full within the interest free period, Citizens Advice warns today. The charity has helped 24,000 people with nearly 50,000 catalogue or mail order debt problems in the last year – with 70% of the issues related…
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The Managing Director of RBS’s personal and business banking division said customers would benefit if the power to open basic accounts was broadened A greater number of vulnerable customers would take up basic banking services if challenger banks could offer no-frills accounts, a Government committee has heard. Moray McDonald, managing director of Royal Bank of…
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Universal Credit has caused a 20% rise in rent arrears from East Lothian Council tenants in just three months since it was introduced, a report has found. The report shows that the change to Universal Credit has seen rent arrears rise by £242,000.The net year on year increase, calculated at 12 %, or £157,000, has almost…
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