Credit, collections & insolvency news
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it will consult on extending the time firms have to respond to consumer complaints about motor finance where a non-discretionary commission was involved, and for consumers to refer them to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The proposals are expected to be published within two weeks and, if taken…
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In response to last month’s Court of Appeal ruling affecting commission disclosure practices, the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) has swiftly enhanced its support for ,embers by issuing revised compliance templates and offering targeted guidance. The trade association’s proactive approach has included tactical support from the outset and culminated in the revision of…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Metro Bank £16.75 million. An FCA investigation found that between June 2016 and December 2020, Metro Bank failed to have the right systems and controls to adequately monitor over 60 million transactions, with a value of over £51 billion, for money laundering risks. Metro Bank automated the monitoring of…
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The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to cut the base rate by 0.25% to 4.75%. MPC voted 8-1 to cut rates, with the dissenter preferring to leave cuts unchanged at 5%. Inflation is expected to increase to around 2.5% by the end of the year, from 1.7% in September. Steve Vaid,…
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The Government has published new guidance that will provide organisations with advice on how to take action to prevent fraud. Introduced last year as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT), the offence is intended to hold large organisations to account if they profit from fraud. Under the offence, which has cross-Parliament…
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The Government has announced that it plans to increase the cap on tuition fees for England-domiciled undergraduate students from £9,250 to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year. This is in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecast for inflation as measured by RPIX (3.1%). This ends a long-running cash freeze in the fee…
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The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has announced that hundreds of additional financial firms will adopt the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) name-checking service, in the industry’s fight against fraud. The expanded rollout means that over 99% of all transactions made through Faster Payments and CHAPS are now safeguarded by this vital anti-fraud measure, offering consumers an…
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The Court of Appeal has sided with consumers against banks and lenders in a motor finance test case, ruling that a broker could not lawfully receive a commission from the lender without obtaining the customer’s fully informed consent to the payment. Consumers who complained about ‘secret’ commissions on car loans, in a landmark ruling. Lawyers…
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The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) received 101,031 complaints about banking and credit cards in the first half of the year, with this almost double the 56,690 recorded in the first six months of 2023. Across all products, the first six months of 2024 saw 133,019 new complains logged with the FOS. This marks a 40%…
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As the government plans to regulate buy now pay (BNPL) later firms by 2026, more than one in ten millennials (13%) and Gen Z (11%) consumers plan to put Christmas on credit using buy now pay later apps, RSM UK’s latest Consumer Outlook reveals. In addition, previous data from RSM UK shows that Gen Z…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Volkswagen’s UK financial services arm £5.4m for its unfair treatment of customers in financial difficulty. The City watchdog found that between January 2017 and July 2023. The investigation, Volkswagen Finance took cars away from vulnerable customers without considering other options. The firm failed to understand customers’ individual circumstances…
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Shoppers who use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans are to get new safeguards against unaffordable borrowing and credit card-style protection for their purchases, under rules outlined by the Government. Buy-Now, Pay-Later products have become increasingly popular in recent years as they allow people to spread the cost of purchases over time, but users currently…
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New research from personal finance specialist Finder has found that 1 in 20 consumers have hidden credit score problems from their partner. The research also showed that a third of consumers (34%) – an estimated 18.5 million people – have withheld important information about their finances from their partner in a current or previous relationship.…
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