Intermediaries fear that Government policy is the biggest risk to mortgage market

16th December 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgage regulation

Intermediaries think government policy is the number one risk to the mortgage market, according to research from Black & White Bridging. Black & White Bridging polled one hundred intermediaries active in the bridging sector and asked them to rank risks to the mortgage market, risks that included Bank of England base rate decisions, consumer affordability,…

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QDR Solicitors announces Nutun investment

16th December 2025 Company News | #partnership

QDR Solicitors, a dual-regulated legal and debt recovery firm, has announced a strategic partnership with Nutun, a South African customer experience and collections outsourcing specialist. The investment provides QDR Solicitors with access to Nutun’s extensive resources and operational scalability. The agreement enables QDR Solicitors to expand its footprint in financial services and other regulated sectors,…

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Scottish fintech programme to help ageing population financially prepare for later life 

FinTech Scotland is aiming to help address the growing link between people’s financial situation and their health in later life with the launch of a new initiative that will accelerate innovation through the development of new research, technologies, and services. The Finance and Health Lab will bring together financial services firms, fintechs, academia, government, health specialists,…

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Mortgage lending forecasted to increase 4% in 2026

16th December 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgage lending

UK Finance has forecasted that overall gross lending is set to rise by 4% to £300 billion in 2026. In its Mortgage Market Forecast for 2026, data shows lending for house purchases grew by 22% this year to £176 billion, with a notable spike in activity in advance of the stamp duty increase in April.…

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Nationwide fined £44m over failings in financial crime controls

15th December 2025 Company News | #FCA fine

Nationwide Building Society has been fined £44 million by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for failing to manage financial crime risks from October 2016 to July 2021. The FCA found that Nationwide lacked adequate anti-financial crime systems, allowing customers to misuse personal accounts for business activities. This oversight led to missed opportunities in detecting £27.3m…

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Households tighten Christmas spending following Budget

Households are planning to spend significantly less this Christmas, as the impact of recent Budget announcements prompts millions to tighten their belts, according to new research from Yorkshire Building Society. Planned festive spending now averages £596 per household, down from £774 last year. The number of people planning to spend over £1,000 has plummeted from 51%…

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FCA announces mortgage affordability rules changes

15th December 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced new plans to reform the mortgage market to widen access to affordable mortgages for consumers.   The four areas of focus include simplifying mortgage rules for first-time buyers and underserved consumers; reviewing retirement interest-only requirements to make them more accessible; improving innovation and disclosure rules and working with…

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High interest rates push shoppers from credit to debit cards

15th December 2025 Commercial Credit Management |

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has published its annual BRC Payments Survey, which shows how people make payments in 2024. This year’s survey reveals a significant decline in credit card use, from 14.2% of transactions to 12.6%. With higher interest rates making credit cards a more expensive way to shop, consumers turned to debit cards, where…

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GDP fell 0.1% in October – industry reaction

15th December 2025 Commercial Credit Management | #economy

The UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% in October, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows, matching the 0.1% decline recorded in September. Economists had anticipated growth of 0.1%. Quarter-on-quarter, the economy shrank by 0.1% in three months to October, primarily due to a decline in manufacturing and stalled services growth. Production output…

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Zilch secures FCA payments licence

15th December 2025 Company News | #payments

Consumer payments platform, Zilch has announced that it has secured a payments services licence from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The licensing marks a significant milestone for Zilch, removing the reliance on third-parties and enabling the business to build more payments methods in-house, develop and bring new products to market even faster and innovate quickly…

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FLA calls for a workable solution to motor finance redress scheme

The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has submitted its response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) consultation on a proposed Section 404 Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme. While lenders fully support a robust and credible redress programme for customers who have suffered loss, the FLA warns that the scheme as drafted cannot deliver the fairness,…

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Chancellor appoints new Women in Finance Champion

12th December 2025 Appointments |

The Chancellor has appointed Nationwide Building Society CEO Dame Debbie Crosbie as the new Women in Finance champion, as ministers step up the pressure on the City to go further and faster on women’s progression to senior roles. Dame Debbie succeeds Aviva CEO Dame Amanda Blanc, whose tenure saw senior female representation in key finance roles jump from 32% to 36% as well as leading the charge on…

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Fraudster jailed after using Covid loan funds on share dealing platforms

12th December 2025 Commercial Credit Management | #fraud

A Derby businessman who used Covid support scheme funds on online trading platforms has been jailed. Temidola Ojelabi secured £80,000 across two Bounce Back Loan applications for Platinum Gates Limited in 2020 when businesses were only entitled to a single loan. Money from the loans was then used on online trading platforms when it should…

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