New research by credit experts TotallyMoney reveals Brits lost £640m on their holidays in Europe last year due to high transaction fees and poor exchange...

NGDATA today announces a new platform that transforms marketers’ ability to tailor campaigns to individual consumers, enabling them to set up data-rich,...

Hanley Economic Building Society has expanded its dedicated intermediary support team with the addition of Kate McKeon as an Intermediary Sales Assistant. The...

CreditEnable, the integrated market place that connects SMEs and Banks, has won a place in the inaugural, 2019 ‘Inclusive Fintech 50’ Competition....

The latest quarterly Moneyfacts UK Credit Card Trends Treasury Report, which studies the UK personal finance market (Unsecured Personal Loans, Credit Cards and...

Newbury Building Society has today become the latest lender to join the Equity Release Club’s retirement lending panel. Members of the Equity Release Club,...

The Moving Hub, a leading conveyancing platform and case management system, has announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Acquaint CRM. This move...

The Money Advice Trust has today welcomed Ofgem’s new draft Consumer Vulnerability Strategy, which provides a strong focus for the energy industry on how to...

A new survey by Cybera, the leader in SD-WAN Edge application and security services, has found that retailers are struggling to balance the challenges of...

The latest Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics from the Bank of England show that arrears are down but the number of high LTVs are up as is high...

Millennials, a generation of digital natives that grew up amid the fastest period of technological change in history are, according to new independent...

Just Mortgages is to offer all its employed and self-employed brokers a complete digital and social media solution to help boost lead generation. The new...

Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data, not yet published, shows that the number of buy-to-let (BTL) products available, currently 2,396 products,...

Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has today announced a significant increase in resource investment in the business with...

This morning the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has made the bold decision to stop banks and building societies from charging customers more when they...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point of sale (POS) consumer new car finance market...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business in April was at a similar level to the same...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced changes to the way banks charge for overdrafts. The new rules include stopping banks from charging...

Today the Financial Conduct Authority has followed through on its commitment to introduce wide-ranging reform of overdrafts. Around half of StepChange clients...

A new Project Manager has joined LendingMetrics, the specialist credit risk and collections platform provider. Katey Watkins, who has a background in telecoms...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (4th June 2019) added Gatehouse Bank to its provider panel. Gatehouse Bank offers a...

TotallyMoney’s annual Financial Awareness Survey asked a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults a range of questions putting their personal...

Following the BoE figures this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, says “It appears from the Bank of England figures this...

Equity Release Club, the distributor for equity release and later life advisers, has today announced that Family Building Society is the latest lender to be...

The Money Advice Trust has welcomed calls from The Commission for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances, launched last year by Energy UK, for immediate action...

Specialist Motor Finance has announced the appointment of Jim Cowell to the senior role of business development manager with the company. Jim joins...

New figures published today by the Home Office show that only 31,400 EU citizens have applied for settled status in Scotland, out of about 200,000 EU citizens...

Redefining banking in a financial services market where your biggest competitor may be Amazon or Google, not a traditional bank. Open banking may not have made...

Fiduciam, the institutionally funded and pension-fund owned marketplace lender, has just completed on a €5.5million loan in Spain in just three days. This...

Striking Numbers 26 years and 9 months: Time to pay off average credit card debt making only the minimum payment each month 19.87%: Average credit card...

Generation Z is the cohort most likely to seek out personal advice when it comes to buying a financial product, according to a new report by Target Group, the...

Following the UK Finance lending update this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, said “The correlation between the gross...

As the Danske Bank money laundering investigation sees charges brought, Neil Williams of business crime solicitors Rahman Ravelli argues that the effectiveness...

Amigo, the leading company in the UK guarantor loans market, today announces its maiden preliminary results for the year ending 31 March 2019. Key points Amigo...

Cautious car buyers are no longer “maxing-out” on their borrowing ability, and are increasingly choosing vehicles priced below the amount of the...

Mark Pilling, managing director at Spicerhaart Corporate Sales said: “The government announced last week that it will consult on legislation to abolish...

OpenBanking and auto-decisioning technology provider LendingMetrics has unveiled a new-look website to fill what it says are giant OpenBanking knowledge gaps....

Globality, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement with HSBC, one of the world’s leading banking and financial services companies, in...

A new study from Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G Ready wireless network edge solutions, reveals the retail industry is still...

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only, specialist lender has today completed its third securitisation under the Twin Bridges platform. Named Twin...

According to the National Numeracy Day campaign, around half the UK’s adults have poor numeracy skills. Yet evidence suggests becoming a “numbers person”...

Fintech platform Freedom Finance appoints Jake Ranson as Chief Customer Officer (CCO) to further drive its digital transformation. Jake joins from Equifax...

In their annual Financial Awareness Survey 2019, credit experts TotallyMoney asked a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults a series of questions...

Paradigm Mortgage Services and Paradigm Protect, the mortgage services and protection propositions, have today announced the winners of its annual Lender and...

Specialist lender, United Trust Bank (UTB), has been appointed to Connect for Intermediaries’ panel providing a wide range of first and second charge...

The Money Advice Trust has today welcomed the Treasury Select Committee’s wide-ranging report into consumers’ access to financial services. Joanna Elson...

At the start of Mental Health awareness week (13th – 17th May 2019) Ruth Duncan, one of the UK’s leading female insolvency practitioners, has launched...

The Moving Hub has today launched its revolutionary conveyancing proposition into the mortgage intermediary sector with an exclusive promotion with Knowledge...

StepChange Debt Charity is pleased to see the recommendations published today [13 May] in the Treasury Select Committee’s report of its inquiry into...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point of sale (POS) consumer car finance market fell 1%...

Commenting on the March 2019 new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the Finance...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 2% in March compared with the same...

Just under half (48%) of the UK’s adults claimed they are saving less than £50 a month, according to a recent survey of 2,000 members of the British public....

There’s no denying it’s is a very interesting time to be involved in the automotive F&I marketplace. Like it or not, the publication of the FCA’s...

Front Events, organisers of Financial Services Expo (FSE) Manchester, the premier exhibition for the financial services industry in the North of England, has...

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) urges all consumers whose bank cards, SASSA cards and identity documents which were taken by credit providers to collect...

StepChange Debt Charity has today responded to the FCA’s latest discussion paper, which explored how industry and regulators should respond to demographic...

It’s no secret that challenger banks and fintech companies are changing the banking industry as we know it. The main issue for today’s banking leaders is...

Global business Intelligence specialist Creditsafe has announced that it wants to bring business etiquette back to the boardroom and that starts with a group...

The latest Bank of England stats show that net lending for mortgages increased 24% from £3.3bn in February to £4.1bn in March, while the annual growth rate...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced that 29 businesses have been accepted into cohort 5 of the regulatory sandbox to test innovative...

The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today (29th April 2019) announced it has responded to the Law...

Many UK technology firms are planning forays into overseas markets with the intention of hiring the best international talent, according to research from...

The House of Lords committee on intergenerational fairness has called for the Government to reform stamp duty, saying that it has “seriously distorted the...

As an otherwise highly eventful financial year draws towards a close, the picture for the UK’s price, wage and debt statistics remains largely subdued,...

“There needs to be a sweeping change in the role of technology both at the point of sale and online, placing consumers in control of their finance experience...

The Finance & Leasing Association’s (FLA) Specialist Automotive Finance (SAF) programme has been relaunched in partnership with The London Institute of...

Sean Kulan, Consumer Credit Sector Lead, said: “Vulnerable customers are often disproportionately affected by high-cost business models, and continued...

Insurance customers are increasingly banking on credit to pay premiums with nearly one in three planning to use more credit this year, new research from...

Principality Building Society has become the latest lender to join the Paradigm Mortgage Services lender panel. From today Paradigm member firms will be able...

Research carried out by financial advice website Moneycomms.co.uk and commented on by credit experts TotallyMoney reveals that certain credit cards used abroad...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is today issuing a reminder to FSMA authorised firms that they need to start preparing today, to be ready for the new...

The Money Advice Trust has today launched its revamped ‘How to deal with debt’ guide for England and Wales. The guide takes people in debt through the...

A petition demanding government action against High Street lenders has been started by the director of UK credit reference agency LendingMetrics. The petition...

Gregory Pennington, one of the UK’s largest and longest established debt management companies, has integrated an Open Banking solution, provided by...

Connect for Intermediaries has appointed HSBC to its mainstream residential panel for its network. HSBC approved the appointment last week and it goes live...

Today sees the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the Debt Relief Order (DRO) – a type of insolvency that is available to people who don’t own their...

Commenting on the February 2019 new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the Finance...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 1% in consumer finance new business in February 2019, compared with...

In the week that the Equity Release Council’s Spring 2019 Market Report announced a seventh consecutive annual increase for the sector, the Knowledge Bank...

Ahead of the payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints deadline on August 29th 2019, Corlytics, a global leading provider of regulatory risk intelligence,...

Caroline Siarkiewicz, director and debt advice expert at the Single Financial Guidance Body, commented: “The news of the WageDay Advance collapse will cause...

If they’re unhappy with service, Brits are most likely to vote with their feet when it comes to their electricity and gas provider (41% say they would...

UK High Streets have reached a ‘tipping point’. That was the view of a recently published parliamentary inquiry report on UK high streets. The shift to...

In reaction to the FCA’s warning against IFISAs and investing in “high-risk” vehicles like P2P and mini-bonds, Angus Dent, CEO of P2P business lending...

Direct lenders are still expecting to raise EUR 20bn to EUR 30bn in 2019 in an already saturated market, according to a survey conducted by Debtwire, the fixed...

The new StepChange Debt Charity 2018 Statistics Yearbook published today [3 April] reveals the ever-increasing scale of demand for debt help in the UK. The...

This morning, it was announced that from today (1 April), the FCA will begin regulating the claims management industry. All claims management companies (CMCs)...

Stephen Sklaroff, the Director General of the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), has decided to leave the FLA later this year, after some twelve years in...

New research reveals the insurance intermediary market expects clients to make greater use of credit this year when it comes to buying their cover. The...

Teresa Fritz, Proposition Manager at the Single Financial Guidance Body (SFGB), commented: “The new mortgage adviser directory will be a valuable tool for...

Crystal Specialist Finance (CSF) has completed “the most difficult case in company history”, securing a £1.7m mortgage on a new-start Surrey-based nursing...

A leading apprenticeship provider to the construction and utilities sectors, Develop Training Ltd (DTL), is backing a new campaign promoting apprenticeships to...

Striking Numbers £2,638: Average credit card debt per household in January 2019 1.9%: Increase in Consumer Prices Index in the year to February 2019 £59,409:...

FLA comments on the FCA’s final report on the review of retained provisions of the Consumer Credit Act Commenting on the publication of the FCA’s CCA final...

Brexit analysis by leading data analytics company SEMrush, out today, reveals a surprisingly low number of the UK public have been considering the potential...

MONEVO, Europe’s largest personal loan market place and platform, has launched Credit Staq for the UK market; a cutting-edge tech solution which gives...

Ryan Kemp, director of retail at TransUnion (formerly Callcredit) comments on the latest ONS Retail Sales Index: “The retail industry showed strong growth in...

“While the FCA and industry stakeholders will be consulting in the weeks ahead following the regulator’s publication of its report on motor finance, the...

Over 14 cross-industry trade and representative bodies, including the Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry...

Car buyers in the UK are finding more of their financing online. That data comes from the second annual survey on auto financing conducted by leading analytic...

Financial companies are increasingly turning to advanced technology to bolster their key services. Automated fund management is becoming a daily reality for...

The financial services industry is well known for being fast paced, competitive and male-dominated. In Fintech, women are vastly underrepresented, making up...

Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has today announced a change in its management team following the end of the earn-out period...

A SHOCKING number of UK adults don’t know how to manage their finances in a responsible manner, according to new research. A survey of 1,000 UK adults,...

MotoNovo Finance CEO Mark Standish has issued a positive assessment of the FCA’s findings, following their review of motor finance, announcing; “While in...

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only, specialist lender has today announced the appointment of Paul Flude as its new Regional Sales Manager for the...

15 months after open banking launched in the UK, consumer understanding of what it means remains low. In January this year, research showed that just 9% of...

Caroline Siarkiewicz, Debt Advice Expert and Director at the Single Financial Guidance Body commented: “The FCA has identified improvement in the quality of...

The Nottingham today presented its financial results for 2018, in what was another period of good progress and performance in the development of its...

Following a year which saw the size of its loan book rise to over £100 million, Specialist Motor Finance says it plans to accelerate its growth over the...

John Phillips, group operations director at Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart said: “The chancellor has just announced in the Spring Statement a £3bn...

Charlotte Jackson, Head of Pensions Guidance Services at the Single Financial Guidance Body commented: “The increase to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)...

Equiniti Credit Services, the UK’s leading consumer credit technology and outsourced service provider, today announces publication of its latest annual...

A SHOCKING number of UK adults don’t know how to manage their finances in a responsible manner, according to new research. A survey of 1,000 UK adults,...

Commenting on the January 2019 new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the Finance...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show consumer finance new business in January was at a similar level to the same...

StepChange Debt Charity is pleased to see the FCA’s letter to firms on credit card fees and charges, and the regulator’s concern about whether firms are...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today confirmed it will introduce a price cap on the rent-to-own market from 1 April 2019. Jane Tully, director of...

Today the FCA has confirmed its policy on the introduction of the new rent-to-own price cap rules, following consultation. The new rules take effect in April....

The Financial Conduct Authority has today published its report on the motor finance sector after uncovering concerns about the way in which the sector...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) needs to ramp up its work in the motor finance sector, particularly around unfair commission models. Responding to the...

NDGIT GmbH announced today that it quadrupled its license revenues and added 20 new banks as customers in 2018 thanks to its innovative PSD2 and Open Banking...

Commenting on the latest credit card stats released yesterday by UK Finance, Alastair Douglas, CEO of credit experts TotallyMoney, said: “Even though credit...

Marsden Building Society has joined forces with The Right Equity Release to launch a Lifetime Mortgage Service to complement its later lending products. Rob...

Workers haven’t realised the advantages of mobile, with 91% still preferring to use a desktop or laptop for administrative tasks, as revealed by research...

Leading trade credit insurer Atradius recognises that employee wellbeing sits at the very heart of the organisation and has recently taken this ethos a step...

Striking Numbers 24 years: How long it would take to save the average first time buyer deposit at the average UK savings rate out of the average UK income...

1st Stop Group has joined London Stock Exchange Group’s international business support and capital raising ecosystem, ELITE.   1st Stop Group offers car...

The Chartered Banker Institute is proud to announce that it has become one of the first UK organisations to endorse the UN Principles for Responsible Banking....

Together, one of the UK’s leading specialist secured lenders, has announced continued robust growth in its quarterly results to 31 December 2018, as the...

George Robbins, director of financial services at leading credit reference agency TransUnion (formerly Callcredit), shares advice for first-time buyers:...

Hot on the heels of revealing its Retirement Interest-Only mortgage offering, The Nottingham for Intermediaries has introduced a range of rate-busting...

The Credit Services Association (CSA), the voice of the UK debt collection and debt purchase sectors, is once again hosting the annual Credit & Collections...

Eligible, a technology firm automating customer retention for the mortgage industry, have appointed ex-Partner at John Charcol, Hemel Shah, as Sales Director....

John Phillips, operations director at Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart, comments on the latest UK Finance Trends in lending report which reveals that the number...

UK consumers can save more than £2,500 a year by taking control of their finances, new analysis from Experian reveals. Families overpaying on their mortgages...

The Nottingham has shown its commitment to helping more people with home ownership and their finances by adding Retirement Interest Only mortgages to its...

Stonebridge Group, the mortgage and insurance network, has today (15th February 2019) announced the appointment of a new Head of Recruitment. Hayley Stansfield...

A Devon couple who have committed themselves to foster caring for the past 10 years say they are absolutely thrilled to have been accepted for a mortgage with...

Connect for Intermediaries is enhancing its second charge proposition by adding Lenderlink and Fluent for Advisers to its lending panel. Connect already has...

Early findings from major new research by StepChange Debt Charity, released as part of the charity’s Debt Awareness Week, show what variations in progress...

Demand for new cars grew in Europe by just 0.5 percent last year despite benign economic conditions. The recent downturn in manufacturing output in Europe has...

Commenting on the December 2018 new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the Finance...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business in the point of sale (POS) consumer car finance market grew 1%...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew in December 2018 by 4% compared with the...

House buyers face a difficult choice on whether to move now or wait following yesterday’s interest rate announcement, according to leading mortgage provider...

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only, specialist lender has today announced the promotion of Grant Hendry to the role of Head of National Accounts....

AccountScore, together with The Insolvency Panel, today announced the launch of the first ever Open Banking solution for the debt advice and debt solutions...

In response to the new figures released by the FOS on debt collection complaints, Caroline Siarkiewicz, Director at the Single Financial Guidance Body and debt...

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network is celebrating their 4th Birthday. The Right Mortgage & Protection Network was set up by Martin and Amanda...

Two new area directors have joined Just Mortgages’ self-employed division as part of the company’s wider growth plans. Jon Taylor joined yesterday (Feb 4)...

The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today (4th February 2019) revealed a revised fourth version of its...

The lack of productivity growth has been the biggest source of weakness in the UK economy in the decade since the financial crisis. According to the Bank of...

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network are delighted to announce that their members now have free access to the new online mortgage sourcing service,...

Reservations about data security pose the biggest challenge when it comes to increasing consumer adoption of Open Banking, according to a new white paper from...

“The FCA’s much anticipated review into high-cost short-term credit has been published, and again demonstrates the regulator’s unwavering commitment to...

Today, the Chartered Banker Institute has published its response to the FCA’s recent Discussion Paper on Climate Change and Green Finance . We support the...

Lenders, card issuers and payment service providers that need to comply with new fraud rules under PSD2 next year face a challenge from their own customers. In...

The Bank of England has today published its latest monthly Money and Credit report showing consumer credit growth slowed to 6.6 percent in the year to December...

68 per cent of British people think lenders have too much power over borrowers. The finding comes from new online polling conducted by YouGov for the think...

The government’s new breathing space scheme must protect people from debts owed to public sector organisations to be effective, according to the Money...

Following today’s release of the 2018 Insolvency Service statistics, Richard Haymes, Head of Financial Difficulties at TDX Group, an Equifax company,...

StepChange Debt Charity today responds to HM Treasury’s consultation on debt “Breathing Space” and a new defined statutory debt repayment plan (SDRP)....

Professor Dave Spicer, Dean of the Business School at the University of Salford and expert in the retail sector, comments on 9,000 job cuts announced today by...

BRITS ARE turning over a new leaf in 2019. Following a shambolic year of broken New Year’s resolutions two thirds of Brits are promising to sort out their...

Low Savings and Rising Debt Across UK Points to Need for 2019 Financial Resolutions Striking Numbers £58,948: Average total debt per UK household in November...

NGDATA, the company that helps brands to transform their customer engagement strategy and improve marketing and sales conversions through real-time data...

Following a strong 2018 performance, Phoebus Software Limited (PSL) has increased its client’s lending and savings balances serviced on the Phoebus solution...

ieDigital, a global provider of financial services technology, has announced its inclusion in the latest Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting a Digital Banking...

Homeowners are looking to borrow more than £13,000 to fund home improvements in 2019, new analysis from Experian reveals. Shoppers visiting Experian were...

Glasgow based debt advice firms, Creditfix and Carrington Dean have pledged their support to Shelter and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, with a raft of...

December’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales estimates, released today, reveal online sales boomed by 13.9% YOY; and 2.9% over November’s...

In just 12 months, MotoNovo Finance’s aggregation platform, findandfundmycar.com, has gone from entrant to significant player in the aggregation space....

The OECD area employment rate – the share of the working-age population with jobs – increased by 0.1 percentage point in the third quarter of 2018, to...

Our populist rebellion, whereby voters feel that their actual needs are not being addressed, is being drowned by the political mess at present. There is a...

Commenting on the FCA’s proposal for an overdraft overhaul and a ban on fixed-fee overdrafts, CEO of credit experts TotallyMoney, Alastair Douglas, said:...

The recent global market report Voice, Speech, Conversation-Based User Interfaces 2019-2029: Technologies, Players, Markets from IDTechEx Research forecasts...

Head of UK Banking at Simon-Kucher, Gianluca Corradi, explains how Open Banking is already benefitting customers and delivering innovation January 14, 2019...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the point of sale (POS) consumer car finance market fell by 1% in November,...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 2% in November, compared with the...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has announced its first free Direct Authorisation (DA) Transition workshop which will take place...

TransUnion (formerly Callcredit), the global risk and information solutions provider, has launched an Open Banking early adopter programme after receiving...

Knowledge Bank’s Criteria Activity Tracker has revealed the top five, most searched criteria by brokers during December with maximum borrowing high on the...

Linedata (Euronext Paris: LIN) announces the acquisition of French start-up Loansquare, whose portal digitalizes relationships between borrowers and lenders....

StepChange Debt Charity is today pleased to announce that John Griffith-Jones will chair the charity from 7 January, following the resignation of Sir Hector...

A new body, the SFGB, is here to help people make the most of their money and pensions. From 1 January 2019, the Single Financial Guidance Body (SFGB) brings...

StepChange Debt Charity notes that latest Bank of England data shows that the annual growth rate of consumer credit slowed in November 2018, but credit card...

As the hangovers of Christmas excesses hit, over one fifth of Brits (22%) say they feel most financially under pressure in January, according to research from...

iwoca, the UK’s fastest growing small business lender, today announces it has connected to Barclays and HSBC banks under Open Banking. This expands the...

A shocking number of UK adults would leave it up to three years or more before seeking professional help if they were in debt, new research has revealed. A...

Interest in fixed-term mortgages has remained strong in December, new analysis from Experian reveals. Today, the BofE announced it had voted to leave Base Rate...

Lending to businesses can be rewarding. Fiduciam, the pension-funded lender, has been provided with a Christmas tree grown by the Irish farmer it lent money to...

Computershare Loan Services has launched Zephyr Homeloans: a dedicated buy-to-let lender that provides a range of mortgage products for professional portfolio...

Striking Numbers 9.96 million: Number of employees auto-enrolled into pension schemes by November 2018 9.2 million: Number of employees not in any pension...

A shocking number of UK adults would leave it up to three years or more before seeking professional help if they were in debt, new research has revealed. A...

As a new survey reveals 1 in 5 Scots believe they will never be debt free, Scottish Trust Deed explains why there’s more to Scotland’s debt problem than...

Caroline Siarkiewicz, Head of Debt Advice at the Money Advice Service comments: “We welcome the FCA’s proposals to make overdrafts simpler and more...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 10% in consumer finance new business in October, compared with the...

StepChange Debt Charity is pleased that the Financial Conduct Authority has today announced robust measures to ensure that consumers stuck in overdraft debt...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today set out proposals to change the way banks charge for overdrafts, along with other measures in its latest update...

Dr Gordon Fletcher, retail expert from the University of Salford Business School comments on falling profits at online retailer ASOS. Dr Fletcher said:...

London based fintech Shieldpay has today agreed a partnership with Visa (NYSE: V) to deliver secure card payments across peer to peer marketplaces and...

AToM, the specialist mortgage broker and distributor has announced that, from January 2019, it will change its operating brand to ‘impact specialist...

Giles Andrews OBE, co-founder of Zopa, the world’s first marketplace lender, will join Dynamic Credit as Chairman of their Supervisory Board, subject to...

The FSQS accreditation mark is valued by some of the largest purchasers in the financial sector and indicates that an organisation has gone through the process...

Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, says “The number of remortgages in October is indicative of the upward trend we have seen over...

iwoca, the UK’s fastest growing small business lender, today announces it has connected to Barclays and HSBC banks under Open Banking. This expands the...

George Robbins, director of financial services at TransUnion (formerly Callcredit) comments on the latest Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics from...

Mark Pilling, Spicerhaart Corporate Sales managing director, says: “The latest mortgage lenders and administrators statistics reveal that the value of...

Jake Ranson, Banking & Financial Institutions Expert and CMO at Equifax UK, believes consumers will begin experiencing the full benefits of Open Banking in...

The International Bank of Azerbaijan will use FICO TONBELLER software to take an integrated approach to fighting money laundering and terrorist financing, it...

Bank cards often come with embedded insurance and assistance products and services such as purchase protection, roadside assistance or travel insurance. But...

As the UK prepares for the festive season, research from the Money Advice Service reveals that 45% of parents1 say their children are more likely to pester...

Terry Baxter, Director of Risk and Compliance at Target Group, said: “The FCA’s findings on how mortgage lenders treat customers who have long-term arrears...

When it comes to spending on spouses at Christmas, there aren’t really any hard and fast rules. Some couples don’t exchange gifts at all, while others go...

This year has been quiet a difficult one for some people as we have seen the petrol price hikes, VAT increases, interest rate increases, electricity increases...

Breakthrough innovation specialist Cambridge Consultants today announced DeepRay™, a ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that creates...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (4th December 2018) added specialist residential mortgage lender, Secure Trust Bank,...

Credit card customers will know exactly what deal they’re getting with Real Rates from Experian. In a transformative change to the way consumers shop for...

Dock9 is delighted to announce that Masthaven has chosen Dock9 as digital development partner, following an initial discovery and prototyping project....

One Mortgage System (OMS), the seamless single-input enquiry to completion processing platform for brokers, has boosted its specialist lending offering with...

Mutaz Qubbaj, CEO of money-saving app Squirrel, commented: “The dust hasn’t even settled on the demise of Wonga and it appears another company is sidling...

Criteria search system Knowledge Bank will next week launch the 12 Days of Christmas, a campaign which offers fantastic prizes both to new brokers signing up...

The Ministry of Justice published its call for evidence following concerns raised by the advice sector over continued problems with bailiffs and bailiff firms,...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (26th November 2018) announced the launch of a ‘Reverse Advent’ charity drive in...

The UK alternative finance market grew 35 per cent to £6.2 billion in 2017, as peer-to-peer business lending became an increasingly important part of small...

Commenting on today’s announcement from the Financial Conduct Authority on its proposals to introduce a bespoke price cap in the rent-to-own credit market,...

It is not relationship management or service orientation, but the analytical ability of a finance professional that is the most important skill to develop. The...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today set out a proposed price cap on the rent-to-own market and an update on its work on alternatives to high-cost...

Experian has launched a new set of advanced Open Banking services. Affordability Check and Tennant Vetting Service are both innovations which will empower...

Striking Numbers -5.6%: Change in the average real wage since pre-crash peak in February 2008 98%: First-time buyer deposit as percentage of average salary, in...

Hanley Economic Building Society has extended its Self-Build and Residential mortgage offerings into Scotland with immediate effect. The Self-Build market will...

The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today issued its response to the Ministry for Housing, Communities...

Ryan Kemp, director of retail at TransUnion (formerly Callcredit) comments on the ONS Retail Sales Index: “In the three months to October, retail sales...

People looking for mortgage advice in the local area can now get it face-to-face at their Nottingham Building Society (The Nottingham) branch, thanks to tech...

Research from Arrow Global’s Debt Britain report shows that despite worrying levels of debt, almost half of consumers (46%) said that they didn’t need any...

New research published today from the University of Bristol, in partnership with the Money Advice Trust and the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute,...

John Phillips, group operations director at Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart, says the latest UK Finance figures show that Brexit uncertainty continues hit...

To celebrate Talk Money Week (12-18 November), StepChange Debt Charity can reveal new evidence from clients about how taking debt advice is helping them feel...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that new business volumes in the point of sale (POS) consumer new car finance...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show consumer finance new business fell by 1% in September, compared with the same...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in...

The mortgage industry is failing to keep up with modern borrowers’ needs, it has been claimed, after a new survey revealed more than half were rejected for...

Hanley Economic Building Society has launched a range of retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages to support borrowers and intermediaries in their later life...

Almost one fifth of Brits (19%) would never inform a partner of their debt situation, according to new research by Equifax, the consumer and business insights...

The Big Lottery Fund, the UK’s largest community funder, has today published a new report that will help build the evidence base for the Government’s...

Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let and specialist lender, has today (5th November 2018) announced that Steve Cox has joined the business as its new Distribution...

TransUnion, the global risk and information solutions provider, has announced today an agreement to sell its Noddle business, the UK-based free-for-life credit...

Advisers have been urged to help those landlords who may be receiving letters from lenders about their mortgages, following the recent changes to the HMO...

The industry should not expect the FCA’s Mortgages Market Study Final Report and recommendations until Spring 2019 at the earliest. That was the view of a...

Commenting on the news that the Government has launched a consultation on introducing a “breathing space” for indebted individuals, Stuart Frith, President...

George Robbins, director of financial services at TransUnion (formerly Callcredit) responds to the Autumn Budget: “While the Autumn Budget revealed...

The number of people being declared bankrupt is expected to increase throughout the rest of 2018 in England and Wales, top 20 UK business services firm Wilkins...

House prices in nearly two-thirds (63%) of London local authorities have fallen year-on-year but the proportion of markets registering a decline in values is...

The Money Advice Trust has responded to today’s Budget, which it says includes ‘welcome action’ on tackling problem debt, including new details of the...

Ian Larkin CEO of Target Group reacts to the UK Budget and economic uncertainty: “The Budget today shows that the Chancellor expects GDP growth to be weak....

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline has welcomed signs that today’s Budget is expected to include the...

Changing appetites towards risk in unsecured lending look set to continue, opening up opportunities for used car dealers to tap into a £58bn market...

MONEYGURU.COM, based in Macclesfield, is celebrating 2 million visitors; coinciding with the company’s second birthday in September 2018. Moneyguru.com,...

Analysis of high level anonymised data from Moneyhub, a financial insights platform for individuals and enterprises, finds users have almost double the...

The leading independent global loan administration agent and trustee, GLAS, has announced the appointment of a new CEO, Steven Hodgetts, taking over from...

Striking Numbers 93: Number of times per second LINK cash machines used across the UK in September 2018 £58,776: Average total debt per UK household in August...

Online research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, reveals Brits want lenders to take factors, such as rental payment history, into...

The LCPAca Residential index provides a comprehensive dataset, tracking residential property prices and transactions within England & Wales, Greater London...

Findel, the online value retailer and education supplies business, gave the following post-close trading update ahead of its interim results announcement of...

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has issued a public warning against Charis Financial Services, an unregistered credit provider, conducting business in...

Connect for Intermediaries has launched a new unsecured lending panel for business loans. CEO Liz Syms announced the news at Connect’s 20th Anniversary...

Personal finance ‘paralysis’ costs UK consumers £18.7 billion per year, according to new research from Freedom Finance. Freedom Finance, the fintech...

Shieldpay, the secure payments provider, today announces it has been awarded an Innovate UK grant. The funding will be used to scale up Shieldpay’s Third...

People over the age of 45 who have failed to make debt repayments are three times more likely than under 25s to have a credit card balance not settled in full...

Commenting on the FLA’s consumer finance new business statistics for August 2018, Asia Anwar, account director – lending, TransUnion (formerly...

Commenting on the August 2018 new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Geraldine Kilkelly, Head of Research and Chief Economist at the...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business in August grew by 10% compared with the same...

New statistics published today [4 October] by StepChange Debt Charity lay bare the alarming scale and changing nature of problem debt in the UK. They show that...

The UK’s leading retirement finance specialist Age Partnership has appointed David Wing to its board. David’s new position, risk and compliance director,...

Responding to the latest Bank of England Money and Credit statistical release showing that the annual growth rate of consumer credit slowed in August, to 8.1%,...

StepChange Debt Charity today publishes a new four-year strategy that sets out an ambition to double the number of people it can help by 2022 and, for the...

Commenting on Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson’s call for a ban on using credit cards to gamble, Alastair Douglas, CEO of Free Credit Report provider and...

Striking Numbers £19.97: The fall in Debt growth per adult in June £58,658: Average total debt per UK household in July 2018 £32,220: Average student debt...

Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let and specialist lender, is today celebrating its 4th birthday having launched on this day in 2014. During that period, the...

There was a sharp fall in the number of consumers shopping for tracker mortgages in August following the rise in interest rates, new analysis from Experian has...

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has appointed Vineeta Manchanda and Rebecca Wilkie as members of its...

Following a successful pilot, StepChange Debt Charity is pleased that the Government has today announced that the new Help to Save scheme is now available...

Together, one of the UK’s leading specialist secured lenders, has announced strong growth and record levels of lending in its results for the year ended 30...

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, has today welcomed the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report into tackling problem debt. The...

Consumer confidence is vital to car buying and the recent rise in the UK Base Rate to 0.75% could dent this confidence, given an estimated 80% of car buyers...

StepChange Debt Charity today responds to a new official report showing that problem debt costs the state almost a quarter of a billion pounds every year, for...

The ESTAS Group – which highlights the best firms for customer service involved in the home-moving process – has today (5th September 2018) revealed...

Experian is introducing a “real rates” service to the credit card market so consumers will now know exactly what deal they’ll be getting. In a...

People are increasingly struggling with ‘smaller but trickier’ debts on everyday household bills, according to new figures from National Debtline, run by...

Building on its strong year-end results, Earl Shilton Building Society is revolutionising its brand identity to attract a wider audience and express the...

Responding to the latest Bank of England Money and Credit statistical release showing that the annual growth rate of consumer credit slowed in July, to 8.5%,...

Richard Pike, sales and marketing director at Phoebus Software, says “July is, of course, a traditionally busy month in the property world, and it is...

The Money Advice Trust has today announced the launch of the updated CASHflow resource, an online tool which enables people to self-manage their debts, with...

Front Events, organisers of Financial Services Expo (FSE) London, the premier exhibition for the financial services industry in London & the South East,...

The Financial Ombudsman Service has told banks they should take into account the evolution and sophistication of frauds and scams – and not simply assume...

Samantha Seaton, CEO of Moneyhub, commented: “A summer of hot weather has helped to boost spending, but the figures should be taken with a pinch of salt....

All in Property Services is pleased to announce the recruitment of Ray Hugill as a consultant to our business effective from August 2018. Ray’s role will...

Housing association tenants will be given access to the finance they need to get a foothold on the property ladder following the launch of a new £200million...

Accurately remembering how much money you spend depends on whether you pay by card or cash. Research by the University of Cologne and the...

A third of loan searches carried out through Experian’s comparison services are for debt consolidation loans, new analysis has revealed. These type of loans...

The Office for National Statistics has today published its latest UK consumer price inflation figures. The figures show the Consumer Prices Index was at 2.5...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that point of sale (POS) consumer new car finance business volumes grew by 1% in...

Virgin Money has renewed its licence with property analytics business Hometrack, securing delivery of Automated Valuation Model (AVM) services for the next...

In the same month that the Bank of England base rate has risen to 0.75% – the highest level since 2009, debt growth has fallen to its lowest level in over a...

Striking numbers £19.97: The fall in Debt growth per adult in June 0.75%: The new Bank of England base rate £65m: The fall in Public Sector Net Debt per day...

Mental health is one of the biggest causes of sickness absence in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. And a new white paper for employers,...

Two years on from the CMA market review which initiated Open Banking, Jake Ranson, banking and financial institution expert and CMO at Equifax Ltd, anticipates...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (9th August 2018) added TSB to its lender panel, the 14th addition in the last 12...

In today’s customer-centric marketplace, customer satisfaction has become the driving force to success. Satisfied customers eventually become loyal, repeat...

1SG has announced that one of its funders, Citibank, has agreed to increase its existing facility, doubling the amount available from £75m to £150m. The...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (26th July 2018) added Masthaven Bank to its lender panel. From today, Paradigm member...

The Treasury Select Committee has today published the report of its inquiry into household finances. Joanna Elson OBE, chief executive of the Money Advice...

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has today voted to increase interest rates to 0.75 percent, its highest level since 2009. Jane Tully, director of...

Homeowners could see their mortgage bills rise by around £400 a year following the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates, new analysis from...

Beverley Building Society is today announcing a 0.25% increase across all of its personal savings accounts to help boost savings returns across the region and...

Following the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates, Richard Haymes, Head of Financial Difficulties at TDX Group, an Equifax company, explains...

StepChange Debt Charity urges policymakers to keep a close eye on the impact of higher rates on debt servicing costs, as even small changes can tip financially...

Following the release of the FCA, Assessing Credit Worthiness in Consumer Credit policy statement, Tom Williams, CEO of technology firm Certua, responds to the...

[JOHANNEBURG] The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has warned consumers to be wary of fake credit providers who attempt to entrap consumers in loan scams. These...

Commenting on the publication of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) final rules and guidance on assessing creditworthiness in consumer credit, Fiona...

StepChange Debt Charity comments on latest Bank of England consumer credit data and FCA creditworthiness rules. Peter Tutton, Head of Policy at StepChange Debt...

Due to its continued growth, The Right Mortgage and Protection Network are delighted to welcome two new members to its expanding compliance team. The...

The Insolvency Service has today published insolvency statistics showing that total individual insolvencies were 4.4 percent higher in the second quarter of...

Following the release of the Q2 2018 Insolvency Service insolvency statistics today, Richard Haymes, Head of Financial Difficulties at TDX Group, an Equifax...

Sutherland Mortgage Services has announced Gatehouse Bank as its first UK client. The pioneering Sharia-compliant bank offers savings products and finance for...

​A new report from the Office of National Statistics out today shows that, on average, each UK household last year spent or invested £900 more than they...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (26th July 2018) added Masthaven Bank to its lender panel. From today, Paradigm member...

StepChange Debt Charity is pleased to see the Treasury Select Committee, in its report published today following the inquiry into household finances, show a...

The Money Charity’s Money Workshops have a significant positive effect on the financial capability of young people, in terms of confidence and perception of...

Beverley Building Society has today increased the rate on its Business Postal and Business Online Accounts. And as well as rewarding businesses with the new,...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced it is retaining its existing definition of vulnerable consumers in response to its Consumer Approach...

Responding to the publication today of the Financial Conduct Authority’s consumer approach, StepChange Debt Charity is pleased to see that the regulator has...

Online research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, reveals a lack of awareness of banking options among Brits. When presented with a list...

Employers are not grasping the depth of concern staff feel about their financial, physical and mental health, according to new research from Neyber into the...

Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, has become the first credit reference agency (CRA) to sign the Women in Finance Charter. HM Treasury has...

One-in-five (22%) British adults have had an outstanding credit card balance for at least six months, including the 4% of British adults who have had an...

Intuit Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Intuit Inc (Nasdaq: INTU), and Lloyds Bank (LSE: LLOY), announced today that its direct bank feed is now live. Now,...

Thursday 13 July marks six-months since Open Banking was introduced, with the government aiming to dramatically increase competition and ensure a much better...

Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, has formed a strategic alliance with consents.online, a digital consent management and AISP accredited Open...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business in May grew by 11%, compared with the same...

Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let and specialist lender, has today (4th July 2018) announced a revamp of its entire product range with new options across its...

Six months into Open Banking, online research from Equifax, the consumer and business insights expert, reveals that two fifths (40%) of Brits willing to share...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (2nd July 2018) added private bank, Hampden & Co, to its lender panel. From today,...

Today’s data from the Bank of England shows that consumer credit growth rates continued to slow in May, but remains rapid relative to 2009-12. Although net...

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) Credit Card Center, a credit card lending pioneer in China, has increased its customer base using originations powered...

The Money Advice Trust has today published its latest impact report which outlines the impact of its advice services, training and influencing work in 2017....

StepChange Debt Charity notes that the Financial Conduct Authority today reports that bank overdrafts are significant drivers of profitability on bank personal...

Today’s UK Finance figures show credit card spending has risen considerably in May. This could be an indicator of affordability issues, which could have a...

Oblix Capital, a specialist short term lender, has joined The Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL) as a new associate member. Membership of the ASTL now...

The UK’s largest credit reference agency, Experian, can now offer Open Banking and PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2) services to enable the exchange of...

The UK’s biggest personal insolvency practice Creditfix has taken 15th spot in a major employee poll to uncover the best companies to work for. Headquartered...

In 2017, one in five clients of StepChange Debt Charity had an additional vulnerability (such as illness), on top of their problem debt. New analysis from the...

Following the Bank of England’s recent letter warning about the growing risks attached to the provision of 0% credit card balance transfer offers, Daoud...

Stonebridge Group, the mortgage and insurance network, has today (14th June 2018) announced its best ever month for mortgage applications with its advisers...

Nationwide Building Society’s reputation rating of 7.3 out of 10 is dovetailed by extremely high recommendation among customers (8.1), making it the UK’s...

UK consumers look set to spend more on international travel this year than in 2017, the latest findings from Ferratum’s Summer Barometer have found....

In support of the tenth annual My Money Week (11-17 June 2018) Equifax has partnered with Young Enterprise in order to equip young people to grow-up with the...

On Friday, 01 June 2018, the National Credit Regulator (NCR) joined forces with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in an operation aimed at curbing...

Alarm bells are starting to sound as fears rise over the impartiality of the Financial Ombudsman’s review chief and his ‘perceived closeness’ to the...

High rents are here to stay so as a direct consequence employers must be prepared to pay much higher wages to staff to enable them to afford these much higher...

The Chartered Institute of Credit Management has welcomed the planned review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) into high cost credit and particularly...

The FCA today published the outcomes of a review into high cost credit, including overdrafts, doorstep loans, catalogue credit and rent-to-own borrowing. The...

Responding to the FCA’s review into high cost credit, Money Advice Service Chief Executive, Charles Counsell, said today: “We welcome the FCA’s...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today published its high-cost credit review. The review outlines proposals designed to protect people who use...

The net result of the proposals in the Financial Conduct Authority’s High Cost Credit Review published on 31st May is that fewer people, particularly those...

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today (30th May 2018) added The Melton Building Society, and its subsidiary, MBS Lending, to...

Raiffeisen Bank will use new customer onboarding technology from analytic software firm FICO to increase its digital lending capabilities in Romania. FICO...

Abundance, Britain’s leading peer-to-peer ethical investment platform, today launches a new move into the social and affordable housing sector, building on...

Analysis by StepChange Debt Charity reveals that two in five clients who received advice in 2017 were behind on at least one of their essential household bills...

Following the FCA’s statement on robo-advice, which required many providers to make ‘significant changes’, Robbie Constance, Head of Financial Services...

The Emerging Payments Association (EPA) has written to the Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) calling for the OBIE to amend the terms of the CMA’s...

The directors of an investment company, who own nearly 250 properties, are set to grow their portfolio after Together delivered funding secured against part of...

Following on from its Mortgages Market Study Interim Report, published earlier this month, a number of lender representatives have questioned whether the...

News that wages have risen is welcome but there is still a very long way to go to make up the ground lost due to the recession in 2008 and inflation since...

A Sowerby-Bridge based finance management specialist has won a prestigious regional industry award. Martin Mellor, founder and managing director of Mellor...

Residential lender Secure Trust Bank has joined the panel, not only of Connect for Intermediaries mortgage network but also its packaging arm. Brokers from the...

With 12.5 million work days lost each year as a result of stress, depression and anxiety, the global membership organisation Business Disability Forum is using...

LCP’s latest LCPAca Residential Index reports annual new build sales* falling 13.8% in Prime Central London with quarterly transactions plummeting to 88....

The Right DA Club, the directly authorised arm of The Right Mortgage Ltd, has officially launched its compliance packages for directly authorised firms. The...

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business in March was at a similar level to that...

Following the Bank of England’s (BoE) decision not to raise interest rates today, Richard Haymes, Head of Financial Difficulties at TDX Group, an Equifax...

CarMoney, the fast-growing Glasgow-based motor finance business which was launched in 2016, is set to expand its financing activity into car leasing as a...

The number of debt judgments registered in Jersey rose slightly during the first quarter of 2018, according to figures released today by Registry Trust....

Just Mortgages is taking on two new Financial Service Directors (FSDs) following its most successful year to date. These are just two of a raft of appointments...

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition, has today launched a new helpdesk specifically focused on answering member queries relating...

At the 4thannual Motor Finance Conference held in Berlin on April 26th, MotoNovo Finance was recognised as leading bank owned independent finance provider in...

Banks may be forced to pay a further £18bn to consumers in payment protection insurance (PPI) claims ahead of the August 2019 deadline, following...

Today’s data from the Bank of England shows a monthly slowdown in the rate of growth in consumer credit lending – but in the first quarter of this year,...

The Bank of England has today published its latest monthly Money and Credit report showing consumer credit growth was 8.6 percent in the year to March 2018,...

John Phillips, group operations director at Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart, says, “Overall mortgage approvals were broadly unchanged for March, but within...

Santander has confirmed a three year extension to its valuation and risk services partnership with Hometrack, covering collateral risk management solutions...