Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Homeowners are set to access more than £4 billion of property wealth this year via equity release for the first time on record according to latest figures from the Equity Release Council. Latest analysis from the Council found that over-55 homeowners unlocked £1.15 billion of property wealth via equity release during Q3 2021, down 2%…
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Three directors have been banned following investigations which found that nearly £100,000 worth of Bounce Back loans had been inappropriately applied for, or misused following investigations by the Insolvency Service. The Bounce Back Loan (BBL) scheme ran to March 2021 and provided loans of up £50,000 to help businesses survive the impact of the Covid-19…
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The Build to Rent sector is being targeted by fraudsters with a 364% rise in fraudulent tenant applications in the past six months, according to data from tenant due diligence and guarantee firm Homeppl. To correlate with this upward trend, the detection of fraud in this space has seen a significant increase in value, meaning…
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Despite a big increase in the amount of borrowing by businesses since the start of the pandemic, only 11% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) say they are worried about their current level of business debt, according to new research from Lloyds Bank Business. The research, which polled SME business owners and decision-makers right across…
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Credit Connect has confirmed the line-up for next week’s Credit & Collections Technology Awards which takes place at the Midland Hotel in Manchester next Thursday (4th November). The awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who have reviewed technological excellence in four different categories sections: creditor and lender, collections and recoveries, applied technology, and…
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The Credit & Collections Technology Think Tank has confirmed its agenda and speaker line-up ahead of the event in-person event at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 4th November. The launch of the event follows on from the successful launches of the Online Collections Technology Think Tank and the Online Lending Technology Think Tank…
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The Government has announced vulnerable renters struggling due to the impact of the pandemic will be helped by a £65 million support package. The funding will be given to councils in England to support low-income earners in rent arrears, helping to prevent homelessness and support families get back on their feet. Renters across the country…
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The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has set out its latest plans to fight fraud and protect victims of APP scams by outlining its next steps for the wider implementation of fraud prevention tool, Confirmation of Payee (CoP). Every year thousands of individuals and businesses fall victim to Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams – where they…
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KBC Bank Ireland has confirmed the sale of all of its performing loan assets and liabilities to Bank of Ireland Group. Bank of Ireland has agreed to buy practically all of KBC’s performing assets after the Belgian financial group confirmed it would leave the Irish market. KBC Bank Ireland had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding…
Read moreBroker firm, Just Mortgages has announced that it has appointed Ben Allkins as its New Head of Mortgages and Protection for its self-employed division. The newly created role will involve managing the strategic direction of the self-employed division, helping improve the efficiency of the team, and supporting Just Mortgages’ brokers to deliver exceptional advice. With…
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Debt Purchaser, Lantern has agreed terms to acquire Sonex Financial. Based in Llanelli, West Wales, debt collection agency, Sonex is a longstanding operator with a particular specialism working with vulnerable customers. Its clients include several of the Big Six energy companies in the UK, to which Sonex provides vulnerable customer-focused engagement and management services. Following…
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International SME financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS) have announced the appointment of James Cooper as its new chief Technology Officer (CTO). Cooper previously held technology roles at Mothercare and financial advisory group, Rothschild and most recently was Chief Information Officer at BFS. In addition to Cooper’s appointment, Nicola Allard has been appointed as Head of…
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HM Treasury has launched a consultation on possible Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) regulation. The consultation is seeking views to inform the scope and nature of the regulation, but the document suggests that some existing regulation can be applied to BNPL. and picks up on all the most important elements that can cause consumer detriment. The…
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