Property sales rise: but it’s an interval, not the end of the show

Property sales (seasonally adjusted) in June were 15% lower than a year earlier, at 85,870, but 6% higher than May. Part of the monthly rise was down to the...

We have to take encouragement – Comment on the HMRC property transactions for June

“With so many conflicting reports around the state of the housing market and mortgages in particular, we have to take encouragement from the non-seasonally...

LiveMore adds lifetime mortgages to complete its product line up

LiveMore, the lender for people aged 50-90+, has expanded its product offering to include equity release mortgages in order to offer customers the widest range...

Financial Lives survey highlights importance of the FCA’s Consumer Duty

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found 7.4 million people unsuccessfully attempted to contact one or more of their financial services providers in the...

Comment: FCA Financial Lives survey

“Clearly, much of the UK still distrusts  lenders and other financial services firms – this isn’t surprising when millions have found it almost...

StepChange responds to FCA Financial Lives Survey

The new Financial Lives survey from the FCA has found that more than 7m people unsuccessfully attempted to contact one or more of their financial services...

MotoNovo Finance Strengthens Senior Leadership Team with Three Senior Appointments

MotoNovo Finance (MNF) has announced the expansion of its Senior Leadership Team with three senior external appointments – Leanne Christmas who joins as...

Value of pawnbroker loans rockets 41% in a year to £223 million as households scramble for extra cash

The value of loans taken out from pawnbrokers has rocketed 41% in just a year, from £158m in 2021 to £223m in 2022 says Mazars, the international audit, tax,...

BNPL: Research shows 3/4 UK consumers want regulation

As reports emerge that HM Treasury could be delaying plans to regulate the sector, research from NewDay* found that consumers are concerned about the lack of...

Money Wellness calls for a ‘uniform approach’ to school uniform grants

Money Wellness is calling for the government to review school uniform grants, after 93% of parents said they were unaware there was any help available. A Money...

Urgent demand for financial solutions and debt consolidation, according to Knowledge Bank’s data

The latest criteria index from Knowledge Bank underpins the financial burdens that many are carrying in the UK. As the UK’s largest database of mortgage...

Debt charities warn of harmful misleading debt advice ads

Demand for debt advice has risen sharply this year, as debt charities StepChange, Citizens Advice and Money Advice Trust, report increasing numbers of people...

Kelli Fielding Appointed as Chief Product Officer at TransUnion UK

TransUnion has announced Kelli Fielding as its new chief product officer for the UK. As part of her new role with the global information and insights company,...

16 million Brits still don’t know you can get into debt using BNPL services

16 million people in the UK are still unaware you can get into debt using ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ (BNPL) services*, according to research from responsible...

OneDome aims to grow to £5Bn of mortgages arranged per year by 2024 via acquisitions of mortgage brokerage firms

OneDome, the end-to-end property transaction company, has received an overwhelmingly positive response to its HomeBuyer Service, with triple-digit year-on-year...

Rise in people seeking debt options “worrying sign of households under strain”

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has responded to the latest insolvency statistics which show that the...

Proportion of StepChange Scotland clients with mortgage arrears on the rise

New data from StepChange Scotland reveals that around one in five (19%) mortgaged clients were in mortgage arrears in the second quarter of this year, up from...

International estate agency giant iad launches in the UK

iad, the international estate agency business, today announces the launch of its self-employed model in England and Wales. And with a number of differences....

The FCA cracks down on ‘finfluencers’

The FCA has proposed new guidance for social media ‘finfluencers’ – after seeing a growing number of promotions falling short. Promotions need to be...

First-time buyer mortgage products reduced by more than a quarter

The latest research from estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester,reveals that the number of first-time buyer mortgage products has fallen by more than...

Core inflation in ‘no more nails’ territory

Inflation is expected to have fallen to 8.2% in June – from 8.7% in May. However, it was also forecast to fall a month earlier, when it stuck firm at 8.7%....

Hanley Economic BS introduces five-year BTL and resi fixed rate options

Hanley Economic Building Society has bolstered its residential and buy-to-let propositions through the introduction of a pair of five-year fixed rate products....

StepChange responds to reports BNPL regulation could be delayed

Following news this weekend that there could be delays to regulation of the Buy Now, Pay Later sector, Richard Lane, Director of External Affairs at StepChange...

Average credit card rates race past 23% for first time since 1995

After a period of relative calm for the consumer credit sector, average rates on lending products registered notable increases through June as fears over...

Reward Finance Group launches Wellness Team to support its staff nationwide

Leading SME funding provider, Reward Finance Group has launched a dedicated Wellness Team to provide wellbeing, first aid, mental health and menopause support...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 10% in May 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in May 2023 by 10% compared...

Consumer finance new business fell by 5% in May 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell in May 2023 by 5% compared with the same...

StepChange sees increase in clients needing help with car finance debts

New data from StepChange Debt Charity reveals a marked increase in the proportion of clients contacting the charity for debt advice with car finance debt....

Consumer Credit Act to be axed – what it means for section 75 and vulnerable borrowers

The Consumer Credit act is set to be axed – and replaced by rules overseen by the FCA. Section 75 will disappear along with the act, and the Treasury is...

Majority of UK Consumers Prove Resilient Despite Persistent Inflation

TransUnion, a global information and insights company, has released its latest Consumer Pulse study, revealing that a significant portion of the UK...

UK Finance comment on FCA savings meeting

Following the Financial Conduct Authority’s meeting on savings, David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “UK Finance and a number of our...

Here’s how much the average mortgage now costs in each region

The latest research by specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, has revealed how the current cost of a monthly mortgage repayment differs across...

Money, regulation, and knowledge – the factors holding back office landlords from improving sustainability

In a new study of 250 commercial landlords with office buildings in the UK, half report major setbacks in improving energy efficiency across their portfolios,...

Money Advice Trust publishes its latest Outcomes Report

The Money Advice Trust has published its latest Outcomes Report, which shows the scale and impact of the charity’s work helping people and small businesses...

Latest Paradigm Consumer Duty video addresses Fair Value Assessments

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today launched the latest in its Consumer Duty video series, which provides...

Banking expert Richard Topliss joins Together’s corporate team

An industry leader with more than four decades of banking experience has joined Together to advise the specialist lender’s corporate team. Richard Topliss,...

Clock is ticking as FCA research highlights a quarter are not ready for new Consumer Duty rules

As the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes its Consumer Duty Firm survey* highlighting how ready businesses are for the new Consumer Duty Rules, RSM UK...

Nearly two thirds of brokers want more information on Consumer Duty from financial providers, research reveals

Nearly nine out of ten brokers (86%) are confident about their awareness of Consumer Duty just weeks ahead of its implementation, according to new research...

Fall in real incomes signals financial stresses and strains for leisure and hospitality operators, says RSM UK

The Bank of England’s latest monthly Money and Credit data highlights the impact of the rising cost of borrowing and the effect this will have on spending in...

Comment from LiveMore on HMRC property transaction data

“Although the non-seasonally adjusted residential housing transactions in May were 10% higher than April, the seasonally adjusted figure is 3% lower....

StepChange appoints three new members to its Board of Trustees

StepChange Debt Charity is delighted to announce the appointment of Liz Harding, Mike Ashley and Sue Acton as Trustees, who will join the Board on 1 July....

More homeowners seeking debt advice to combat rising mortgage rates

Personal insolvency provider Creditfix is warning about a steep rise in homeowners seeking debt support as more people struggle with rising mortgage rates. In...

Recognise Bank Dominates with Launch of New Savings Products

The innovative digital bank, Recognise, is currently ranked top of the comparison tables* for their 3 year fixed personal savings accounts, offering 5.85% AER....

Richard Sharp appointed as Managing Director of Freedom Finance Mortgages Ltd.

Freedom Finance Mortgages Ltd (FFML), one of the UK’s leading second charge mortgage distributors, is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Sharp...

One fifth of teachers reliant on BNPL to pay for the weekly shop risking long-term debt as key worker finances reach breaking point

One fifth (18%) of teachers have been forced to rely on buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options to afford their weekly shop, according to new research from...

Just Mortgages launches bespoke training for large principal firms

National brokerage Just Mortgages has expanded the level of support available to its large principal brokers with the launch of a new bespoke training...

UK mortgage timebomb: government, lenders, financial advisors must form united front

The government, mortgage lenders, and financial advisors must urgently forge a comprehensive and coordinated approach as millions could face a mortgage and...

The Samaritans deliver resilience training at Money Wellness

Advisers from Money Wellness, the wellbeing platform specialising in free debt advice and ongoing support, have taken part in a resilience training programme...

UK Finance comment following Chancellor’s meeting with lenders

“Lenders recognise and understand this is an anxious time for mortgage customers and there is a lot of support available. Lenders have been working to...

House price bounce: the halcyon days before mortgage misery kicks in

House prices rose 0.4% between March and April. Average house prices were up 3.5% in the year to April – down from 4.1% a month earlier. The average house...

64% of buyers worried about rates hike, with 28% having to abandon purchase plans if cost of lending increases

Research by Nested, the modern estate agent, has found that 64% of homebuyers are worried that the cost of borrowing could rise following a thirteenth...

£5.5bn owed in council tax as charity calls for urgent reform of outdated collection rules

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has responded to figures out today showing council tax arrears for...

Record rent levels leaving more tenants at risk of problem debt, says StepChange

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today published new figures revealing that median monthly rents in England have reached £825, the highest figures...

MorganAsh and Investor in Customers partner to provide Consumer Duty reports

MorganAsh and Investor in Customers have partnered to provide firms with reports to meet the needs of Consumer Duty. Investor in Customers already provides a...

Fleet Mortgages to offer £1,000 cashback for landlords improving property EPC levels to C and above

Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let specialist lender, has today announced a new, limited edition product feature which will reward landlord borrowers with a...

Money Advice Trust chief executive to step down later in 2023

Joanna Elson CBE has announced today that she will be stepping down as chief executive of the Money Advice Trust in early September, after 17 years leading the...

Money Wellness warns salary advance schemes are masking a debt crisis

Money Wellness is warning that the explosion in salary advance schemes, allowing employees to access their salaries before payday, is camouflaging a spiralling...

Brokers urged to “make it happen” with mortgage clinics

National brokerage Just Mortgages is encouraging credit brokers to integrate into their local communities and host mortgage clinics, with a full suite of...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 15% in April 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in April 2023 by 15%...

Consumer finance new business fell by 10% in April 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell in April 2023 by 10% compared with the...

Finance leaders can be the drivers for positive change during times of instability

Leading Accounts Payable (AP) automation solution provider, Yooz, today announces that it has launched its third annual investigation into the State of...

5.5 million people behind on energy bills, as charities call for Help To Repay scheme

An estimated 5.5 million UK adults are behind on their energy bills, according to new research from the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National...

Less than half of UK children have been taught about money

Less than half of UK children have been taught about money at home or in school, according to a new report from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)....

RSM UK appoints Consumer Duty expert as deadline looms for financial services businesses

Financial services businesses have less than eight weeks until the FCA’s (Financial Conduct Authority) new Consumer Duty regulations come into force on 31...

HyperJar appoints Louise Chan as COO after run as Head of Innovation at HSBC

Award-winning digital wallet HyperJar has appointed Louise Chan to the role of chief operating officer. Incumbent Chris Lowrie moves up to head the firm’s...

Foundation Home Loans introduces new rates and fees across buy-to-let and owner-occupied core and special ranges

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has today added three new Limited Edition products to its core buy-to-let range and added...

MotoNovo’s GROW Network Appoints New Joint Chairs

MotoNovo Finance’s ‘Generating Real Opportunities for Women’ (GROW) network, which promotes the importance of increasing female representation in motor...

CAB Payments announces intention to float on London Stock Exchange

Fresh boost for London as CAB Payments, which facilitates global payments and has a subsidiary with a UK banking licence, announces its intention to float on...

Money Wellness launches LGBTQIA+ community group

Money Wellness, the wellbeing platform specialising in free debt advice, has formed a LGBTQIA+ community group, with the aim of cultivating an open, accepting,...

Comment on the UK Finance Household Finance Review

The UK Finance Household Finance Review has just been published, Simon Webb, managing director of capital markets and finance at LiveMore, commented: “Since...

Halifax HPI: first annual price drop, but more to come as lender ramps up rates

House prices were flat in May, but fell 1% in a year. It’s the first annual fall recorded by this particular index since December 2012. The average property...

Amplifi Capital raises £50m from M&G to support the growth of the UK’s credit union sector

Amplifi Capital (U.K.) Limited, the fintech disruptor behind the brands My Community Finance and Reevo Money, has secured £50m in debt funding from M&G...

MaPS CEO Caroline Siarkiewicz to step down in January 2024

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has today announced that its CEO, Caroline Siarkiewicz, has confirmed to the Board that she will not be taking up a...

Remortgage nightmare lying in wait

Two in five people with a mortgage say their payments haven’t gone up since interest rates started rising – because so many are on fixed rate deals. One in...

Aldermore increases business savings rate

Aldermore today increases the rate on its Easy Access business savings account, helping UK SMEs get one step closer to realising their savings goals. The...

Money Advice Trust welcomes FCA’s ban on debt packager referral fees

The Money Advice Trust has welcomed today’s decision by the FCA to ban referral fees for debt packager firms. The ban applies to all new debt packager firms...

StepChange responds to FCA’s Debt Packager referral fee ban

StepChange Debt Charity strongly supports the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) announcement today that it is banning debt packaging firms from receiving...

Cooling market clear as transactions drop -58% year on year

Research by Nested, the modern estate agent, has revealed that while there have been almost 77,500 homes sold across England and Wales so far this year, this...

Lenovo partners with Demica on distributor finance

Demica, one of the world’s largest providers of supply chain finance SaaS solutions, has partnered with Lenovo’s channel solution and service team to...

The changing face of financial vulnerability revealed

TDX Group, an Equifax company, and leading provider of debt management solutions, urges lenders and those who serve customers facing financial difficulty, to...

Comment on Bank of England consumer credit data

Net borrowing of consumer credit in April remained broadly unchanged when compared to March, at £1.6 billion. The additional consumer credit borrowing in...

Money Advice Trust responds to latest Bank of England borrowing figures

Today’s Bank of England Money and Credit figures show consumer credit growth remained at 7.7 percent in April 2023 with outstanding balances for consumer...

Remortgage approvals up, but is now the time to fix? – comment

Following the BoE figures this morning, Adam Oldfield, chief revenue officer at Phoebus Software, says “In amongst the news of rising interest rates and high...

HMRC property transactions – comment

Following the announcement from HMRC today that the provisional seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in April 2023 is...

Comment from LiveMore on fall in property transactions

Following this morning’s release of the HMRC monthly property transaction figures, which have fallen, Simon Webb, managing director of capital markets and...

Cost of living crisis deals another blow to struggling small businesses

New research from Business Debtline today reveals the impact of the cost of living crisis on struggling small business owners, with a majority of callers to...

2023 Chargeback Field Report: Friendly Fraud, First-Party Misuse Skyrockets to Pandemic Levels, Industry Survey Reveals

Tampa, USA – Chargebacks911, the first company dedicated to providing chargeback remediation services to the world’s largest banks and businesses,...

F for finance – horrible knowledge gaps at 18 and beyond

Three quarters of 18-year-olds don’t understand the rules around borrowing or what a share is. Two in three 18-year-olds don’t understand inflation,...

The Money Stats – May 2023 – Snapshot of UK Mortgages in Crisis

Reduced lending amounts, prompted by interest rate rises, indicate a crisis of mortgage unaffordability for people across the UK, according to the May 2023...

Average cost of a first home climbs £25 per day since interest rates started to rise

Research from the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, has revealed that despite a cooling housing market that has seen the average UK house price fall...

Surge in loan requests amidst spiralling housing costs

UK consumer lender Fluro has launched the second edition of its “Consumer Lending Newsflash”, examining current trends across the entire UK open market,...

FCA announces lenders to pay up to £47m to struggling borrowers – comment

“With a fifth of consumers (21%) reliant on credit for everyday expenses, there is a clear need for a change of approach across the finance sector....

Heat turned down on energy bills, but millions will still get burned

Energy bills will fall £426 in July – as the energy price cap falls below the energy price guarantee. It’s the first drop in 18 months, although it still...

StepChange responds to FCA’s proposals to make permanent requirements on lenders to support borrowers in financial difficulty

StepChange Debt Charity welcomes the FCA’s proposals today which will make permanent requirements on lenders to treat borrowers in financial difficulty...

The Consumer Duty – MotoNovo Continues to Ramp Up its Dealer Support

As well as ensuring its technology, people, and processes are ready for the July 31st launch date for the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Consumer Duty,...

Energy price cap falls – but more support needed for struggling households

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has today welcomed Ofgem’s decision to cap household energy prices at...

Bevan Money submits banking licence application

Bevan Money, an aspiring bank with a clear social purpose, has submitted its application for a banking licence. The business plans to provide mortgages,...

Principal brokers graduate from Just Mortgages leadership programme

Five self-employed principal brokers have become the latest graduates from the Just Mortgages Business Principals Leadership programme, taking their next steps...

StepChange responds to new inflation data

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 8.7% in April, down from 10.1% in March. While it’s...

House price slide is short and shallow so far: soft landing may be in sight

House prices fell for the fourth consecutive month – with prices down 0.9% between February and March. Average house prices were up 4.1% in the year to March...

Phoebus secures servicing contract for Aviva’s equity release business

Aviva, one of the UK’s leading insurers, has appointed Phoebus to service its equity release portfolio, replacing its legacy servicing system. The new...

James Robinson Appointed as TransUnion’s Managing Director of Consumer Interactive in the UK

TransUnion, a global information and insights company and one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies, has appointed James Robinson as managing...

Shift to private healthcare could add to household debt

One in five (21%) Brits have opted for private healthcare treatment due to ongoing delays, strikes, and long waiting lists in the NHS. According to smart money...

Research reveals 1-in-10 Brits fall into debt after overspending on first holiday abroad

Exclusive new data from the UK’s top-rated budgeting app, HyperJar, has found that shockingly, 1-in-10 Brits admit to failing to budget sufficiently for...

Comment: FCA finds more Brits than ever struggling with cost of living

With new findings from the FCA showing that more Brits than ever are struggling with the cost of living crisis. The statistics from the FCA include: Just over...

Conveyancing Association announce date and venue of 2024 Annual Conference & Charity Dinner

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today announced the date and venue for its next Annual...

Some progress, but financially vulnerable tenants overlooked by Renters’ Reform Bill, says StepChange

“The Renters’ Reform Bill sets out important steps to create a fairer and more secure system for private renters, including an end to no-fault evictions...

Capital Credit Union chooses LendingMetrics’ ADP

People-first lender Capital Credit Union is adopting the award-winning Auto Decision Platform by LendingMetrics, in a move to enhance their credit decisioning...

High cost of homeownership the primary source of anxiety for hopeful homebuyers

Research from the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, has found that a large proportion of hopeful homebuyers are experiencing significant levels of...

StepChange responds to new FCA figures on struggling borrowers

The FCA has today released new figures revealing the number of people struggling to meet bills and credit repayments now stands at 10.9m, a year-on-year rise...

Royal London responds to FCA

Commenting on the FCA embargoed press release showing that help is available for people struggling with their payments, Sarah Pennells, consumers finance...

Foundation Home Loans launches new buy-to-let two-year specials as new short-term stress test change introduced

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has today launched new buy-to-let two-year fixed-rate specials as it also introduces a new...

Paused Bill ‘must include independent inventory measure,’ says industry boss

The paused Renters’ Reform Bill should include measures to make independent inventories compulsory in every tenancy agreement. The controversial and...

Freedom Finance to work with Money Expert to offer loans and credit cards

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces, is delighted to announce that it has entered into a new partnership that will see it...

Further interest rate rise ramps up pressure on mortgage holders and renters, says StepChange

StepChange Debt Charity says the Bank of England’s announcement today of a further base rate rise from 4.25% to 4.5% is another blow for household finances....

RICS: reality bites for sellers as demand drops for a year

Buyer demand fell again – for the 12th consecutive month. House prices and the number of agreed sales were also down. The time taken from listing to...

Help to Buy limps towards a close – hobbled by price restrictions

By December 2022  – seven years after launch –  Help to Buy ISAs had been used to buy 547,187 homes. The scheme closed to new entrants in...

NewDay BondCo plc – group results for the financial quarter ended 31 March 2023

NewDay, a leading digital consumer credit business in the UK, has today released its financial results for the quarter ended 31 March 2023, which can be found...

“Debt storm brewing” as more struggle with household bills

New research from National Debtline, the free debt advice service run by the Money Advice Trust, has today revealed that the average level of priority debt...

docStribute and Mia-Platform launch new service for faster and more secure instant loans

Mia-Platform, an end-to-end platform builder that empowers businesses to smoothly create cloud-native applications, has extended its partnership with...

Just a quarter of first-time buyers would opt for a 100% mortgage

Research from the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, has found that while high house prices and the initial cost of a mortgage deposit are the biggest...

nsumer car finance new business volumes fell by 8% in March 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in March 2023 by 8% compared...

Consumer finance new business fell by 4% in March 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 4% in March 2023 compared with the...

Halifax HPI: House prices at tipping point

Annual price rises slowed to just 0.1% in April. House prices fell 0.3% in April, following a 0.8% rise in March. The average property now costs £286,896 –...

Consumer credit debt sees sharpest rise since the financial crisis

Bank of England statistics published today show consumer credit debt rose by 2.7% (£5.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2023 – the sharpest quarterly rise...

Comments on BoE Money and Credit data

Following the announcement from the Bank of England today that net mortgage approvals rose significantly to 52,000 in March, from 44,100 in February, John...

Confidence abounds: more mortgages, spending savings and borrowing boost: Bank of England

We withdrew £1.3 billion of cash in March (subtracting deposits from withdrawals). Withdrawals from easy access accounts accelerated massively, but fixed rate...

PSR appoints new General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer

The Payment Systems Regulator has made two key appointments to its executive team: Alex Olive as General Counsel, and Natalie Golding as Chief Operating...

Bank of England Money and Credit data

“Mortgage lending was flat in March with net borrowing at zero. This is the seventh fall in as many months and the lowest level in 12 years if you exclude...

Comment on the Bank of England money and credit figures for March

“The increase in approvals for house purchases was substantial and the best sign yet that the housing market has turned a corner.  Add to that the latest...

Zoopla: the worst may be over

Annual house price growth slowed to 3%. It expects prices to fall just 1% during the rest of 2023, and says the worst of the falls are behind us. The...

Lack of regulation causing consumer mistrust of Buy Now, Pay later

A survey of UK consumers shows concerns about the lack of regulation in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options, with only 16% of UK consumers deeming BNPL...

Rising number of people turn to equity release for medical treatment following despair over NHS waiting lists

With more than 7.2 million people on NHS waiting lists, many people are looking for alternative funding options to pay for non-emergency surgery. 55Plus, the...

House prices positive, but one swallow doesn’t make a summer

House prices rose 0.5% in a month – after seven consecutive months of falls. On an annual basis, house prices are down 2.7% in the year to April – a...

TransUnion Responds to Gambling Reforms

Commenting on the government’s newly released gambling white paper Adam Hancox, director of gaming at TransUnion in the UK, said: “The comprehensive...

Property transaction comment

Following this morning’s release of the HMRC monthly Following this morning’s release of the HMRC monthly property transaction figures, Simon Webb,...

Property sales: spring bump – but no bounce

Property sales (non-seasonally adjusted) were 94,870 – up 26% from February – but still 14% lower than a year earlier. When they’re seasonally...

Credit Union borrowing exceeds record £2 billion after cost of credit grows

Total Credit Union borrowing rose by over £261 million through 2022 and surpassed £2 billion for the first time ever following the surge in the cost of...

HMRC Property Transactions comment

Following the announcement from HMRC today that the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in March 2023 is...

A huge opportunity for lenders and brokers – comment

Following the figures from HMRC this morning, Adam Oldfield, chief revenue officer at Phoebus Software, says “Although we were still feeling the fallout from...

Five million customers choose to move their finances forward with TotallyMoney

TotallyMoney, the fintech with a focus on the UK’s financially under-served has surpassed the five million customer milestone: The free financial app puts...

FICO UK Credit Card Market Report: February 2023

The latest data from FICO on UK credit card trends illustrates the financial balancing act many consumers are facing. Average card spend has increased...

The Money Stats – April 2023 – Household Budgets Battle to Keep Pace with Rising Food Bills

Soaring rises in the cost of food and drink are fuelling ongoing high inflation and causing hard-pressed UK households to need to rely more on credit products,...

LSB calls on banks to join focus on financial resilience

The banking sector’s primary self-regulatory body, the Lending Standards Board (LSB), is urging firms to prepare for the financial struggles customers will...

Conveyancing Association launch new Building Safety Act and Building Safety (Leaseholder Protections) Guidance

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today launched a guidance document for conveyancing...

New lenders meet growing demand for consumer loans in 2022 as more users to adopt digital platforms

Research from Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital borrowing marketplaces, reveals the leading challengers and neobanks added over £1.5bn of...

ONP Group springs into growth with new leadership team and commitments to partnerships and tech innovation

ONP Group has restructured with a new leadership team. The new team will spearhead the company, driving it forwards and taking a new partnership approach with...

Just Mortgages expands self-employed team with 48 new advisers in Q1

Leading national brokerage Just Mortgages has welcomed 48 new advisers to its thriving self-employed division in Q1, with ambitions to add 200 by the end of...

House prices plummet by as much as £21,000 in a single month in these areas

Research from estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has revealed that so far this year, house prices have plummeted by as much as £21,000 in a...

CTSI welcomes Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill aimed at increasing consumers protection

CTSI today welcomes the publication of the draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill particularly in relation to the potential for it to...

Money Wellness forms strategic partnership with Rethink Mental Illness

Money Wellness, the wellbeing platform specialising in free debt advice and ongoing support, has formed a new strategic partnership with Rethink Mental Illness...

Annual rental yield up in all regions, reveals Q1 2023 Rental Barometer

Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let specialist lender, has today released the latest iteration of its Buy-to-Let Rental Barometer covering Q1 2023 rental yields...

House prices fall for second consecutive quarter as sellers yet to come to terms with cooling market

London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has released its latest Property Market Index Review providing the most comprehensive view of UK and...

Inflation down – but in double-figures for seventh month

CPI inflation fell to 10.1% in March. It has been in double-figures since September last year. What it means for savers. What next for mortgages. Petrol prices...

Comment from on today’s inflation figures

“This drop to below nine precent is significant and will be a welcome relief for households across the country, but especially mortgage holders. The bank...

High costs continue to bear down on struggling households, despite drop in inflation

The Office for National Statistics has today published its latest Consumer Prices Index, which shows the rate of inflation fell from 10.4 percent in February...

Progress, but cost of living crisis ‘far from over’, says StepChange

“It’s positive to see inflation finally going in the right direction, but with energy prices fixed until July and inflation on food and other essentials...

Consumers open to revealing health and lifestyle issues, MorganAsh data reveals

Consumers are more open to answering personal questions about their health and lifestyle than is generally believed, new data from the MorganAsh Resilience...

Buy Now, Pay Later Firmly Established in the Consumer Wallet, With the Majority Spending Between £100 and £500 Annually Using These Services

With buy now, pay later data now appearing on consumer credit reports, its popularity has not wavered, as recent research from information and insights...

Data hosting sector market size set to hit £8.5bn in 2023 as digitisation drives demand

Research by digital identity security specialists, ID Crypt Global, has revealed that as the world becomes increasingly digitised, the data processing and...

Half a million people supported by StepChange in 2022

StepChange helped or guided nearly half a million people last year, with more clients receiving full debt advice than in the previous year according to the...

Optimism over future home sales, despite current weak demand

Surveyors predict a positive net balance of housing sales of plus one per cent over the next 12 months, according to March’s residential market survey....

Experian and CarCloud shift into higher gear as partnership set to accelerate car ownership experience

Experian and CarCloud have today announced a new partnership that will further enhance the car ownership experience for drivers using CarCloud’s free digital...

LiveMore appoints new director of marketing

LiveMore has appointed a new director of marketing as the lender looks to expand its reach into the consumer arena. The bulk of LiveMore’s distribution is...

Halifax HPI: spring bump offers whiff of optimism

House prices edged up in March by 0.8% – after rising 1.2% in February. Annual price rises slowed to 1.6% – the weakest annual growth rate in three...

Paradigm add Pure Retirement to lender panel

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today added lifetime mortgage specialist, Pure Retirement, to its lender panel....

Consumer finance new business fell by 2% in February 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 2% in February 2023 compared with the...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 5% in February 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in February 2023 by 5%...

Financial Planning Standards Board Updates Global Financial Planning Standards to Reflect Evolving Client Needs

DENVER, USA – Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), the standards-setting body for the global financial planning profession and owner of the...

Experian and Virgin Slyce partner

Experian Boost data will now be included in Virgin Slyce’s credit card decisioning process – giving Boost users more repayment flexibility as the...

The Money Platform adopts LendingMetrics’ ADP

Pioneering peer-to-peer lender The Money Platform is partnering with LendingMetrics to take advantage of their industry leading Auto Decision Platform. ADP...

Just Mortgages extends later life commitment by joining Equity Release Council

National brokerage Just Mortgages has become the latest firm to join the Equity Release Council. The news confirms Just Mortgages meets the council’s high...

How we can help clients protect their families when their situations change

As the job market continues to shift, more and more people are looking to switch jobs in search of better opportunities. In fact, research conducted midway...

Freedom Finance appoints Nick Jones as Director of Freedom for Intermediaries

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces and embedded finance providers, has appointed Nick Jones as Director of Freedom for...

Large national survey from The DPS reveals renters struggling to pay amid widespread rent increases

Just under a quarter (23%) of the more than 2,000 respondents to a survey of tenants in England and Wales have said that they are struggling to pay their rent,...

BoE: Consumer finance was driven by ‘other’ consumer credit, including personal loans, as customers dialled back their credit card spending

Demand for consumer finance was driven by ‘other’ consumer credit, including personal loans, as customers dialled back their credit card spending in...

Rise in borrowing a sign of struggling households running out of options

Today’s Bank of England Money and Credit figures show consumer credit grew at 7.7 percent in February 2023, up from 7.5 percent in January 2023. The annual...

The Very Group renews and extends embedded marketplace partnership with Freedom Finance

The Very Group, the UK’s largest integrated pureplay digital retailer and financial services provider, has extended its embedded marketplace partnership...

Paradigm add Darlington Intermediaries to lender panel

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today added Darlington Intermediaries to its lender panel. From today, Paradigm...

Leading independent equity release specialist rebrands after dramatic growth

55Plus, the national equity release specialist, has evolved its brand after almost doubling turnover in the space of two years and rapidly expanding the...

The Money Stats – March 2023 – Spring Budget Fails to Alleviate Cost of Living Fears

The recent Spring Budget brought some promising new financial developments and extensions of lines of support for UK households, but overall the signs remain...

TrustATrader partners with American Express

For every £1 they spend, TrustATrader American Express Cardmembers will receive 1 Membership Rewards® point which can be redeemed against their...

“Storm clouds building” as interest rates rise again

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has responded to the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee’s...

Money Advice Trust appoints Christine Farnish CBE as new Chair

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has today announced Christine Farnish CBE as its Chair of Trustees – a...

StepChange appoints Vikki Brownridge as new Chief Executive

Vikki Brownridge, currently Director of Operations at StepChange, will become the charity’s new CEO on 1 May 2023, taking over from Phil Andrew who leaves...

Broker Conveyancing appoint two new Account Managers

Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has today announced the appointment of two new Account Managers. Both Joe Hart and Natasha...

Countrywide Surveying Services and Family BS extends lead valuation partnership to reach 25-year milestone

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, has announced the renewal of its partnership with...

One in six people has £20 or less to live on after paying for essentials each month

New YouGov polling by StepChange Debt Charity for Debt Awareness Week reveals the dire state of household finances over a year into the cost of living crisis,...

KYP announces new client tell.money

tell.money announced that KYP, a leading real time and proactive alerts risk intelligence platform, has been selected as a their global data orchestration...

‘Budget for Growth’ plays it safe, says RSM UK

‘This has been badged as the ‘Budget for Growth’ but for most individuals, this may be seen as the budget of bland ideas. The chancellor simply could not...

FLA’s response to the Budget

Commenting on the full expensing announcement in today’s Budget, Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the FLA, said: “When it comes to pro-business...

Certainty on energy bills, but ‘damage already done’ for many households

The Money Advice Trust has today welcomed  measures outlined in the Chancellor’s Budget to help households struggling with rising energy costs, including...

StepChange responds to budget

“It was vital that today’s budget set out bold plans that targeted support at the millions of households facing real financial difficulty following more...

Mortgage warning signs from the Bank of England

In the last three months of 2022, mortgages agreed for the coming months were down by a third (33.5%) from the previous three months, and down a quarter...

Surge in homes sales as estate agents hit the ground running in 2023

Estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed where the nation’s estate agents have been hard at work selling homes, as the number of properties...

Phoebus and Keystone complete mortgage book migration in record time

Phoebus has completed the smooth migration of Keystone Property Finance’s back mortgage book onto the Phoebus servicing solution in just seven weeks. In May...

New era for conveyancing as ONP Group integrates with ChatGPT

ONP Group, the leading legal services provider, is integrating its systems with ChatGPT in order to remove administration tasks and enhance its customer...

Property values yet to recover from the 2008 market crash

Research from eXp UK, the network of personal estate agents, has revealed that while widespread fears of a current market downturn are yet to materialise, some...

Over 90% of Brits worried about April price rises according to Money Wellness

With a typical household’s bills set to rise by nearly £1,300 a year from April, a study by Money Wellness, a wellbeing platform specialising in free debt...

Weakening pound hands foreign homebuyers £40,000 discount despite an increase in property prices

The latest research by lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has shown that despite house prices continuing to climb over the last year, foreign buyers...

Money Advice Trust welcomes new FCA guidance to help mortgage borrowers

The Money Advice Trust has today welcomed new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidance for mortgage lenders to support customers impacted by the cost of...

Consumer finance new business grew by 1% in January 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 1% in January 2023 compared with the...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 3% in January 2023

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in January 2023 by 3%...

Consumer credit rates show signs of peaking after declines in first two months of 2023

Analysis of the latest Bank of England data on average quoted household rates from Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces,...

Newpay partners with THG to help customers spread the cost of online purchases

Newpay, a digital credit account that spreads the cost of online purchases, has partnered with THG to offer its customers a flexible and regulated way to pay...

Paradigm Protect add National Friendly to provider panel

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition – which is part of Paradigm Mortgage Services – has today added friendly society,...

Stonebridge outlines record-breaking growth at 2023 National Conference

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has announced continued strong mortgage application and completion growth throughout 2022 at its...

StepChange sees “startling” rise in demand for debt advice

More than 18,000 new StepChange Debt Charity clients completed full debt advice in January 2023, which is at least 22% higher than any single month in 2022,...

Bank of England Money & Credit – comment

Following this morning’s Bank of England’s Money and Credit data, Paul Heywood, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Equifax UK, commented: “Despite a...

Growth as MotoNovo’s Stock Funding Service Accelerates

Strong demand, record used car prices, and a struggle to source used stock were the key themes of the UK market in 2022. The signs in the year to date are that...

StepChange comments on new IVA outcomes and providers statistics

New figures from the Insolvency Service show nearly 88,000 IVA’s were registered in England and Wales in 2022, the highest annual number since records...

Freedom Finance renews partnership with the Centre for Social Justice until 2025

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces, is renewing its partnership with independent, award-winning think tank the Centre for...

Energy price cap falls by a quarter – but our bills are up by a fifth

Ofgem has announced that the energy price cap would have been £3,280 from April – down £999 or 23% from the current cap of £4,279. In reality, the energy...

Later Life Lending Network Celebrates 6th Birthday with Impressive Growth and Milestones

The Later Life Lending Network is proud to announce its 6th anniversary, marking six years of exceptional service in the equity release industry. Since its...

Fintech start-up ‘ZIPZERO’ secures over £1 million in seed funding

UK fintech start-up ZIPZERO has successfully raised over £1 million in seed funding. ZIPZERO is a consumer app that allows users to receive cash rewards by...

The Money Stats – February 2023 – Fuel Poverty Grips as Cost of Winter Emerges

The UK is experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis as the true cost of winter begins to be seen, with many millions of households living in fuel poverty,...

The Power of Tomorrow: Top Trends to Watch in Energy and Utilities in 2023

In the wake of a tumultuous 2022, the UK energy and utilities sector is set to remain a major focus in 2023 as it navigates a complex landscape of intersecting...

Tandem joins The Right Mortgage & Protection Network’s lender panel

Tandem Bank has announced that it has agreed a partnership with The Right Mortgage & Protection Network to provide its members with access to Tandem’s...

UK consumer confidence hits highest level since April 2022

The latest consumer confidence index from Gfk, released today, has shown that consumer confidence rallied in February, following the historic lows seen in...

Access FS fuels further growth with training manager appointment

Leading mortgage and protection firm, Access Financial Services, has appointed Peter Phillips as the new training manager for its academy in a bid to have over...

Tell.money partners with Solaris to deploy Gateway solution

tell.money, the fintech that delivers innovative and rapidly deployable open banking services for banks and other account providers has contracted to integrate...

Shared ownership should be rebranded to attract the borrowers it is designed to help says Just Mortgages

Just Mortgages believes that the term Shared Ownership is acting as a barrier to the very borrowers it is designed to help. They state that feedback from...

New benefits calculator launched to help people find the support they’re entitled to

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has launched a benefits calculator in partnership with Scottish fintech Inbest. The free tool will be embedded into...

Pandemic property party over for first-time buyers as numbers slide -10.6% in a year

Research by the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, has revealed that while the pandemic market boom saw a record increase in the number of first-time...

11.5 million borrowing more – Freedom Finance urges shopping around

Today the ONS released data on debt and wellbeing, finding that more than a fifth of adults in Great Britain (22%, equal to around 11.5 million people)...

Nearly one fifth of UK landlords could fall foul to EPC rating deadline in April 2023

Research by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK shows that nearly one fifth of UK landlords (18%) surveyed still have commercial properties with an...

Surge in personal loan requests as consumers consolidate their debts

UK consumer lender Fluro has today launched the first edition of its quarterly“Consumer Lending Newsflash”, examining current trends across UK consumer...

HMRC property transactions comment

Following this morning’s release of the HMRC monthly property transaction figures, Simon Webb, managing director of capital markets and finance at LiveMore,...

Comments on HMRC property transactions

The HMRC’s property transactions  show a 27% fall in January from December. Adam Oldfield, chief revenue officer at Phoebus Software, said: “This is a...

Property sales plummet: worst January in a decade

Property sales (non-seasonally adjusted) plummeted 27% in a month, to hit 77,390 in January. They’re 7% lower than a year earlier. Non-seasonally adjusted...

Quantum Mortgages added to Paradigm lender panel

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today added specialist buy-to-let lender, Quantum Mortgages, to its lender panel....

The Future of Credit – finding out what consumers want

The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has published a major piece of research, undertaken by Britainthinks, that asked what improvements customers would...

Conveyancers urged not to compete with technology but build on the solutions it provides

Conveyancers who attended this year’s Conveyancing Association Annual Conference & Dinner were urged not to focus on competing with technology in the...

Freedom Finance comments on FLA consumer credit data

Consumer finance new business grew by 13% through 2022 compared to the previous year according to the latest FLA data in a strong year for the sector as...

Consumer finance new business fell by 4% in December 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 4% in December 2022 compared with the...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 6% in December 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business by value and volume fell in December 2022...

Paradigm launch latest Consumer Duty guidance video focusing on Price and Value outcome

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today launched a new video providing an update for intermediaries on preparing for...

Consumer Duty the FCA Continues to Ramp Up the Pressure

Hot on the heels of a clear warning by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that too often, the mandatory Consumer Duty implementation plans were too light on...

January sales tempted squeezed shoppers: but it’s just a blip

Retail sales volumes rose 0.5% in January, after falling 1.2% in December. They’re still 1.4% below their pre-covid level in February 2020. Sales are...

Credit Card Spending Continues to Rise, According to UK Finance

“The latest card spending figures from UK Finance show the continuing impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis, with credit card spend for November 2022...

House sales drop by -30.5% with just one UK location bucking the downward trend

Research from eXp UK, the network of personal estate agents, reveals that reduced homebuyer activity has led to a -30.5% drop in UK house sales, and that one...

Credit card balances grow as cost-of-living crisis continues

There were 355.1 million credit card transactions in November. This was 0.3% more than in November 2021. The total spend on credit cards was £19.6 billion....

The Money and Pensions Service announces reappointment of Ann Harris OBE, CPFA, to its Board

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has announced that Ann Harris OBE, CPFA has been reappointed to its Board by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)....

House prices on the slide, tipped over the edge by mortgage hikes

House prices fell 0.4% between November and December (non-seasonally adjusted). Average house prices were up 9.8% in the year to December – down from...

CPI numbers do little to calm confusion in the financial aviary

Inflation continued to ease in January, with CPI falling 0.6% in the month, while annualised inflation slowed to 10.1% from 10.5% in December. The slowing rate...

A crucial time for both lenders and brokers – comment

Following the latest ONS CPI figures this morning, Adam Oldfield, Phoebus Software’s chief revenue officer, says “All in all the UK economy seems to be...

Cost of living crisis “far from over” with no let-up from high prices

Responding to Office for National Statistics figures showing the Consumer Price Index stood at 10.1% in January, the Money Advice Trust is calling for the...

StepChange responds to launch of new Buy Now, Pay Later regulation proposals

Today HM Treasury has opened a consultation on draft legislation to bring Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) lending under regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority...

Money Advice Trust welcomes plans for Buy Now Pay Later regulation

The Money Advice Trust has today welcomed plans to bring Buy Now Pay Later firms under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation, and has urged the...

Pepper Money appoints new CFO

Pepper Money has announced the appointment of Andrew Voss as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Andrew has over 20 years’ experience in financial...

Record numbers return to work – just as work starts to wobble

We’re being driven back to work. There was a record flow out of economic inactivity in the year to October-December – driven by people moving into work....

Sara Weller appointed new Chair of MaPS

Earlier today it was announced that Sir Hector Sants would be succeeded by Sara Weller CBE as Chair of the Money and Pensions Service. Sir Hector, who has been...

Stonebridge adds Tandem Bank to lender panel

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has today announced it is the first partner of L&G Mortgage Club to gain direct access to digital...

Code regulator ramps up requirements to stop scams

The Lending Standards Board (LSB) has stepped in and made further updates to the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code (CRM Code) in a bid to stamp out...

Together announces rate reductions to personal finance products

Specialist lender Together has today announced that it will be reducing its rates for its mortgage and regulated bridging products. The Cheadle-based lender...

Adra secures £40m sustainable funding to improve housing across North Wales

Adra Housing, North Wales’ largest housing association, has secured a £40m, five-year sustainability-linked loan from its new banking partner Lloyds Bank to...

Embedded insurer Companjon and European challenger bank bunq join forces to bring users digital insurance

Dublin, Ireland – Companjon, a leading insurtech specializing in digital-driven embedded insurance, today announced its partnership with bunq, the second...

LiveMore expands sales team

LiveMore has appointed three new sales staff as it continues to grow and establish itself as the ‘go-to’ mortgage partner for intermediaries advising...

BoE data: credit union loans at record high

New figures out this week from the Bank of England show that loans made to members of the UK’s 388 member-owned, not for profit credit unions stood at a...

Interest rate increase ‘absolutely heartbreaking’ – Commentary from personal finance expert

“Families are facing numerous challenges, and an interest rate hike is the last thing they need. The Bank of England argues that increasing interest rates...

StepChange backs FCA’s proposed Debt Packager referral fee ban

The Financial Conduct Authority’s renewed proposals to ban debt packaging firms from accepting referral fees are hugely welcome. With so many people...

Household costs increasing “at every turn” as interest rates rise again

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today voted to increase interest rates to 4 percent, a rise of 0.5 percentage points – the highest...

StepChange reacts to rate rise

The Bank of England’s announcement of a 0.5% rate rise today brings the base rate to 4.0%, the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. StepChange Debt...

Comments on Bank of England MPC decision

Following the Bank of England’s announcement to raise interest rates from 3.5% to 4%, Andrew Gething, managing director of MorganAsh said: “With a clear...

Credit Union borrowing hits fresh record

Credit Unions are lending record sums to borrowers in the UK as the cost of borrowing continues to rise, according to analysis of the latest Bank of England...

Phoebus adds Mast to its strategic partner programme

Phoebus has partnered with mortgage origination software provider Mast, giving its lender clients the option of using the Phoebus servicing solution to create...

Consumer Duty a ‘watershed moment’ that firms must take seriously, FCA warns at PIMFA conference

The Consumer Duty is a “watershed moment” for firms offering investment services and financial advice, that must be taken extremely seriously, Therese...

Comment on BoE Money and Credit data

“December is traditionally a slower month for mortgage lending so it is no surprise that the Bank of England’s figures are low. But it is house purchase...

Credit card borrowing “U-turn” as consumers stock up well before Xmas

Commenting on today’s Bank of England Money & Credit data, Emma Steeley (CEO of Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces)...

Unsurprising, but what next? – Comment on the Bank of England money & credit figures for December

Following the BoE figures this morning, Adam Oldfield, chief revenue officer at Phoebus Software, says “Mortgage approvals in December were unsurprisingly...

Broker Conveyancing appoints new Area Director

Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has today announced the appointment of a new Area Director. Charlotte Felton starts with...

European banks say that traditional money management tools are not meeting expectations

Personetics, the global leader in financial data-driven customer engagement for financial services today released a report titled Spotlight On Europe: Banks...

Just Wealth and Just Mortgages smash 2022 referral target by 20%

Just Wealth, the financial services arm of national brokerage Just Mortgages has revealed today that they exceeded their 2022 referral target from sister firm...

Reality bites for sellers trying to tempt wait-and-see buyers

House price growth slowed to 6.5% at the end of 2022. Supply is rising: the average agent has 23 properties for sale, up from a low of 14 in early 2022. Demand...

Loughborough Building Society added to Advise Wise later life lending panel

Loughborough Building Society has been added to the later life lending panel of Advise Wise to incorporate its borrowing into retirement product range. This...

The Money Stats – January 2023 – Alarming Changes Faced By Millions With UK Housing Market Upheaval

Following years of unbridled growth, average UK house prices are finally falling but this is doing little to offset soaring interest rates being faced by...

How long will the property market slump last?

The latest research by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed that while 155,000 home sellers could be impacted by a drop in house prices,...

Access FS reaches 200 adviser milestone after unprecedented growth

Leading mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services, has reached 200-advisers following an unprecedented year of growth. The six-year-old firm...

Recognise Bank simplifies corporate structure as its parent company delists

Recognise Bank, the digital SME lender and savings provider, today announces that its parent company, the City of London Group plc, has delisted its shares...

Study Says UK Will Lose its Leadership Position in Open Banking by the End of the Year Without Focused Action

A new report released has claimed that the UK, the first mover and, until now, seen as a global leader in Open Banking will lose that leadership position this...

Comment: Firms falling behind on Consumer Duty

Following the FCA’s new review of the implementation of Consumer Duty, in which it has been reported that some firms are falling behind, Richard Farr,...

LiveMore rebrands to confirm its place as the ‘go-to’ 50-90+ lender

LiveMore has rebranded with strong messaging that reflects its new broader product range. Now offering capital repayment mortgages as well as interest-only,...

Latest industry insight suggest property market is set for a strong return to form

The latest data from Credas Technologies, the leading identity verification provider, has revealed that a January spike in AML activity across the property...

Comments on FCA multi-firm Consumer Duty review

As the FCA’s multi-firm review highlights areas of focus for firms implementing Consumer Duty, Andrew Gething, managing director of MorganAsh said: “With...

Income gulf between rich and poor widened as inflation struck: ONS

In 2021/22, average household disposable income (median) was down 0.6% to £32,300. The poorest fifth were hit hardest, with disposable income down 3.8% to...

Rents rose again during Q4 2022, says The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS)

Average UK rents increased again during Q4 2022, according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS). The UK’s largest protector of deposits’ quarterly...

StepChange Debt Charity marks 30 years of providing free debt advice

Today StepChange Debt Charity is marking 30 years of helping people deal with their debt problems. Originally known as The Consumer Credit Counselling Service...

Personal loan rates record highest ever quarterly increase

Unsecured personal loan rates are growing at their fastest ever pace, according to analysis of the latest Bank of England data from Freedom Finance, one of the...

Tenants pay as much as 43% of earnings on the cost of renting – Least affordable rental markets revealed

The latest insight into the rental market from Ocasa has revealed that the average tenant is paying 23.5% of their net earnings on the cost of renting,...

Mortgage demand plummets and debt problems mount: Bank of England

Mortgage demand plummeted in the wake of the mini-budget, and is expected to keep falling. Demand for credit cards and loans fell, and is expected to continue....

Broker Conveyancing launch new Survey product

Broker Conveyancing, the broker-focused conveyancing distributor, has today announced the launch of a new Survey product for advisers, in partnership with The...

Tenants pay as much as 43% of earnings on the cost of renting – Least affordable rental markets revealed

The latest insight into the rental market from Ocasa has revealed that the average tenant is paying 23.5% of their net earnings on the cost of renting,...

RICS: house prices fall, but energy-efficient homes come out on top

House prices fell for the third consecutive month. Buyer demand, the number of sellers and property sales were also down. More respondents said prices had...

Navigating the advice gap: Supporting financial advisers and consumers during the transition to retirement

The UK financial services industry is facing an impending “advice gap” as a large number of financial advisers are set to retire in the next few...

House prices fell in November: the days of double-digit house price rises are numbered

House prices fell 0.3% between October and November. Average house prices were up 10.3% in the year to November. This is down from 12.6% in October, and backs...

“Relentless pressure” on household budgets continues as inflation remains high

The latest UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures, published today by the Office for National Statistics, show that CPI rose by 10.5 percent in the twelve...

Inflation inches down – what it means for spending and saving

CPI inflation fell slightly to 10.5% in December, from 10.7 in November and 11.1% in October. It could be downhill all the way from here – just very slowly....

£1.5bn released from property as homeowners turn to equity release to combat the cost of living crisis

The latest analysis from specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, has revealed that the nation’s homebuyers are turning to equity release to help...

Access FS announces first 2023 academy start date

Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services, has unveiled its first academy of 2023. Last year, Access FS graduated 100 advisers over the...

Paradigm Protect add YuLife to Group Insurance Panel

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition – which is part of Paradigm Mortgage Services – has today added Group Insurance...

Wage figures show struggles of strikers, and the tide may be turning on jobs

In the year to September-November, after CPI inflation, real pay (including bonuses) fell 3.9% and regular pay (excluding bonuses) fell 3.8% – one of the...

COL crisis causes real wages to fall by 2.6%

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that: Growth in average total pay (including bonuses) and regular pay (excluding bonuses) among...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 6% in November 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in November 2022 by 6%...

Consumer finance new business fell by 6% in November 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business fell by 6% in November 2022 compared with the...

One in five people now borrowing to pay for food and other essential bills, with half doing so for the first time

Over 12 million people are now borrowing money for food or essential bills and half of them are doing so for the first time in their lives, new research...

LiveMore reinstates fee assisted mortgages and lowers RIO age

LiveMore is bringing back fee assisted mortgage products, which includes a free standard valuation and has no product fee, giving borrowers aged 50-90+ more...

House prices fall by as much as £315,000 since disastrous mini-budget

The latest market analysis by property purchasing specialist, House Buyer Bureau, reveals which areas of the UK have endured the biggest house price drops...

New rental stock accounts for just 16% of available homes

The latest insight into the UK rental market from Ocasa has revealed where the nation’s renters face the biggest hurdle in securing a home, due to these...

House prices have fallen in just four of the last 50 years

Research by peer to peer real estate investment platform, easyMoney, has revealed that while the property industry buckles up for a period of market...

OneDome acquires CMME Mortgages in quest to dominate the home buying space

OneDome, the Proptech company behind the world’s first eHomebuying platform, announces the acquisition of mortgage brokerage firm CMME Mortgage and...

Exciting times as The Consumer Helpline secures funding for growth via SME Capital in their first Welsh investment deal

The Consumer Helpline is delighted to announce a new ownership structure following a Buy-in Management Buy-out (BIMBO) funded by SME Capital. This is SME...

PayPlan continues Plain Numbers development as new staff members become practitioners

PayPlan continues to act on its commitment to improving its services for customers with low numeracy levels after a second wave of staff became Plain Numbers...

Rob Clifford appointed by the Financial Conduct Authority to its Smaller Business Practitioner Panel

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has today welcomed the appointment of Rob Clifford to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA)...

Level of new homes reaching the market for sale almost halves

Research from estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has shown that the level of new housing stock entering the property market for sale has almost...

Cost-of-living round up- and what to watch out for next week

The annual growth of credit card borrowing rose from 11.5% to 12.2% in November. We withdrew £5.2 billion of easy access cash earning no interest and £1.6...

New version of LPE1 form to include Building Safety Act 2022 requirements launched by trade and representative bodies, including The Conveyancing Association

Trade and representative bodies covering the legal, surveying, estate agency and property management sectors, including the Conveyancing Association (CA), have...

Foundation Home Loans appoint new Regional Account Manager

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has today announced the appointment of Sarah Hartwell as a Regional Account Manager. Sarah...

Rental demand drops as tenants tackle the cost of living crisis

Research from estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has revealed that tenant demand has started to fall across England’s rental market, with...

Credit card borrowing spikes to highest level since 2004 ahead of Christmas

Consumer credit borrowing shot up in November with an additional £1.5 billion of consumer credit, driven primarily by credit card borrowing (£1.2 billion)...

Millions financially exhausted, but others power on: Bank of England

The annual growth of credit card borrowing rose from 11.5% to 12.2% in November. We withdrew £5.2 billion of easy access cash earning no interest and £1.6...

Bank of England Money and Credit Report – comment

Reporting on the Bank of England Money and Credit data published this morning, Leon Diamond, CEO at LiveMore, comments: “It has been an up and down market...

Comment on Bank of England Money and Credit stats

Following the announcement from the Bank of England today that net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased from £3.6 billion to £4.4 billion in...

Cost of living pressures continue to weigh heavily on new StepChange clients

StepChange Debt Charity client data for November 2022 shows the cost of living is still the number one driver of debt among new clients, with more than one in...

Paradigm launch 2023 Mortgage Market Insight Videos

Paradigm, the mortgage, protection and compliance services proposition, has today launched Paradigm Insights, a series of short interviews with senior lending...

UK Personal Debt Rose a Third in 2022

Spiralling bills and costs have seen the average adult’s debt (not counting mortgages) in the UK rise from £25,879 to £34,566 (£8,687) in 2022, with four...

Money Advice Trust appoints new Trustee and Ambassadors

The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline and trains debt advisers in charities across the UK, has today announced...

HMRC property transactions comment from Access FS

Following this morning’s HMRC property transactions announcement, Karl Wilkinson, CEO at Access Financial Services said: “It was a pleasant surprise to see...

Stonebridge appoints new Business Development Manager for the South West

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has today announced the appointment of a new Business Development Manager (BDM) responsible for its...

Rising Inflation And Falling Wages Spell A Financially Worrisome Christmas For UK Consumers

Sharp increases in the cost of living, coupled with a real terms fall in wages and existing Christmas spending pressures are causing high levels of financial...

Quarter of UK’s over-50s coping with rising prices

Christmas is coming and, for some of the UK’s over-50s, the goose is still getting fat. Inflation may be driving up the prices of food and fuel, but a...

StepChange CEO announces decision to leave in 2023

Chief Executive of StepChange Debt Charity Phil Andrew has today announced that he is stepping down in 2023 after five years in post. Phil will remain in post...

Moneyhub completes £55 million funding round with an additional £15 million investment from the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business – Phoenix Group

Moneyhub, the market leading Open Finance, Open Data, and payments platform, today announces that it has secured a further £15 million in funding from leading...

Comments on Bank of England MPC decision – time to focus on vulnerability

Following the Bank of England’s announcement to raise interest rates to from 3.0% to 3.5%, Andrew Gething, managing director of MorganAsh said: “Today’s...

StepChange reacts to rate rise

The half percentage point rise in Bank rate announced today, while expected, will be a worry to the four million mortgage holders already identified by the...

PayPlan wins Debt Advice Provider of the Year for successive year

PayPlan has been named Debt Advice Provider of the Year for the second year running at the Collections and Customer Services Awards. Peter Munro, Partnerships...

Edinburgh Reforms are ‘a positive step in the right direction’

Commenting on the impact on consumer credit regulation in the wake of the Chancellor’s Edinburgh Reforms, partner Whitney Simpson, said: “The...

House price growth back in double figures – but not for long

Average house prices were up 12.6% in the year to October. This is up from 9.9% in the year to September, but down from the peak of 14.8%  in the year to...

Freedom Finance launches improved auto finance service

Freedom Finance, a leading digital embedded lending marketplace, has launched an improved auto finance service – and is now able to offer PCP options (PCP)...

“Tough winter ahead” for many as costs remain high

The latest UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures, published today by the Office for National Statistics, show that CPI rose by 10.7 percent in the twelve...

Britain’s new-build prices have grown by 24% since last Christmas

Market analysis by Unlatch, the new homes sales progression and aftercare platform for developers and house builders, reveals that British new-build house...

Autumn mortgage data shows impact of mini-budget shock

The Bank of England has revealed mortgage data in the run up to the mini-budget – which took place 7 days before the end of the period. The value of...

Eight out of ten Brits are cutting spending on gifts this Christmas

Eight in ten people (81%) are cutting the amount they spend on gifts this Christmas according to new research from Hodge, which found more than half (53%)...

UK Finance Mortgage Market 2023 – comment

”As I read through the Mortgage Market forecast for 2023 from UK Finance there was a certain amount of pessimism with a prediction of overall mortgage...

Comments on UK Finance mortgage market forecast

The UK Finance mortgage market forecast due for release this morning is for gross lending to be lower in 2023 and 2024 than this year. Simon Webb, managing...

Mortgage lending to fall 15 per cent next year, returning to pre-pandemic levels

UK Finance has today published its mortgage market forecast for 2023 – 2024, anticipating a softening in the mortgage market next year that marks a return...

FLA response to Reform of the Consumer Credit Act consultation

Commenting on the Reform of the Consumer Credit Act consultation, published today by Government, Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the Finance &...

Comment for the UK Finance Household Finance Review Q3

Following the publication of UK Finance Household Finance Review Q3...

Significant milestone – Financial Services and Markets Bill debate

Full steam ahead on a new personalised guidance regime. Clear demonstration of support right across the house. The Bill amendment called for by Harriett...

An overarching picture – comment on the UK Finance Q3 household finance review

Following the UK Finance Q3 review figures this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software chief sales and marketing officer, says “Although the data in the...

Report stage of the Financial Services and Markets Bill – comment

Following the report stage of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, Chris Hill, CEO of Hargreaves Lansdown said: “I’m delighted that the Minister...

Impact Specialist Finance launch semi-exclusive ExPat product with Dudley Building Society

Impact Specialist Finance, the leading specialist packager and distributor, has launched a brand-new ExPat mortgage product with Dudley Building Society. This...

Nearly one in three Scots will struggle to afford Christmas this year

Squeezed household finances and the highest level of inflation for decades have resulted in fewer than one in five (18%) of Scots saying they will comfortably...

Brokers react to turbulent changes in the mortgage market by recording low levels of satisfaction with mortgage lenders

New research out today from Smart Money People, the UK’s dedicated financial services review site, has found that broker satisfaction with UK mortgage...

Proportion of those who say they can afford Christmas has nearly halved since last year

Squeezed household finances and the highest level of inflation for decades have resulted in fewer than a quarter (24%) of people surveyed by YouGov for...

Halifax HPI: Biggest monthly price drop since the financial crisis

In November, prices were down 2.3% in a month to an average of £285,579. This is the third consecutive month of falls, and the largest since the financial...

Contact State responds to FCA’s proposals to clamps down on financial marketing

In response to CP22/27 – the FCA’s proposals to clamp down on illegal, unfair or misleading financial marketing – Alain Desmier, Managing...

Christmas on a budget – 87% of people will spend less than ever due to cost of living crisis

Christmas is usually the busiest time of year for people to spend time with friends and family, however, only 1 in 4 people surveyed say they will be going on...

MotoNovo Teams up With Click Dealer to Save Dealers Time and Money ….and there’s more

“Based upon my regular dialogues with dealers since the end of lockdown, one thing has dominated the daily lives of many of them; finding enough time in...

The host of Christmas past: celebrations cancelled as households look to save money

The cost of living crisis threatens the Christmases of 11m Britons as concerns over energy prices prompt them to cancel or abandon plans.1 According to smart...

House prices: first glimpse of mini-budget carnage, with more horror to come

House prices fell 1.4% in a month – the biggest monthly fall since June 2020. They’re up 4.4% in the year to October – down from 7.2% in September....

Money means more than health and family to over-50s

Having enough money is more important to the majority of the UK’s over-50s than their health or spending time with their families, a new survey has revealed....

IncomeMax and Vanquis partner to launch messenger service helping customers in financial difficulty maximise their income

IncomeMax has partnered with Vanquis, part of PFG, to launch a new online platform to offer customers digital access to one-to-one, expert advice to help...

Households feeling pinch as consumer credit remains supressed – BoE

“Consumer credit volumes remained suppressed in October with the £800m of new borrowing well below the previous six-month average of £1.3 billion. “This...

There are still opportunities in the market – comment on the BoE money & credit figures for October

“A fall in mortgage approvals and an increase in consumer credit shows that housing has fallen down the list of priorities as the rising cost of living...

The Money Stats – November 2022 – Consumers Turn Away From Traditional Credit As Interest Rates Continue to Climb

While evidence shows that many people are turning to credit in order to pay for essentials, concerns are growing that consumers may be diversifying which forms...

GetAgent Ranked 36th Fastest Growing UK Tech Company

Estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has been ranked amongst the UK’s 50 fastest growing technology companies in the prestigious 2022 Deloitte UK...

Home sellers forced to slash prices as buyers head for the hills: Zoopla

11% of homes have had their price cut by more than 5% since September, and one in four (25%)  have had some sort of cut over this period. Demand has plummeted...

30- and 40-somethings in the danger zone – especially after mortgage hikes

81% of people in their 30s and 40s are worried about the cost of living – compared with 76% overall. 51% of them are spending less on food and essentials...

eConveyancer launches partnership with The Right DA Club

eConveyancer has launched a panel management partnership with The Right DA Club. The agreement will provide Directly Authorised brokers working for The Right...

Austerity Christmas – Brits facing the grimmest December since WWII need to plan ahead, says ParcelHero

This Christmas is set to bring back memories of World War II. Some items, such as turkeys and eggs, are being rationed because of bird flu and an authoritarian...

Wage growth lags behind inflation for more industries and students feel the pinch

Wage growth in professional and scientific (such as legal services, management, engineering and scientific research) sat at 10.1% between July-September 2022....

Ofgem claims energy suppliers are failing vulnerable customers

In light of today’s news of Ofgem claiming that energy suppliers are failing struggling customers, Jayne Gardner, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau said:...

Comment on HMRC property transactions

Following the latest release of the HMRC monthly property transaction figures, Simon Webb, managing director of capital markets and finance at LiveMore, said:...

Signs of the market slowing – comment on the HMRC property transactions for October

Following the latest HMRC property transaction figures this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software’s chief sales and marketing officer, says: “The...

Home sales steady: but looming storm set to sink the market

Property sales (non-seasonally adjusted) were 110,850 – up 29% in the year to October. This needs to be seen in the context of the fact that September...

Today’s FCA Credit market study could offer vital help to borrowers

Commenting on the FCA’s credit information study released this morning, Emma Steeley, CEO of Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending...

32% of Britons say their bank isn’t doing enough to support them with the cost of living

A new independent survey of 2,000 UK adults has revealed how the cost of living is shifting the bank-customer relationship. It found: Over half (54%) are...

David Finlay joins LiveMore

Mortgage veteran David Finlay has joined LiveMore Capital as an executive consultant and member of the senior executive team. Finlay has been brought in on a...

The Autumn Statement will usher in an Austerity Christmas, warns ParcelHero

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement has gone some way to reverse the collapse in investor and consumer confidence created by previous Chancellor Kwasi...

Autumn Statement – “missed opportunity” to “reform outdated Consumer Credit Act”

“Today was a missed opportunity. Five months ago, the government announced its commitment to reform the outdated Consumer Credit Act, which has been on the...

StepChange reacts to Autumn Statement

StepChange Debt Charity has reacted to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The measures announced to support households in receipt of means-tested benefits...

Relief for some but ‘serious challenges remain’ for millions

In response to today’s Autumn Statement, the Money Advice Trust has welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment to increase benefits with inflation and provide...

Refuge responds to Chancellor’s Autumn Statement

“We are pleased to hear that the Chancellor has decided to raise Universal Credit and other ‘legacy’ benefits in line with inflation in...

Stamp duty shock is another headache for buyers

Jeremy Hunt announced that the stamp duty cut would be reversed in 2025. At that point, the nil rate threshold will be cut from £250,000 to £125,000. The nil...

Just Mortgages comments on Autumn Statement

“The budget may seem like a non-event where the housing market was concerned with stamp duty and planning remaining the same. However, it was arguably just...

Monitoring customer vulnerability must now move higher up the agenda

Following the chancellor’s Autumn Statement and the news of significant tax rises and spending cuts, Andrew Gething, managing director of MorganAsh said:...

Comment on the Chancellor’s announcement on Universal Credit

The Chancellor has announced that 600,000 more people on Universal Credit will need to meet with a work coach. Melanie Wilkes, Head of Research at the Work...

Council tax hikes set to send average above £2,000

The Chancellor announced that councils can raise tax by 5% without holding a referendum (3% plus an additional 2% if they have social care responsibilities)....

Energy bills set to hit £3,000 a year

The current energy price guarantee scheme will continue from April – at the higher level of £3,000 a year. There will be additional lump sums: £900 for...

Autumn Statement’s impact on consumers and businesses – comment

“We welcome the action from the Chancellor to protect people on benefits and state pensions, but the reality is that thousands of people up and down the UK...

Market Report: UK Autumn Statement in focus while mixed US retail picture drags down stocks

Inflation still causing jitters as retail sales in US indicate rate hikes not yet denting overall consumer appetite. Price spiral and high interest rates is...

Access FS grows 80% in one year

Leading mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services, has grown broker numbers by 80% so far this year.  This incredible statistic for the...

Selina Finance launches new homeowner loan and minor adverse products

Selina Finance has enhanced its product offering, introducing its new Homeowner Loan and a Status 1 adverse plan alongside its existing flexible Home Equity...

1.7 million Brits forced to borrow from high-cost lenders to pay off existing loans prompting fears of UK debt crisis

1.7 million people across the UK are borrowing from high-cost lenders in order to pay off existing debts, according to research from responsible lender,...

Three quarters of brits concerned about financial future with millions looking to bolster their income with side hustles

New research commissioned by Herbalife Nutrition has revealed that nearly half of Brits (45%) say that paying their bills is currently their biggest personal...

Increasing mortgage costs swallow 27.9% of household income – up 3.1% since last rates hike

The latest research by property purchasing specialist, House Buyer Bureau, has revealed that increasing mortgage rates are now likely to see the average annual...

An estimated £82.7bn worth of rental properties thought to be occupied by fraudsters

Market analysis from Ocasa, the specialist rental platform, reveals that almost 280,000 UK rental properties, with a combined market value of £82.7 billion,...

Earnings increase while unemployment drops

The latest statistics released today by the ONS on earnings and unemployment show that: The rate of annual pay growth for total pay was 6.0%, and the annual...

MagiClick appointed by Precise Mortgages to enhance digital customer journey

MagiClick has been appointed by Precise Mortgages, (part of leading specialist bank OSB Group) to create and deliver a website designed to enhance and improve...

Remortgagers driving forecasted lending increase in 2022 as homebuyer demand drops

The latest market analysis by mortgage experts, Revolution Brokers, has revealed that despite recent turbulence following a string of base rate increases, the...

Just Mortgages welcomes biggest ever broker academy intake

National brokerage Just Mortgages is set to welcome its biggest ever academy intake in November, with 23 applicants starting their journey to become fully...

Energy costs forcing people to change the way they live, Hodge research shows

New research from specialist lender Hodge has found 88% of British householders are concerned about the rising cost of energy. And, when asked if they have...

Loughborough Building Society extends criteria to include lending on flats

Loughborough Building Society has extended lending criteria across its residential, buy-to-let and shared ownership product range with the addition of flats to...

Access FS academy success continues to fuel exponential growth

Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services (Access FS), is about to run its next academy to help bring new people into the mortgage industry. ...

RICS: House prices fall in the South East as market grinds to a halt

House price growth stalled in October – after rising for 28 months in a row. In some areas, prices were falling – including the South East and East Anglia....

Consumer finance new business grew by 4% in September 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 4% in September 2022 compared with...

Money – Is it still the family taboo?

With the cost of living crisis, rising interest rates and proposed tax changes, our personal finances are currently a topic of daily public debate. Why, then,...

American Express adds nine cards to Freedom Finance’s growing credit card marketplace

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces and embedded finance providers, is adding nine credit cards offered by American Express...

Halifax HPI: Third price fall in four months as confidence drains

In October, prices were down 0.4% in a month to an average of £292,598. This is the third drop in four months. It’s also the biggest since February 2021....

NewDay BondCo plc – Group results for the nine months ended 30 September 2022

NewDay, a leading digital consumer credit business in the UK, has today released its financial results for the nine months ended 30 September 2022 and its...

One in six UK adults have no savings

Nine million people across the UK have no savings and another five million have less than £100, according to new research from the Money and Pensions Service...

More than a quarter of landlords plan to sell properties

Brokers say that more than a quarter of their landlord clients plan to sell properties as a result of the current Buy to Let environment, according to research...

Comment: What does the increase in interest rates mean for interest free credit?

Yesterday’s news from The Bank of England raising interest rates by 3% will have a huge impact on consumers, especially as costs continue to rise and...

StepChange responds to FCA’s report outlining treatment of borrowers in financial difficulty following pandemic

StepChange Debt Charity supports and recognises the themes picked up in today’s key findings report from the Financial Conduct Authority on borrowers in...

Rising costs and increased interest rates creating a “perfect storm”

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has today voted to increase interest rates to 3 percent, a rise of 0.75 percentage points. Research recently...

BoE – Reaction from Mintago

“The fact that today’s interest rate decision comes in the midst of Pension Awareness Week should not be understated. In the current climate of raging...

BoE – Biggest Hike in 33 Years – Reaction

“The hikes are getting bigger. This is the single largest rise in interest rates since October 1989 and it will have devastating consequences for both...

Comment on BoE MPC decision

Following the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates for the eighth time in a row from 2.25% to 3.0%, John Phillips, national operations director...

Rate hike adds to mortgage pain for homeowners

Today’s Bank of England rate hike, a 0.75% increase which takes the base rate to 3%, places mounting pressure on homeowners coming to the end of their...

Base rate rise – comment

“We were expecting a base rate rise of 0.75%, the biggest rise in 33 years, taking it to 3%, a rate last seen back in November 2008. “This year we have...

Comments on rate rise

Following the Bank of England’s announcement of a 0.75% rate rise today, StepChange Debt Charity says that mortgage holders on variable rates, and those...

Is it the only weapon in the Bank’s arsenal? – comment on the BoE interest rate decision

Following the interest rate decision today, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software chief sales and marketing officer, says “Today’s increase may be the biggest...

Consumers paralysed by “application anxiety” after credit declines

Millions of people in the UK are suffering from “application anxiety” following a declined credit application according to new research from Freedom...

Two thirds of consumers will happily invest or save money through a company that isn’t a bank, new survey reveals

Zurich – additiv, a leading embedded finance provider, today publishes the results of a recent survey in a new, in-depth report: Understanding the...

New members join MaPS Advisory Group

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has appointed two new people to its Advisory Group. Bernie Hickman, Chief Executive of Legal & General Retail and...

The Rishi Effect Yet to Reassure Britons, With 80% of UK Adults Still Lacking Financial Confidence, After New PM’s First Week

As Rishi Sunak completes his first seven days in office, new research has revealed that only one-in-five British people feel more confident about their...

Rental market boom on the horizon as homebuyers continue to struggle with rising mortgage costs

The latest research by Alliance Fund, the end to end real estate fund, suggests that should the property market continue to stutter, the nation’s rental...

Agents still selling up to a fifth of stock every month

The latest gauge of property market performance by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed which postcodes are home to the most impressive...

What does the changes to the US open banking regulation mean for open banking/open finance internationally?

“At the recent Money 20/20 event, Rohit Chopra, Director of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) made a speech discussing the US’s aim to...

MorganAsh and Moneyhub join forces to address vulnerability and Consumer Duty

MorganAsh, the leading support services provider, and Moneyhub, the market leading Open Finance, Open Data, and payments platform, are working together to...

Countrywide Surveying Services creates innovative new surveyor role

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, has created a new surveyor role – Residential...

eConveyancer partners with In Partnership

eConveyancer has launched a panel management partnership with In Partnership, which incorporates The On-Line Partnership Limited and The Whitechurch Network...

Access FS launches letter campaign to help counteract estate agents undercutting brokers

Access Financial Services has launched a support campaign to give brokers the tools to fight back when estate agents put pressure on home buyers to use their...

Freedom Finance partners with Experian to add new brands to the UK’s widest panel of unsecured lenders

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital marketplaces for consumer credit, is delighted to announce that it has integrated its platform with...

Credit Union membership grows to record levels

A further 28,000 people in the UK became members of a Credit Union in the year to Q2 2022, taking the overall membership of Credit Unions to a record 1.94...

Borrowing levels remain high as relentless squeeze on budgets continues

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit grew at 7.2 percent in September 2022, up from 7.1 percent...

Comment on BoE Money and Credit – Credit card spending collapsed in September after several months of strong growth

“Credit card spending collapsed in September after several months of strong growth, reflecting plummeting consumer confidence. With average quoted household...

Cost of living remains most commonly cited cause of debt among StepChange clients in September

Once again, September saw the cost of living being the most commonly cited reason for debt among new StepChange clients, with more than one in five (22%)...

House prices to fall 5% (Zoopla): should you put off a purchase?

House prices are likely to fall 5% in 2023, according to Zoopla. This would only wipe out eight months of growth (13 months in London and 6 months in Wales)....

Charity calls for urgent intervention in cost-of-living crisis as council tax arrears almost triple as high in the North than South of England

A financial education charity, The Centre for Financial Capability, is today calling on the Government to intervene in the growing cost of living crisis, as...

49.7% More People Want Interest Free Credit Cards This Year

New research by money.co.uk has confirmed a 49.7% rise in consumers looking to get interest free credit cards this year, likely due, in part, to the cost of...

Specialist bank appoints ESG director

A specialist business bank, celebrating its fifth anniversary, has appointed its first ESG director. Graham Reynolds, who has more than 30 years’ experience...

Mortgage Climate Action Group to host Green-focused buy-to-let webinar

The Mortgage Climate Action Group has today announced it will be hosting a new Green-focused buy-to-let webinar for the intermediary community. The webinar,...

Rising Household Bills Drive Financial Resilience Epidemic for UK Consumers

Consumers seeking to reduce essential bills by cutting back on energy usage are nonetheless facing serious impairment to their financial resilience levels,...

Talk Money Week 2022: Elifinty, Impact on Urban Health and Fair Money Advice call for ‘less talk, more action’ on transforming management of consumer debt

Ahead of Talk Money Week 2022, ethical fintech Elifinty, along with its partners Impact on Urban Health (IoUH) and Fair Money Advice, is calling on credit and...

Rent growth exceeds 2% for the second quarter in row, says The DPS

Average UK rents rose by more than two per cent for the second quarter in a row during Q3 2022, according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS). The...

Larger portfolio landlords most likely to experience growth and maximise BTL opportunities

A webinar poll undertaken by Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, highlighted that larger...

Jifiti Launches B2B BNPL Functionality, Augmenting its Robust White-Labeled BNPL Platform

Jifiti, a leading fintech company, announced today the launch of its business-to-business (B2B) BNPL solution. Any bank, lender and merchant that caters to...

FCA: Millions of financial lives lie in ruins

One in four people are in financial difficulty – or would be if they suffered a financial shock. 4.2 million people had missed bills or loan payments in at...

Sales fall by a third, but house sales horror is yet to come

Property sales (non-seasonally adjusted) were down 32% in a year in September, but it’s not what it seems, because they were very similar to the previous...

Investors can still access competitive finance, says Hertfordshire finance brokerage

The mortgage market has largely been reported to be in a ‘state of chaos’ over the last few weeks, across both personal and specialist markets following...

Cost of credit cards and personal loans continue persistent growth

Analysis of the latest Bank of England figures1 from Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces, shows that rates on all major...

Stamp duty paid by homebuyers skyrockets by 62.6% in the last year

Research by estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has shown that the sum of tax receipts paid to HMRC as a result of stamp duty spiked by 62.6%...

“No let-up in sight” for millions of households as inflation rises again

The latest UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures, published today by the Office for National Statistics, show that CPI rose to 10.1 percent in the twelve...

OnLadder appoints marketing consultant

OnLadder has announced the appointment of David Swallow as a consultant to the business. David joins OnLadder with over 30 years’ experience in the...

Gambling needs more holistic management to reduce harm when it causes debt, new research suggests

Gambling treatment and support services need to dovetail better with debt advice, to ensure that recovery pathways for people affected by gambling harm are...

Countdown is on with two weeks to go until first Consumer Duty deadline

With just two weeks to go until the first deadline for the FCA’s new Consumer Duty, wellness specialist MorganAsh has developed a suite of must-have...

Just Mortgages comments on ‘mini-budget’ reversal

Following the announcement from the chancellor Jeremy Hunt of a reversal of many of the ‘mini-budget’ pledges, John Phillips, national operations director...

U-turns put us back where we were – Comment on the Chancellor’s statement

Following the Chancellor’s speech this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software’s chief sales and marketing officer, says “They say “a week is a long...

Hunt Statement – Energy Price Guarantee Scrapped – Reaction

“The rolling back of the energy price guarantee from two years to a mere six months is a huge blow to millions of Britons. People will simply be unable to...

Paradigm announced as next host of Power of 8 webinar series

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced it will be hosting a Power of 8 webinar on the rapidly changing mortgage...

Firms turn to tech and data to solve Consumer Duty woes as 38% admit limited knowledge of new legislation

Firms are overwhelmingly turning to technology in order to surface data and insights that solve the challenge set by the FCA’s new Consumer Duty according to...

People borrowed 20% more from pawnbrokers in the past year as cost-of-living crisis bites

The value of loans taken out from pawnbrokersas jumped 20% in the past year, with lending increasing from £144m to £174m says Mazars, the international...

Paradigm Protect add Cirencester Friendly to panel

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition – which is part of Paradigm Mortgage Services, has today added Cirencester Friendly’s...

Market on the turn, as buyers pack up and go home: RICS

Buyer numbers fell for the fifth consecutive month in September. Agents said they expected prices to fall over the next 12 months. Agreed sales fell for the...

UK mortgage broker industry to be worth £2 billion by 2025

According to the latest research specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, the UK’s mortgage brokerage market is estimated to increase in value by...

FICO UK Credit Card Market Report: June-August 2022

FICO’s report of UK card trends for summer 2022 (June-August) paints a picture of inconsistent consumer behaviour which will be challenging for lenders to...

Biding our time for ‘fiscal clarity’ – GDP comment

Following the ONS estimate for GDP this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software chief sales and marketing officer, says: “August already seems a long time...

Paradigm Protect launch new PMI proposition to member firms

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition – which is part of Paradigm Mortgage Services – has today launched a new Private...

Foundation Home Loans announces reprice of residential mortgage range

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has today announced the repricing of its full residential mortgage range for both purchase and...

Flexible workspace provider, beyond, ramps up support for SMEs amid cost-of-living hardship

Six months since successfully launching flexible workspace in London’s Aldgate Tower, beyond has launched a cost-saving initiative to make office space more...

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network celebrate 40 years of financial services for CEO at their latest flagship event

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network hosted over 350 advisers as they returned to the National Conference Centre for their second flagship event of the...

Consumer finance new business up 14% in August

Consumer finance new business grew by 14% in August 2022 compared with the same month in 2021. In the first eight months of 2022, new business was 21% higher...

Consumer finance new business grew by 14% in August 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 14% in August 2022 compared with the...

IE Hub has teamed up with Inbest to add benefits checks and social tariff functionality to the IE Hub platform

Currently, in the welfare sector, there are almost 8mn households that are missing £16bn in means-tested benefits. The most common reason for people missing...

Over half of FCA regulated firms have no plans in place ahead of critical Consumer Duty deadline end of October

Businesses are in danger of failing to embrace the opportunity that the upcoming Consumer Duty regulation presents and may not be compliant due to a failure to...

Access FS frees 70% of a broker’s time with administration services

Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services (Access FS), has today launched a new administrative service for its brokers. The service which has...

Eight in 10 people will stop saving money this year due to rise in cost of living

Eight out of 10 people (81%) say they will stop saving money this year due to the demands of the current cost of living, research shows. A study from...

One in two people struggling to keep up with essential bills – triple the pre-pandemic number

A new survey by YouGov for StepChange Debt Charity finds that 45% of all British adults – equivalent to 23 million people – have found it difficult to keep...

Smart Money People’s H2 2022 Mortgage Lender Benchmark open for intermediary feedback

Smart Money People, the leading customer review and insight website, has opened its doors for intermediary feedback to be compiled for its H2 2022 Mortgage...

UK Institute of Customer Service Index (UKCSI) Benchmarking Performance – MotoNovo Finance Delivers a ‘Stellar’ Result

The UKCSI is the UK’s largest cross-sector customer benchmarking study engaging with over 10,000 customers who created 45,000 responses across thirteen...

Over one in five Brits suffer from mental health issues due to their financial situation

Credit management company Lowell has conducted research[1] into the financial hardships facing Brits in 2022. More than a quarter (27%) of Brits don’t have...

Mortgage costs see second largest annual cost increase behind energy bills

The monthly cost of repaying a mortgage has seen the second largest annual spike, with just energy bills increasing at a greater rate according to the latest...

Mumsnet teams up with Chetwood Financial to launch new family-focused financial services

UK digital bank Chetwood Financial has today announced a new partnership with parenting forum Mumsnet, with plans to launch a new family-focused financial...

OnLadder appoints James Bishop as it prepares for launch

OnLadder has announced the appointment of James Bishop as a consultant to the business. He joins the start-up as it seeks authorisation from the Financial...

Continued rise in borrowing a sign of growing challenges households face

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit continued to grow at 7 percent in August 2022.  The annual...

Access FS protection panel exceeds 20 providers

Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services (Access FS), has exceeded twenty protection providers on its panel with the addition of its latest...

Major Interventions Unable to Steer UK Away From Recession

While significant steps from the government have led to inflation rates finally relenting, they have still failed to relieve concerns of the UK being on the...

House prices stalled even before mortgage chaos hit: Nationwide

The Nationwide House Price Index showed house price growth slowed to 9.5% in September – down from 10% in August. There was no growth recorded at all in...

Gareth Thomas joins Hodge as new chief people officer

Gareth Thomas has joined Hodge’s Executive team as its chief people officer. Gareth is the former director of people and organisational development at...

Mumsnet teams up with Chetwood Financial to launch new family-focused financial services

UK digital bank Chetwood Financial has today announced a new partnership with parenting forum Mumsnet, with plans to launch a new family-focused financial...

Effective creditor communication key to helping consumers in financial difficulty, says StepChange

A new report from StepChange Debt Charity and Amplified Global™ using the lived experiences of people in debt highlights the crucial role communications from...

More vulnerable people forced to turn to loan sharks as cost-of-living soars

Soaring energy, food and fuel prices have forced 1.2 million UK adults (2%) to turn to unscrupulous loan sharks in the last 12 months, new research from...

Housing market heat to remain as autumn spike in sales and sold prices looms

The latest research by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, suggests that while summer has well and truly ended, the property market is set to keep...

New chief of staff Anita Maclean appointed to drive Monument Bank’s progress around company goals

Monument Bank Limited has announced the appointment of Anita Maclean as Chief of Staff, effective on Monday 26th September 2022. In her new role, Anita will...

Consistency is the watchword for broker’s searches in August reveals criteria tracker

As the financial world is increasingly in turmoil and the UK is gripped by the perfect storm of high inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and a changing...

MorganAsh readies financial advisers for Consumer Duty with MARS system upgrades

The team at MorganAsh has announced further upgrades to its new adviser tool to help businesses better manage and evaluate consumer vulnerability. As...

Number of available rental homes falls by 40%

Research from Ocasa, the specialist rental platform, reveals that Britain’s rental stock has declined by more than 40% in the past three years leaving the...

FLA statement on Chancellor’s Growth Plan

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Growth Plan, Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the FLA, said: “The Government’s commitment to growth and investment is...

Conveyancing comment on mini-budget from ONP Group

Following the chancellor’s ‘mini-budget’ this morning and the announcement of changes to stamp duty, Nick Hale, ONP Group CEO, says: “The cut in stamp...

Just Mortgages comments on changes to stamp duty – mini-budget

As the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announces a permanent change to stamp duty as part of his ‘mini-budget’, John Phillips, national operations director at...

Reaction to mini-budget

StepChange Debt Charity has reacted to the Chancellor’s mini-budget. The measures announced today leave financially vulnerable households continuing to face...

Good news that housing is firmly on the government’s agenda – comment

“The SDLT reform announced today is something that the industry has been crying out for.  To hear the word ‘permanent’ means that we no longer have to...

Mini-budget a “missed chance” to help those on the lowest incomes

The Money Advice Trust has called today’s fiscal event a “missed chance” to help address the immediate challenges people on the lowest incomes are facing...

Rising interest rates and cost-of-living crisis to end reign of Buy Now, Pay Later

A catastrophic combination of surging living and energy costs, alongside a looming economic recession has highlighted the severity of Britain’s debt...

StepChange reaction to rate rise

StepChange Debt Charity says that, for the one in seven new clients to the charity who are mortgage holders, the prospect of a rise in mortgage rates on the...

Cost of consumer credit ratchets up again in August

Analysis of the latest Bank of England figures find that quoted household interest rates on consumer credit continued to rise in August amid an economic...

Landbay launches partnership with 2plan wealth management

Landbay has today launched a partnership with wealth management firm 2plan, whose financial advisers with mortgage permissions will now have direct access to...

Comment on the HMRC property transactions

Following the HMRC property transactions stats this morning, Richard Pike, chief sales and marketing officer at Phoebus Software, says “Once again the...

Second-charge mortgages increasingly popular option for prime borrowers, says Evolution Money Tracker

Evolution Money, the second-charge lending specialist, has today (21st September 2022) revealed the latest results from its quarterly data tracker, which...

10 million now behind on bills, as households face impossible choices

One fifth of UK adults are already behind on one or more household bill, and one in nine have gone without food as a result of rising costs, according to new...

Virgin Money appoints Sarah Wilkinson as Chief Operating Officer

Virgin Money has announced the appointment of Sarah Wilkinson as Chief Operating Officer. Sarah will join Virgin Money from Thomson Reuters, where she is the...

First 4 Bridging rebrands to Envelop

Packager First 4 Bridging (F4B) and the F4B Network has today (Tuesday 20 September) announced a full rebranding of the businesses and will now be known as...

Comments on today’s ONS retail sales figures for August

“With shoppers challenged by inflation, the rising cost of living and falling consumer confidence, the drop in retail sales volumes in August by 1.6% was...

High demand for advice as Just Wealth client referrals up 300%

Just Wealth, the financial advisory arm of national broker firm Just Mortgages, has seen a surge in demand for financial advice with client referrals up 300%...

House price growth doubles, but is not what it seems: ONS

Average house prices were up 15.5%  in the year to July – almost twice the 7.8% rise in the year to June. The is the highest annual inflation rate since...

Onus of responsibility for lenders now – comment

“Even though we are seeing the cost of fuel coming down on forecourts across the country, everything else is becoming more expensive.  The Prime...

Relief for millions but “serious damage already done” by soaring bills

The Money Advice Trust has welcomed the Government’s announcement of support to tackle high energy bills for households and small businesses but has warned...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 3% in July 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in July 2022 by 3% compared...

Consumer finance new business grew by 11% in July 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 11% in July 2022 compared with the...

StepChange reaction to energy price support measures

StepChange Debt Charity is pleased to see that the Government is reducing the immediate financial stress facing households through an additional intervention...

Parents twice as likely to have borrowed more and to be behind on bills: ONS

The ONS has published an article on parenting and spending – looking at overall spending before the cost-of-living crisis and some of the changes since:...

Recognise Bank Hires Bridging Specialist

SME lender Recognise Bank has appointed experienced BDM Andrew Keehner as its latest Relationship Manager, with a specific focus on bridging finance. Keehner...

Halifax HPI: market only looks rosy in the rear-view mirror

In August, house prices were up 11.5% in  year, and the average price hit a record £294,260. They were up 0.4% in a month – bouncing back from falls in...

Algoan bets on its responsible BNPL solution to penetrate and win the UK market

Now that it dominates the French instalment payment industry (Oney, Alma, Pledg, etc.), Algoan is targeting the United Kingdom with its Payment Scoring...

eConveyancer launches panel management partnership with Moray Group

eConveyancer has launched a new panel management partnership with Moray Group in Scotland. Moray Group includes multiple brands in the Scottish property...

OMS & Dashly announce collaborative integration

One Mortgage System (OMS), the seamless single-input enquiry to completion processing platform for advisers, has announced a collaborative integration with...

Stonebridge adds Connect for Intermediaries to further strengthen both its referral and packaging panels

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has today added Connect for Intermediaries to both its referral and packaging panels. The new...

Announcing the launch of Fluro

Today sees the launch of Fluro as an institutionally-funded embedded lender. The brand represents a new name and an ambitious refreshed strategy for Lending...

Paradigm adds Even to lender panel

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced the appointment of Even to its lender panel. From today, Paradigm member...

Membership of Credit Unions and loan volumes both set new highs

Membership of Credit Unions continues to rise amid a growing hunt for affordable credit products as the cost of borrowing rises sharply and the cost-of-living...

The Conveyancing Association announce PEXA UK as new Affiliate member

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today announced PEXA, a digital platform for transacting...

Conveyancing Association seeks industry views on conveyancing process

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today launched a new survey of all conveyancing firms...

House prices set to rise by another £14,000 before the end of the year

Market analysis from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, shows that – despite the wider economic backdrop – house prices could...

Atom bank accredited to the new iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme

Atom bank, the UK’s first app-based bank, has been accredited to the latest iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) by the British Business Bank, and...

Cost of living pressures continue to drive new clients to StepChange

New StepChange clients are increasingly citing the cost of living as their main reason for debt. In July, 20% of clients who completed full debt advice said...

BoE credit card borrowing – set to spike ahead of energy bill hike as borrowing becomes more expensive

“Although credit card borrowing actually dipped slightly in July, it has been increasing over the last 12 months at the fastest rate since 2005 – plus...

Card debt surge at 17 year high, and fixed rate savings flood: Bank of England

Credit card borrowing is up 13% in a year – the fastest rate of growth for 17 years (since October 2005). Savings into fixed-rate accounts rose to £2.8...

Comment on BOE Money and Credit data

“Mortgage lending remains steady with an increase in gross lending but net borrowing is down slightly. This shows a slowdown in people taking out mortgages...

The pendulum is swinging – Comment on the Bank of England’s money & credit figures for July

“The resilience of the housing market against the current economic backdrop is becoming par for the course, but how sustainable this is remains to be seen. ...

Rise in borrowing a further sign of relentless pressure on household finances

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit growth rose 6.9 percent in July 2022.  The annual growth...

Comment on today’s Bank of England Money & Credit stats.

“Despite predictions of doom and gloom the housing market once again performed strongly with net borrowing in July only decreasing slightly from June and...

Majority of Brits aren’t confident in managing their money due to the cost of living crisis

New research from specialist lender Hodge has found that four out of five (80%) respondents aren’t confident in managing their money at the moment –...

Ofgem: “Rising energy prices detrimental to SME owners”

“The latest energy price cap increase is a fresh blow to the thousands of small business owners already at breaking point. SMEs are feeling the crippling...

Price cap mechanism is no longer fit for purpose – comment

“The energy price cap was meant to protect consumers from being charged extortionate amounts for their bills. However, today’s hike makes clear that the...

Households facing “no-win scenario” as energy price cap rises to £3,549

Ofgem has today announced that its energy price cap will increase to £3,549 from 1st October, an increase of 80 percent compared to April’s level. More than...

StepChange reacts to new energy price cap

Reacting to the news that the average household energy bill will rise to £3,549 in October, StepChange Debt Charity says that lower income households already...

Comment on energy cap rise – role of lenders

“With record high inflation, wage stagnation and exponential rise in the cost of living, this latest price cap rise will be the straw that breaks the...

The Money Stats – August 2022 – Consumer Spending Patterns In Upheaval

Soaring inflation, driven by the increasing costs of many of the most essential, day-to-day expenditure items for UK households, is causing significant shifts...

Foundation Home Loans ranks in top 10 lenders for buy-to-let

Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only specialist lender, has entered the industry’s top 10 buy-to-let lenders for the first time. It has also...

The Money and Pensions Service announces appointments of new non-executive directors

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has announced the appointments to its Board of four new non-executive directors. Marlene Shiels, Monica Kalia, Sara...

LiveMore and Connect for Intermediaries link up

Connect for Intermediaries is the latest distribution partner to join forces with LiveMore as the lender continues in its mission to expand mortgage lending...

Comments on today’s ONS retail sales figures for July

“Retail sales volumes rose in July (by 0.3%) as consumers enjoyed the start of the summer and maintained spending ahead of an autumn of energy price rises...

Impact Specialist Finance launch limited distribution buy-to-let range via MT Finance

Impact Specialist Finance, the leading specialist packager and distributor, has launched a brand-new buy to let mortgage range via MT Finance. This range is...

Wrexham-based Chetwood Financial named on Wales Fast Growth 50

Wrexham-based Chetwood Financial has been named on the 2022 Wales Fast Growth 50 list. The list celebrates the 50 fastest-growing firms in the Welsh economy....

eConveyancer launches partnership with Intra Private Finance

eConveyancer has launched a panel management partnership with Intra Private Finance. The agreement will provide brokers working for the Directly Authorised...

Paradigm further supports Scottish intermediaries by adding Scottish Building Society to panel

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced the appointment of Scottish Building Society to its lender panel. From...

Stock Funding Levels Surge at MotoNovo Finance

The demand for MotoNovo Finance’s distinctive Supplier Direct Funding service continues to gain momentum. A record performance in July fuelled an...

StepChange responds to new inflation data

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 10.1% in the twelve months to July, up from 9.4% in...

Situation set to get “far harder” as inflation soars and energy price hike looms

The latest UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures, published today by the Office for National Statistics, show that CPI rose to 10.1 percent in the twelve...

Crystal Specialist Finance continues expansion with BDM hire

Crystal Specialist Finance has continued to grow headcount by announcing a further recruit to the sales team. Jodie Worswick joins from Santander where she was...

eConveyancer launches partnership with Connect

eConveyancer has launched a panel management partnership with Connect IFA and Connect for Intermediaries. Established in 1998, Connect offers a full range of...

Summer season pushes asking prices off the end of the pier: Rightmove

The Rightmove House Price Index found that the average asking price dropped to £365,173 in August – down 1.3%. New listings are up 12% on a year earlier...

LiveMore appoints new head of sales and restructures

LiveMore, the leading provider of interest only mortgages to the over 50s, has appointed a new head of intermediary sales as it restructures for future growth....

Paradigm partner with Twenty7tec to provide technology benefits to member firms

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced a further commitment to helping its member firms benefit from the adoption...

Ensuring the right borrower outcomes – comment

Following the UK Finance arrears and possessions figures this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, says “Although the...

Bidding wars give way to more cheeky offers: RICS

Half of agents say average selling prices are no longer coming in above asking prices for properties worth up to £500,000. Sellers with properties costing £1...

Conveyancing Association launch Find an Expert service via website

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today (10thAugust 2022) launched a new ‘Find an...

LiveMore partners with Positive Lending

LiveMore’s distribution continues to increase following a new partnership with Positive Lending. Specialising in mortgage lending for the 50 to 90+ age...

PayPoint and Love2shop collaboration creates new solution to providing life’s essentials for the financially vulnerable

Digital payment expert, PayPoint, is expanding its range of solutions available to help local authorities financially support the most vulnerable people in...

Hargreaves Lansdown appoints Richard Caldicott as Financial Advice Director

Hargreaves Lansdown announces the appointment of Richard Caldicott, as Financial Advice Director, to head up the HL Financial Advice proposition. Richard has...

Together announces appointment of new Head of Clubs and Networks

Specialist lender Together has today announced the new appointment of Nick Parker as Head of Clubs and Networks. Nick will be responsible for the strategic...

OMS and Connect renew tech agreement

One Mortgage System (OMS), the seamless single-input enquiry to completion processing platform for brokers, has announced that Connect for Intermediaries has...

Recession on the horizon as BoE hikes rates to 1.75%

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has raised rates 0.5% to 1.75%. It’s the biggest one-month rise since 1995. It’s the highest rate for...

Interest rate rise to add to worries of homeowners

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has today voted to increase interest rates to 1.75 percent. Jane Tully, director of external affairs and...

StepChange says rate rise adds to cost of living woes for people experiencing debt

StepChange Debt Charity comments that today’s announcement by the Bank of England of a half percentage point rate rise is yet another pressure point for...

BoE is committed to its path of using interest rates to curb inflation – comment

“There are two schools of thought when it comes to raising interest rates to curb inflation.  One is that high inflation is bad and something needs to be...

Comments on today’s Bank of England interest rate decision

“By announcing the highest rate rise in 27 years to tackle 40-year high inflation, the Bank of England has shown its teeth and an unwavering desire to...

Consumer finance new business in H1 grows by a quarter v 2021

Data from the FLA today shows that consumer finance new business grew by 7% in June 2022 compared with the same month in 2021, reaching £9.8 billion. In the...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 12% in June 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in June 2022 by 12% compared...

Consumer finance new business grew by 7% in June 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 7% in June 2022 compared with the...

Sonovate announces new partnership with Demica as it continues to redefine embedded finance for the contingent workforce

Sonovate, the leading provider of embedded finance and payment solutions for the contingent workforce, today announced a new partnership with Demica, the...

Recognise Bank appoints Jean Murphy as CEO

Recognise Bank, the digital SME lender and savings bank, has appointed Jean Murphy as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jean brings over 25 years of experience of...

LiveMore joins Sesame and PMS lender panels

LiveMore has been appointed by Sesame Bankhall Group to its 100-strong lender panel, enabling Sesame Network and PMS Mortgage Club members to access mortgages...

NewDay – Group results for the six months ended 30 June 2022

NewDay, a leading digital consumer credit business in the UK, has today released its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 and has published...

Moneyhub boosts senior team with Mastercard and TransUnion alumni

Moneyhub, the market-leading Open Data and payments platform, has today announced the hire of Product Director, David Firth. David comes to Moneyhub from...

Zephyr Homeloans adds The Money Group (TMG) to its key partner panel

Zephyr Homeloans, the specialist buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage provider, has announced that it has added The Money Group’s (TMG’s) network to its key partner...

Paradigm launch ‘Summer School of Marketing’ to support advisory businesses

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today launched a brand new ‘Summer School of Marketing’ to support advisory businesses...

Rise in borrowing a sign that pressure is beginning to tell for many households

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit growth rose 6.5 percent in June 2022. The annual growth...

Businesses face ‘significant work ahead’ to comply with FCA’s new Consumer Duty

“The FCA’s new Consumer Duty aims to improve the retail financial market, provide a higher standard of consumer protection, but still drive...

For the first time, rising cost of living cited as most common reason for debt in June

For the first time, June saw the rising cost of living being the most commonly cited reason for debt among StepChange Debt Charity clients, with nearly one in...

BoE Money and Credit stats for June – commentary

“With much of the population still on fixed rates for their utility bills or mortgage payments, not everyone’s personal finances will feel the full brunt...

Increased Credit and Debt Reliance Fuelled By Record Cost of Living Increases

Worrying signs show a rapidly escalating reliance from UK households on credit and debt, in order to make ends meet in the face of record cost of living...

Heatwave cools off conveyancing enquiries, according to new data

As UK temperatures soared last week, conveyancing enquiry levels dropped, according to new statistics from a leading outsourced communications provider. Data...

Countrywide Surveying Services appoints Regional Director

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, has announced the appointment of Mandy Spenceley as...

PIMFA welcomes extension of the Consumer Duty implementation timeline

PIMFA, the trade association for the wealth management, investment services and the investment and financial advice industry, has welcomed the Financial...

New Consumer Duty rules necessitate CCA reform

Commenting on today’s publication of the New Consumer Duty policy statement by the Financial Conduct Authority, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer and...

Second Charge Specialists Evolution Money Launch Digital Transformation with their New Nivo Powered App

Specialist second charge lender Evolution Money has partnered with fintech leaders Nivo to launch a new digital journey for customers and adviser introducers,...

Comment from Neil Kadagathur, CEO Creditspring on FCA Consumer Duty

“UK households have been in desperate need of added protections in the cost of living crisis so the Consumer Duty is hugely welcome news. The crisis is...

eConveyancer launches panel management partnership with Wesleyan Financial Services

eConveyancer has launched a new panel management partnership with Wesleyan Financial Services. The agreement gives Wesleyan advisers access to...

New Consumer Duty must do more for victims of economic abuse

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed plans to release its new ‘Consumer Duty’ which sets expectations for financial firms’ standards of...

StepChange says FCA consumer duty will create valuable cultural shift

StepChange Debt Charity warmly welcomes the FCA’s confirmation of its final approach to implementing the new Consumer Duty that will enshrine in regulation...

Hargreaves Lansdown comment on FCA’s Consumer Duty

“We welcome the FCA’s intention to use the consumer duty to create more flexibility for firms to compete and innovate in the interests of consumers.  This...

Stonebridge and Mortgage 1st extend partnership with new long-term deal

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, and Mortgage 1st, the Derbyshire-based mortgage advice firm, have today announced a renewed...

Stonebridge and Mortgage 1st extend partnership with new long-term deal

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, and Mortgage 1st, the Derbyshire-based mortgage advice firm, have today announced a renewed...

HMRC Property Transactions – comment

Following today’s HMRC figures on UK property transactions, Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services CEO Karl Wilkinson said, “The...

Together Financial Services – Together prices its largest ever MBS

Together Financial Services Limited (“Together” or the “Group”), one of the UK’s leading mortgage and specialist loan providers,...

By Maximising Discounts People Can Fightback Against Inflation

One of the more unusual sources of potential savings for consumers comes from leading motor finance provider MotoNovo Finance. The business’...

“Worst yet to come” with inflation hitting lowest incomes hardest

The latest UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures, published today by the Office for National Statistics, show that CPI rose to 9.4 percent in the twelve...

Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) celebrates 35th anniversary with launch of Ambassador programme

Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG), the not-for-profit membership organisation with the aim of ‘working together to improve the lives of people in debt’,...

Record fall in regular wages after inflation – and things are getting worse

After inflation, real pay (including bonuses) fell by 0.9% and regular pay (excluding bonuses) was down 2.8%. It’s a record drop in real wages. Before...

Asking prices boom, but that’s only half the story: Rightmove

Asking prices are up 9.3% in the year to July to a record £369,968, according to Rightmove. Buyer demand is down 7% in a year – but it’s still 26% higher...

‘A chance to transform lives’: Government urged to prioritise financial inclusion in £880m Dormant Assets distribution

Dormant Assets funding to be released by Government must continue to prioritise supporting people in financially vulnerable circumstances, urges Fair4All...

Open Banking Post-Pandemic Growth Driven by Digital Acceleration

Open Banking adoption is growing, driven by the rapid digitisation of finance – according to the data from global information and insights company,...

Half a million people supported by StepChange in 2021

StepChange Debt Charity guided, advised or supported more than half a million people last year, according to the charity’s impact report for 2021, published...

Conveyancing Association reveal results of 2022 Lender Survey to improve mortgage and conveyancing process

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today announced a number of results from its 2022 Lender...

Stonebridge launches new functionality to help advisers close the UK’s £2.4 trillion protection gap

Stonebridge, the national mortgage and insurance network, has launched new functionality in its wholly-owned trading platform, Revolution, that will help...

Cost of borrowing jumps again for major consumer credit products – latest Bank of England data

The latest Bank of England household interest rate figures1 reveal the cost of borrowing continued to increase in June across consumer credit products...

Access FS launches exclusive tie with Vitality to help new advisers

Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services (Access FS), has agreed an exclusive tie with Vitality in order to strengthen its training of brokers...

Octopus Real Estate added to Paradigm lender panel

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced the addition of Octopus Real Estate to its lending panel. From today,...

Retailers benefit from credit surge after faster ever start to a year for store credit sector

Analysis from Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces, finds that the retail store and online credit sector experienced its...

Where the cost-of-living crisis is hitting hardest

Right now, across the UK, only half of people have enough money left at the end of the month. In 12 months’ time, in most areas this will fall to around one...

Freedom Finance appoints Emma Steeley as CEO as Brian Brodie moves to Chairman

Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces, is delighted to announce that Emma Steeley will be joining the company as CEO,...

Countrywide & SDL training academies raise over £3,600 in Route 66 Charity Challenge

Members of the training academies of Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), suppliers of valuation panel management services, and SDL Surveying, the national...

FICO Named Best Technology Provider for Data Analytics

Global analytics software provider FICO® was named the Best Technology Provider for Data Analyticsat the 2022 Credit Awards, presented at a black-tie dinner...

UNO Digital Bank builds on AWS

MANILA, Philippines — Today, Singapore-headquartered financial technology company UNOAsia announced it has built the UNO Digital Bank in the Philippines in...

Consumer finance new business grew by 20% in May 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 20% in May 2022 compared with the...

StepChange responds to new FCA and MoneyHelper research

New research from the FCA and MoneyHelper has revealed that many people in financial difficulty are missing out on vital support due to a range of factors...

Paradigm add Stafford Railway Building Society to panel

Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage services proposition, has today announced the appointment of Stafford Railway Building Society to its lender panel....

25,000th Trustpilot Review for “Excellent’ MotoNovo Finance

Reviews are an integral part of the car buying process for most consumers as they assess the cars and dealers they are considering. Anything that can enhance a...

Barclays UK CEO Matt Hammerstein new chair of MaPS Advisory Group

Matt Hammerstein, CEO Barclays UK, is now Chair of the Money and Pensions Service’s Advisory Group, effective from 1 July 2022, taking over from Vim Maru,...

OMS partners with Step One Finance

One Mortgage System (OMS), the seamless single-input enquiry to completion processing platform for brokers, has partnered with second charge specialist lender...

Access to support “becoming more urgent” as borrowing levels remain high

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit growth remained at 5.7 percent in May 2022. The annual...

Payl8r calls for open banking to become a legal requirement for credit assessing the affordability of loans to borrowers

Millennial buy now, pay later (BNPL) finance firm, Payl8r, is calling for the adoption of open banking as a legal requirement for credit assessing in the same...

StepChange calls for pause on UC deductions for Government debt during CoL crisis

Suspending deductions from Universal Credit for Government debt would help plug the gap caused by the shortfall between the Government’s support measures and...

The Money Stats – June 2022 – Heavy Wage Falls Exacerbate Steepling Cost of Living

Wages falling at record levels are pushing ever more people into financial distress as living costs continue to skyrocket, according to the June 2022 Money...

Rising Interest Rate, Inflation Forecast and FCA Calls for Care

Spiralling inflation, which is set to continue into the Autumn with utility prices set to rise, saw affirmative action by both the Bank of England and FCA...

Just Mortgages launches panel management partnership with eConveyancer

Leading national broker firm, Just Mortgages has launched a new panel management partnership with eConveyancer to complement the existing offering of its...

Comments on today’s ONS retail sales figures for May

“The latest figures from the ONS show that retail sales volumes fell by 0.5% in May 2022 with food store sales down by 1.6% from the previous month as retail...

Paradigm Protect add LV= GI product range to panel

Paradigm Protect, the directly authorised protection proposition – which is part of Paradigm Mortgage Services, has today added the LV= range of General...

BNPL regulation: comment from Robert Flowers, CEO and Founder of DivideBuy

“DivideBuy welcomes and strongly advocates for the UK government’s plans for formal regulation of the $3.7 billion Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) industry....

StepChange welcomes Committee of Advertising Practice enforcement on misleading IVA and PTD ads

Following a series of earlier Advertising Standards Authority rulings against misleading advertisements and websites by Insolvency Practitioners and lead...

New current account to improve financial inclusion for East Midlands communities

One of the UK’s fastest-growing financial co-operatives has partnered with Engage, the community banking-as-a-service division of Contis-Solaris, to launch...

Comment on Treasury announcement of intention to regulate BNPL

“As one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies, it’s good to see that the Treasury and FCA are moving in the right direction on regulation of the...

PSR sets out the details for its work on card fees

Today, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) sets out its plans showing how it proposes to carry out two market reviews focusing on card fees. One looks at...

Hodge launches whitepaper on how cost of living crisis is affecting financial planning

Hodge has released an in-depth survey into how the rising cost of living is affecting the everyday spending and saving habits of people in the UK. The study...

BNPL regulation plans not enough – comment

In response to the government’s announcement today on BNPL regulation, Neil Kadagathur, CEO and Co-Founder of Creditspring said: “While the proposed...

Consumer car finance new business volumes fell by 1% in April 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer car finance new business volumes fell in April 2022 by 1% compared...

Consumer finance new business grew by 21% in April 2022

New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew by 21% in April 2022 compared with the...

Firms still failing to capture information on vulnerable customers – comment

Following the statement from the FCA on vulnerable customer, Andrew Gething, managing director of Morgan/Ash, said: “The findings of the Financial Conduct...

Countrywide Surveying Services gains ISO27001 approval for 10th consecutive year

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, has successfully been approved for continuation of...

UK Finance response to government announcement on reforming the Consumer Credit Act

Responding to the government’s announcement that it commits to reform of the Consumer Credit Act, David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “We...

Money Advice Trust comments on interest rate rise and FCA intervention

The Money Advice Trust has warned of additional pressures facing mortgage-payers in the wake of today’s Bank of England’s rate rise to 1.25%, as the Bank...

HM Treasury agrees to reform the Consumer Credit Act

Stephen Haddrill, commenting on the news that HM Treasury has agreed to reform the Consumer Credit Act (CCA): “This is a great result. We have campaigned for...

Connect for Intermediaries becomes first network to offer its brokers SmartrFit+ tool

Connect for Intermediaries has become the first network to provide its brokers with access to Legal & General Mortgage Club’s SmartrFit+ tool. Connect...

Crystal Specialist Finance expands team

Crystal Specialist Finance (CSF) has further strengthened its sales function with three new hires. Mollie Rising joins as Business Development Manager for...

Wages fall at fastest rate for a decade: gulf grows between public and private sector

After inflation, regular pay, excluding bonuses is down 2.2%. It hasn’t fallen faster than this for over 10 years (Sept-Nov 2011). Strong bonuses meant that...

Two years of turmoil forces a change of plans

47% of people say they’ve had to change their financial plans as a result of everything that’s happened over the past two years. Some have suffered...

Mat leave propels new mothers into debt

It takes women more than two years to bounce back financially after having a baby, leaving many fearful about their own financial security and nearly a quarter...

Impact Specialist Finance added to Paradigm

Impact Specialist Finance, the leading specialist packager and distributor, has been added to the packager panel of Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage...

Payl8r grows as rival Klarna cuts 10% of staff

Online millennial finance firm, Payl8r, has seen an 334% increase in lending over the last 12 months as Klarna cuts its workforce by 10%. Payl8r, the UK’s...

Cost of living increase puts financial strain on 86% of rental households

Research by London rental platform, Rentd, has revealed that rental cost increases have contributed to a strain on household finances for 86% of UK tenants,...

OMS in API integration with Pepper Money for second charge business

One Mortgage System (OMS), the seamless single-input enquiry to completion processing platform for brokers, has completed a full API integration with Pepper...

Seconds activity continues to grow amongst prime borrowers says latest Evolution Money Tracker

Evolution Money, the second-charge lending specialist, has today launched the latest iteration of its quarterly data tracker, which reviews borrower types,...

MotoNovo Appoint New Head of Partnerships & Transformation

MotoNovo Finance has appointed Matt Lucas to the business’ newly created position of Head of Partnerships. The new role underlines MotoNovo’s...

CHL Mortgages added to finova lending panel

CHL Mortgages, the intermediary-only specialist buy-to-let lender, has been added to the lending panel of finova Payment and Mortgage Services. This...

400th surveyor graduates from Countrywide Surveying Services training academy

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS), one of the leading suppliers of valuation panel management services, has now seen over 400 surveyors graduate from its...

UK Finance analysis shows effect of cost-of-living pressures on mortgaged households

UK Finance releases its latest Household Finance Review which reports on trends in household spending, saving and borrowing during the first quarter of 2022....

Mind the advice gap: when advice doesn’t add up

Only around half of people said they would consider taking financial advice (51%). 29% of people said they wouldn’t take advice because it was too expensive....

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network launch their brand-new Trust Hub

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network have launched an informative and content rich new Trust Hub following on from their content surrounding Writing...

Conveyancing Association launch 2022 Lender Survey to improve mortgage and conveyancing process

The Conveyancing Association (CA) – the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry – has today announced the launch of its 2022 Lender Survey to...

Motor finance solutions for deployed service personnel

The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are today launching a new...

Jaja commits to increasing its workforce by 40% before the end of the year

Jaja Finance (“Jaja”), the online digital credit card provider, is bucking trends by committing to a 40% increase in its workforce before the end of the...

BoE Mortgage and Credit Card data: comment

The Bank of England announced today that net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £4.1 billion in April (down from £6.4 billion in March),...

Cost of living pressures continue to drive new clients to StepChange

New data for April from StepChange Debt Charity shows that the cost of living is now the second most commonly cited reason for debt, up from the third most...

“Ominous signs” as borrowing levels continue to rise

The Bank of England has today published its latest Money and Credit figures showing consumer credit growth increased to 5.7 percent in April 2022 from 5.2...

The Money Stats – May 2022 – Surprise Fall In Average Utility Spend Shows UK Consumers Already Facing Tough Spending Choices

With prices across the board rising at their fastest rate in 40 years, the challenge for UK consumers to stay on top of their money is forcing many to have to...

One in 20 cut asking price: house price growth set to slow to 3%

Zoopla forecasts that price growth will slow from here, and at this rate, growth will fall to 3% by the end of the year. Price reductions are on the rise: 1 in...

BuildLoan launches short-term borrowing solution for self and custom builders

Self and custom build finance specialist BuildLoan has created a short-term mortgage for builders who need to fund the construction of their self or custom...

StepChange Financial Solutions wins Best Equity Release Broker at Mortgage Strategy Awards

StepChange Financial Solutions, the mortgage and equity release advice subsidiary of StepChange Debt Charity, won the Mortgage Strategy award for Best Equity...

Money Advice Trust welcomes scale of cost of living support

The Money Advice Trust has welcomed today’s announcement from the Chancellor of more support for households struggling with rising living costs. Jane Tully,...

StepChange reaction to Chancellor’s cost of living support package

Commenting on the new measures announced today, StepChange Debt Charity Director of External Affairs Richard Lane said: “The additional £650 of support to...

Comment on the Chancellor’s cost of living announcement

“It’s welcome that the Chancellor has finally introduced new measures to help people through the cost of living crisis. The one-off payment of £650 to low...

TransUnion Celebrates Completion of Challenge90 with Colleague Wellbeing Festival

TransUnion, a global information and insights company, marked the completion of its Challenge90 fundraising with Leeds United for Yorkshire Cancer...

Monthly mortgage repayments now cost a third of earnings

With cost of living and interest rates on the rise while house prices are through the roof, specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, has calculated...

Cost of living crisis: Industry reaction

Following today’s news that grocery price inflation has hit the highest level in 13 years as households struggle to pay bills, Mohit Paul, Chief Revenue...

Pretty encouraging, given the economic outlook – Comment on the HMRC Property Transactions for April

Following the HMRC figures this morning, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, says “The non-seasonally adjusted figures today show...