Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
High banking charges are a bigger blocker to international expansion for businesses than Brexit red tape, according to survey research by Wise. The analysis found that UK small businesses lost £2.8 billion to hidden fees, preventing 69% from expanding further. Business owners said they struggle to compare the market due to a ‘corporate opt out’ that…
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EY Item Club is predicting that bank lending is expected to remain subdued this year, with elevated interest rates tamping appetite for borrowing. The report says that bank lending to businesses will rise by only 0.8% amid weak demand for credit and restrictive borrowing costs. EY says that although the Bank of England is expected…
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The latest Business Finance Review by UK Finance has revealed a 20% year-on-year drop in lending to SMEs. UK Finance’s latest data shows £3.5 billion was lent to SMEs in the Quarter 3 (Q3) of 2023 compared to £4.4 billion in the same period last year. This represents the fifth consecutive quarterly fall, while gross…
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High street banks are pulling back from lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). At the same time, demand for capital is set to rise with over eight in ten SME finance experts (83%) believing that high street banks are reducing their appetite to fund the UK’s 5.5m SMEs, according to iwoca’s latest SME Expert…
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Bank-to-business lending is forecast to contract 0.5% this year according to EY ITEM Club, as economic challenges and high borrowing costs dampen businesses’ appetites to borrow. The forecast says net lending to SMEs has been much weaker than to larger businesses this year, with the latest Bank of England data showing loans to SMEs were…
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Small and medium-sized businesses are losing out on £7.5 billion each year because banks are failing to pass on higher interest rates to companies with savings according to research by Allica Bank. The study of the business savings market by Allica Bank found that banks are systematically offering larger companies better savings rates while small…
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New research from independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has highlighted a significant threat to the UK economy as banks appear to be retreating from lending to small businesses. Data from BFS’s latest SME Confidence Tracker report reveals that while almost half (43%) of UK SMEs say their need for external finance has increased…
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Two-thirds (65%) more businesses are experiencing difficulty in accessing finance from high-street banks than they were in 2022* as mainstream lenders pull away from the SME market, according to new data from Sonovate. These challenges are now so acute that two in five (39%) UK businesses say that, due to funding being so hard to access,…
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Access to finance is becoming a critical issue for UK small businesses, with new research finding that more than half (53%) would have to put plans on hold if they were unable to secure finance. The research from Novuna Business Finance underlines how important access to finance is for the small business sector at a…
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Difficulty accessing capital is forcing nine in ten (91%) of mid-sized businesses to curb growth plans, according to the latest research from accounting and advisory firm BDO. The bi-monthly survey of 500 leaders of medium-sized businesses, which looks at the challenges and opportunities facing UK companies, reveals nearly one in four (24%) are being…
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Latest data from UK Finance has indicated that in the first quarter lenders saw a rebound in applications for both loans and overdrafts, with banks reporting quarter-on-quarter growth of 20% and 11% respectively with the increases may indicating that SME demand for finance is turning a corner. The weak levels of demand for finance from…
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The value of outstanding bank loans to SMEs fell by £14 billion in the last year, from £209 billion to £195 billion, with banking turmoil following the collapse of Credit Suisse and SVB threatening to further reduce access to funding according to ACP Altenburg Advisor. In contrast, loans to large businesses increased by £14.7 billion,…
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A report by Oxera commissioned by SME lender Allica has found that proposed changes to UK bank capital rules could result in a £44 billion drop in lending to SMEs. The research suggests that the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) could put up to £44 billion of SME lending at risk. In November 2022, the PRA…
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