FCA issues update on potential redress scheme

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a further update on the key considerations for a potential redress scheme, which would set rules for how firms assess claims and calculate redress, and also put checks in place to ensure they are following the rules. The FCA stressed that the integrity of the motor finance market…

Read more

Nearly half of landlords intend to raise rents before Renters’ Rights Bill

New survey data from Landbay has found that nearly half of the Buy To Let (BTL) landlords (44%) plan to raise rent in response to the new Renters’ Rights Bill. Landlords with portfolios of between four and 10 properties are most likely to increase rents (32%), closely followed by those with between 16 and 30…

Read more

Half a million homeowners face £510 mortgage rate increase

New research by Compare the Market has shown that 469,192 homeowners who took out mortgages in 2020 are facing a substantial increase in monthly payments as they come off five-year fixed-rate deals that had an average interest rate of 2.11%. Any of these homeowners who move onto their current lender’s standard variable rate (SVR) could…

Read more

Buy Now Pay Later lenders to face same rules as banks

The Government has announced new legislation will see Buy Now Pay Later (BPNL)  lenders fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), meaning firms will be required to conduct affordability checks on consumers before offering loans. The announcement is backed by brand new reforms as part of the new  Consumer Credit Act. The new regulation…

Read more

More than 900,000 households to benefit from fall in fixed rate mortgages

9th May 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

New research by Compare the Market has found that 937,433 homeowners who took out mortgages in 2023 could benefit from a decline in monthly payments as they come off two-year fixed rate deals that had an average interest rate of 5.06%, according to their analysis based on a Freedom of Information request to the Financial…

Read more

Bank of England cuts rates to 4.25% – consumer credit industry reaction

The Bank of England has announced that it has reduced the Bank Rate by 0.25% to 4.25%, marking the second cut this year. The MPC voted 5 to 4 in favour of the cut, with two members preferring to cut rates by 0.5% to 4.0% and two preferring to leave rates unchanged at 4.5%. Commenting on the…

Read more

Complaints about banks increase by 76%

Complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) regarding banks and credit card companies surged by 76% year-on-year in H2 2024, accounting for 109,155 out of an overall total of 141,846 complaints. This increase is attributed to a rise in financial scams and fraud. Vanquis Bank topped the list with 17,612 new complaints, followed by credit…

Read more

£1.5bn fraud bill to progresses to the Lords

1st May 2025 Consumer Lending | #fraud

The Government has issued new powers to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), which will allow the DWP to recover money directly from the bank accounts of fraudsters who can repay but are wilfully gaming the system in order not to, passed an important stage in the House of Commons as it had its…

Read more

Financial services firm complaints fell last year

Latetst Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), complaints to financial services firms decreased by 4.3% in the second half of 2024, coming in at 1.78 million. The decline may reflect the positive effects of the FCA’s Consumer Duty, which mandates that firms prioritise customer needs in their operations. The total redress paid also fell by 3% to…

Read more

FCA board appoints four new Non-Executive Directors

30th April 2025 Company News | #appointments

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has announced that Julia Black, Anita Kimber, John Ball and Stéphane Malrait have been appointed as Non–Executive Directors to the Board of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Chancellor has also confirmed a one-year extension of Richard Lloyd’s second term as a Non-Executive Director on the FCA Board.…

Read more

Government efforts to encourage families to save are being undermined by Universal Credit rules

Long-neglected rules governing capital means-testing in Universal Credit (UC) are undermining other Government policies aimed at encouraging lower-income households to accrue savings, according to new research from the Resolution Foundation. The report notes that the current capital thresholds, which have been frozen in cash terms since 2006, mean that a claimant’s UC entitlement is tapered…

Read more

Government invests £121m for quantum technology to tackle fraud

The Government has announced that it is investing £121 million in quantum technology to tackle crime, fraud, and money laundering. The technology will be used to tackle the first signs of fraud and halting money laundering which could save billions for the economy. The funding is being made available over the next year to expand…

Read more

Bank of England warns of market challenges

The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has published a report on the health of the UK economy and financial system. The FPC said that the probability of adverse events had risen, and the UK’s open economy was particularly exposed to the market turmoil. The report also noted that UK banks remained well-capitalised and…

Read more

1 2 3 22