UK Finance has published Plan for Growth: From Strategy to Delivery, a new report outlining a practical roadmap for how the financial services sector can help deliver the government’s economic growth ambitions. The Government’s strategies to grow the economy – spanning industrial renewal, infrastructure, housing, SMEs, trade and financial inclusion – all depend on a…
Read moreA convicted money launderer has been sentenced to an additional 499 days in prison for failing to fully pay the money owed under a Confiscation Order. In 2021, Richard Faithfull was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison for laundering £2.5 million, following a prosecution brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He…
Read moreNeil Cutting has been elected as the next ICAEW Vice President, to serve from June 2026 to June 2027. Cutting has been a member of the ICAEW council since 2023, representing the West of England. He is a transformation director for cloud and AI provider, Oracle. Previously, Cutting held global finance leadership roles with Hewlett Packard…
Read moreThe new president of the principal trade association for civil enforcement agencies in England and Wales has pledged to drive reform, strengthen standards and improve public understanding of the profession. Amy Collins, Managing Director of Leicestershire-based enforcement agency Rundles, has taken on the role of Chair of the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) at a pivotal…
Read moreSME lender, GC Business Finance (GCBF) has appointed Aaron Malins as Director of Business Finance. Malins brings over two decades of experience across finance, lending and advisory. He previously served as CFO of a Manchester-based regulated consumer finance firm, as well as Managing Director of its lending division. In these roles, Aaron worked closely with…
Read moreA director of two companies which supported a scheme allowing business owners to keep their assets while dropping their debts has been disqualified. Suzanne Harley-Davies failed to exercise control of the affairs of Namare GRP Ltd and TPG GRP Limited during 2023 and 2024. She also failed to ensure that the companies operated for legitimate corporate…
Read moreMore than half (58%) of adults who are single or live alone say they could not cope with an unexpected bill of £850 according to new research by Aviva According to the research, people who live alone spend on average a little over £630 a month on essential costs, such as food/ groceries, transport, council…
Read moreThe number of SMEs using some form of credit to pay for one or more insurance policies has significantly increased, according to new research from Premium Credit. The data, which monitors insurance buying and how it is financed, shows 90% of SMEs use some form of credit when they buy insurance, compared with 54% recorded…
Read moreThe British Retail Consortium (BRC) is calling on the government to act on soaring domestic policy costs, as new polling shows four in five people (80%) fear the Middle East conflict will push up food prices. Retailers are already absorbing significant additional costs from the conflict. Rising gas and electricity prices are pushing up production,…
Read moreHomebuyers are experiencing the highest mortgage affordability pressures in nearly 20 years, with repayments consuming 21.3% of gross income, according to UK Finance. The data showed that 723,000 house purchase mortgages advanced in 2025, up 17 per cent year-on-year with average borrower spends 21.3 per cent of gross income on repayments. The analysis shows significant…
Read moreThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it will launch an investigation into claims management practices. The review follows concerns that consumers are being failed by some claims management companies (CMCs) and law firms. The review will look at the root causes of poor practices across the market, like aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and…
Read moreBarclays has announced an additional investment of almost £4 million in debt charity, StepChange. The announcement builds on its longstanding partnership with and regular financial contributions to StepChange, and backs the most significant digital transformation in the charity’s history by helping more people across the UK access free, impartial debt advice sooner. With nearly one in four adults…
Read moreNew findings from fraud prevention service, Cifas, has revealed a shift in attitudes towards insider‑enabled fraud, with 13% of employees saying they have either sold their company login details to a former colleague, or know someone who has, in the past 12 months. For organisations, the normalisation of credential sharing significantly increases exposure to insider…
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