FCA launches market study on competition in the mortgage sector

12th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today launched a market study to consider whether competition in the mortgage sector can be improved to benefit consumers. The FCA wants to understand whether consumers are empowered to choose on an informed basis between products and services and are in a position to understand whether these represent good…

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Robust growth in consumer used car finance

9th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point-of-sale (POS) consumer used car finance market grew 12% by value and 9% by volume in October, compared with the same month last year. The POS consumer new car finance market also reported new business up 8% by value…

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Consumer finance up 6% in October

9th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 6% in consumer finance new business in October, compared with the same month last year. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 7% compared with October 2015, while retail store and online credit new business fell by 4%. Second charge…

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CMA puts £300million saving in place for prepayment energy customers

7th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has finalised details for the introduction of a price cap for approximately 4 million households on prepayment meters.  In its final report published in June following a two-year investigation into the energy market, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that it would introduce a price cap for prepayment customers…

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Equifax launches solution to identify suspicious addresses

7th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Equifax is launching Equifax Address Check to facilitate lenders in identifying addresses with a suspicious level of account activity. The solution will flag addresses with an unusually high number of financial accounts or that are known fraudulent mail forwarding addresses so that lenders can investigate the circumstances and help protect against fraud and money laundering.…

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Housing crisis fuels money insecurity

7th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2016, an annual state of the nation report written for the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) by the New Policy Institute, has found that 13.5 million people, 21% of the UK’s population, are living in poverty. The economic recovery has helped to stop poverty rates from rising higher, with overall…

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Castle Trust Capital to acquire Omni Capital Retail Finance

5th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Castle Trust Capital plc (CTC) has entered into an agreement to acquire Omni Capital Retail Finance Limited “Omni Capital). Completion of the transaction is expected during the first quarter of 2017 and is subject to the approval of the Financial Conduct Authority. Sean Oldfield, CTC’s chief executive officer, said: “The Omni Capital Retail Finance business…

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Rise in debt fuelled by credit card spending

5th December 2016 Consumer Collections |

The number of British consumers who have taken on more debt over the last five years has risen sharply to 37%, up from 27% just a year ago, according to a UK-wide survey by Arrow Global. The findings come from a survey of 2,008 consumers with debt, including 804 debt defaulters (borrowers have been late with…

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New unsecured lender to launch in 2017

2nd December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Nava Finance has announced its intention to launch as a new lender aimed at the near-prime consumer credit market in early 2017. Subject to completion of its regulatory approval process, Nava will draw upon sophisticated credit analytics to provide under-served consumer credit profiles with attractive loan pricing, while also addressing institutional investors’ search for yield…

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FCA review “opportunity” to protect more high cost credit customers

1st December 2016 Consumer Collections |

Rent to own services, logbook loans and guarantor loans should be included in the FCA’s payday loan cap – and new rules introduced to provide added protections for customers including full checks to make sure people can afford to pay back what they have borrowed says Citizens Advice. The Financial Conduct Authority has today launched…

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Stress test reveals capital inadequacies for RBS, Barclays and Standard Chartered

30th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

The Bank of England has announced the results of our 2016 stress test of the UK banking system. The 2016 stress test incorporated a synchronised UK and global recession with associated shocks to financial market prices, and an independent stress of misconduct costs. The test, which is the first conducted under the Bank’s new approach to stress…

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ICO fines loan firms behind spam texts

30th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Two companies responsible for millions of spam texts offering easy access to loans have been fined by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Separate ICO investigations into Dorset-based Silver City Tech Ltd and Oracle Insurance Brokers Ltd, in London, found the firms had broken the law because they did not have the consent of the people…

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Car dealers optimistic about business prospects in 2017

30th November 2016 Consumer Collections |

Findings from Close Brothers Motor Finance’s Dealer Satisfaction Survey reveal the majority (63%) are positive about their business prospects for 2017. The Dealer Satisfaction Survey is a continual telephone survey undertaken by Close Brothers Motor Finance and reported on a monthly and quarterly basis. The survey questions 750 new and used car, motorcycle and light…

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