Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Afin Bank has announced that it has appointed Beth Jeffs as Head of Product and Proposition. Jeffs joins from the Nottingham Building Society, where she was Senior Mortgage Propositions Manager. She has previously held roles at providers including HSBC, Coventry Building Society and Sainsbury’s Bank in product and credit risk areas. She will oversee the…
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New data from Twenty7tec’s April 2026 Mortgage Market Snapshot (MMS) has revealed a significant slowdown in mortgage search activity following the heightened levels seen earlier this year, underscoring the market’s continued sensitivity to broader economic pressures and borrower affordability concerns. Total mortgage searches fell by 20% month-on-month in April, dropping from 2.15 million in March…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes grew by 8% in March 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. The corresponding value of new business was 11% higher over the same period. In Q1 2026, new business volumes grew by 4% compared Q1…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 9% in March 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In Q1 2026, new business in this market was 6% higher than in Q1 2025. The credit card and personal loans sectors together reported new business…
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Dudley Building Society has announced the appointment of Helen Smith as Chief Growth Officer, as part of its ongoing focus on growing the Society, strengthening customer outcomes, supporting its communities, and developing its people. Smith joined the Society in April and brings extensive board-level experience across financial services, insurance, healthcare and funeral care. She has…
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Latest data from Moneyfacts has revealed that despite mortgage turmoil easing in April, first-time buyers remain under pressure from reduced choice and stretched affordability. Mortgage product choice has contracted by around 10% since the start of March, with higher loan-to-value deals (10% or less deposit or equity) falling by 14%, a blow to first-time buyers…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is preparing for potential legal challenges regarding the motor finance scheme. It has received four legal challenges from lenders, including Volkswagen Financial Services and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. The FCA says that its priorities remain to secure fair compensation for consumers as quickly as possible and ensure a healthy motor finance…
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UK Finance has published Plan for Growth: From Strategy to Delivery, a new report outlining a practical roadmap for how the financial services sector can help deliver the government’s economic growth ambitions. The Government’s strategies to grow the economy – spanning industrial renewal, infrastructure, housing, SMEs, trade and financial inclusion – all depend on a…
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Homebuyers are experiencing the highest mortgage affordability pressures in nearly 20 years, with repayments consuming 21.3% of gross income, according to UK Finance. The data showed that 723,000 house purchase mortgages advanced in 2025, up 17 per cent year-on-year with average borrower spends 21.3 per cent of gross income on repayments. The analysis shows significant…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it will launch an investigation into claims management practices. The review follows concerns that consumers are being failed by some claims management companies (CMCs) and law firms. The review will look at the root causes of poor practices across the market, like aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and…
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Oakbrook has become the first UK lender to launch a dedicated GPT-powered app within ChatGPT, enabling consumers to explore combining multiple debts into a single structured repayment plan through a conversational interface. Available under OakbrookOne, the app allows users to model what replacing several existing debts with one monthly repayment could look like, without needing to…
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Latest data from the Bank of England has shown that consumer credit growth climbing to 8.9%, exceeding the 8.6% recorded in February. Within this total, the annual growth rate for credit card borrowing increased to 12.3% from 12.1% a month earlier. Consumer deposits with banks and building societies increased by £5.5 billion in March. The…
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Latest data from the Equity Release Council has found that total lending fell to £574 million in Q1 2026, down 9% on the previous quarter (£632 million) and 14% year-on-year (£655 million). Customer numbers also declined, with 12,958 new and returning customers accessing housing wealth, down 7% on the quarter and 10% annually. The data…
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