Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Paragon Bank has appointed Kate Cooper as Senior Bridging Underwriter and Swaraj Dada as Head of Bridging Credit as it continues to build its newly created Bridging Finance team. The appointments strengthen the specialist team being assembled by Colin Sanders, Managing Director of Bridging Finance, ahead of the proposition’s wider launch. Dada brings 16 years…
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Nearly four in ten parents say grandparents are saving for their children’s future, helping younger generations prepare for major milestones including university, driving and buying their first home, new research from Paragon Bank has found. The study found that 39% of parents said grandparents were putting money aside for their grandchildren. Among those families, university…
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A new survey has revealed the scale and impact of cash flow pressure facing B2B SMEs across the UK and identified how these constraints are affecting their ability to invest and grow The Censuswide research surveyed 500 financial decision-makers at SMEs that provide goods and services to other businesses. It found that two in five…
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By the end of 2026, approximately one pub a day will have closed, according to the latest figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). The trade body estimates that around 360 pubs will permanently shut their doors by the end of the year. This would result in around 5,000 job losses, with over…
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StreamBank, the specialist lender focused on bridging, commercial and buy-to-let finance, has appointed Barry Carter as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from 14th December 2026. He will succeed Mike Kirsopp, who is retiring after leading StreamBank through significant growth and helping establish it as a leading specialist property finance lender. Carter joins StreamBank from…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that the Upper Tribunal will hear the legal challenges to our motor finance compensation scheme in February 2027. The scheme was challenged by three lenders, Volkswagen Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, and Crédit Agricole Auto Finance and by Consumer Voice, represented by Courmacs Legal. Whilst the scheme is…
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European business decision-makers feel they are being treated as second-class customers by financial providers, according to new research by CRIF. The research finds that four in ten European businesses (41%) say a lack of innovation in financial services is stifling their company’s growth potential, rising to more than half in Ireland (52%). Alongside these growth…
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New analysis from Lloyds Banking Group finds that financial empowerment, having the confidence, capability and control to make informed financial decisions has no single UK postcode. Across the country, people are using digital tools and AI for different priorities, from budgeting and debt reduction to investing, saving and planning, with distinct regional patterns emerging. Nationally,…
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More than half (52%) of adults aged 25-55 have experienced a major life event, such as redundancy, serious illness, bereavement, or relationship breakdown, in the last three years, according to new research commissioned by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline. These events often have significant financial consequences, with one in five…
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Applications by business owners for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) rose 62% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data from Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance. Applications were also 9% higher than in Q2, making Q3 2026 the second-busiest quarter recorded since 2021, behind only Q1 2026. The data is a measure…
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Fico has announced the results of its 2026 State of Responsible AI study, developed in collaboration with Corinium Global Intelligence. Now in its fifth year, the report tracks how organisations are adopting responsible AI practices, the early returns they’re seeing from deployments, and the remaining barriers to fully unlocking the technology’s full potential. This year’s…
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New research by the Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol, in partnership with StepChange Debt Charity and funded by NatWest Group, has revealed acute housing pressures, debt and lasting pandemic impacts affecting under-35s. According to the report, almost half (44%) of StepChange clients aged 18-34 surveyed have borrowed money to cover their housing costs.…
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LHV Bank has appointed Damian Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. He will join the Bank on 4th January 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Thompson has more than 30 years of experience across UK banking, structured finance and financial services. After almost 2 decades in senior roles at NatWest Markets, he joined Starling…
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