IVA News

IVA News

70% of people don’t tell their lenders about their financial problems.


01/09/2010

A new survey from Callcredit Information Group shows that 70% of people who have suffered financial pressures in the past two years have never spoken to their bank or building society about their d...

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Growth in use of pawnbrokers to pay for summer holiday.


31/08/2010

Research by Borro.com, the UK's first online pawnbroker, has shown that that over 30% of their customers have taken out a loan since the beginning of June to raise funds for their holiday, with the...

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County Court Judgments down by 23%.


24/08/2010

The latest half year statistics from the Registry Trust Limited have revealed the number of County Court Judgments (CCJs) in England and Wales are down 23.4% on this time last year. CCJ’s are...

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30% of households report drop in income.


23/08/2010

Three in 10 UK households reported a drop in their household finances in August, says the Markit/YouGov Household Finance Index.
The drop reflects a decline in income from employment and a r...

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1.2m people used payday lenders.


19/08/2010

New research from Consumer Focus shows that the number of people taking out payday loans has quadrupled since 2006 to 1.2 million people, borrowing a combined 1.2 billion per year.
In its st...

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Families to lose £13bn in benefits.


18/08/2010

The Government has signaled its intention to cut up to £13bn a year from the welfare benefits budget by axing so called universal benefits such as child benefit and the winter fuel allowances...

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Rent arrears biggest cause of possession say landlords.


17/08/2010

47% of possessions by landlords are due to tenants not paying their rent, according to research published by the National Landlords Association (NLA). New data published this week showed that showi...

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9 million pensioners sick with money worry.


16/08/2010

As many as nine million pensioners in the UK are sick with money worries with more than two in five suffering anxiety and one in five living in a state of depression as a direct result of their fin...

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Taxman to use debt collection agencies to recover unpaid tax.


11/08/2010

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will use debt collectors to recover un-paid taxes worth £140 million throughout 2010-...

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IVA for Fergie and her £5m debts.


09/08/2010

Sarah Fergusson, better known as Fergie, the Duchess of York, has debts of almost £5 million according to recent press reports. Her financial plight is apparently causing alarm in the Royal f...

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Base rate held at 0.5 per cent


05/08/2010

The base rate remains at its historical low of 0.5% yesterday morning’s meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
The MPC first dropped the rate to 0...

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Fuel debt stats are the tip of an iceberg claim uswitch.com


03/08/2010

Recent Ofgem statistics on gas and electricity debt and disconnectionsare the tip of an iceberg and highlight worries about the affordability of energy say Uswitch. Key findings fron fuel regulator...

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House prices up 0.6% in July.


04/08/2010

The Halifax have published their monthly review view of the housing market and report that house prices rose by 0.6% in July.
Bank of England industry-wide figures show that the number of mo...

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2.3m people borrow to pay for holiday.


02/08/2010

New statistics published by R3, the insolvency trade body, show that over 2.3 million holidaymakers have had to borrow on average more than £1000 (£1,130) and will spend seven months pa...

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Department for Work and Pensions consults on plans to simplify the benefits system.


30/07/2010

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has set out plans to revolutionise the existing benefits system within a new Command Paper, 21st Century Welfare, publised for consultation today. The ...

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Female bankruptcies soar


28/07/2010

The number of British women going bankrupt has risen almost fivefold in the past 10 years, with new figures revealing a 28 per cent increase in the past year alone. New figures from the Insolvency ...

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FSA fines mortgage firm £630,000.


22/07/2010

A mortgage firm has been fined £630,000 for unfair treatment of its customers by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Yorkshire based Redstone Mortgages Limited has agreed to redre...

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Govt funding for mortgage rescue schemes to be cut.


26/07/2010

The Government will continue its Mortgage Rescue Scheme to stave off rising repossession numbers, but has announced plans to cut its funding as it searches for ways to ensure it delivers better val...

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OFT publishes review of high-cost credit.


17/06/2010

The OFT has this week published the final report of its review of the £7.5 billion high-cost credit sector.

The sector comprises the pawnbroking, payday loan, home credit and rent-to-...

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45% of consumers concerned about finances ahead of budget.


15/06/2010

Ahead of next weeks emergency budget Consumer confidence in the economy has dropped dramatically according to price comparison and switching site uSwitch.com, with 45% of people concerned about the...

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1 million adults without a bank account.


11/06/2010

Almost a million adults do not have a bank account, according to the watchdog, Consumer Focus.
It has issued a major report, On the Margins, looking at why so many people exist solely in th...

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Rent arrears double in last two years.


03/06/2010

A new report by BDRC Continental has found that rent arrears have doubled in the past two years, with more than a third of landlords reporting that tenants have fallen behind with payments.
...

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Students turn to personal finance qualifications.


02/06/2010

Over 25,000 teenagers have registered to study GCSE, AS or A level equivalent qualifications in personal finance.
The IFS School of Finance said it was the highest number of students to hav...

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Payment Protection Insurance miss-selling tops list of complaints to Ombudsman.


27/05/2010

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) has topped the list of complaints to the financial ombudsman service, with 30% of new cases during 2009-10 relating to it.

In total, the ombudsman resolve...

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1.5 m mortgage borrowers have less than 10% equity in their homes.


25/05/2010

New Bank of England figures published last week show that up to 1.5 million mortgage borrowers had less than 10% equity in their home as of March 2010.Data from 11 banking groups, accounting for ar...

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OFT joins campaign to stop loan sharks


24/05/2010


The OFT is taking part in a campaign to warn people of the dangers of loan sharks that charge exorbitant interest and use violence and threats to enforce debts.

As part of the 'Stop...

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Baines and Ernst welcome ban on Orders for Sale


21/05/2010

Debt solutions experts Baines and Ernst have welcomed yesterdays announcement that the Coalition Government plans to ban order for sale where the debts are for sums of less than £25,000.

...

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Government to clamp down on bailiffs and ban orders for sale.


20/05/2010

The coalition government has published its first policy document and has announced that they intend to pass new legislation which provides people with more protection against aggressive bailiffs. T...

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Ombudsman service publishes annual review of personal finance disputes.


19/05/2010

The Financial Ombudsman Service, the independent organisation that settles disputes between consumers and financial companies , has today published its annual review covering the 2009/10 financial ...

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Inflation hits 3.7%


18/05/2010

The annual rate of UK inflation, the Consumer Prices Index, rose to 3.7% in April from 3.4% in March despite a government target of 2%.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research notes t...

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5.4m mortgage borrowers at risk if interest rates rise.


17/05/2010

Shelter and the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have urged the new Government to take immediate action to help thousands of people at risk of losing their homes.
In a joint letter to the n...

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Baines and Ernst winners at “Credit Today” awards.


14/05/2010

Almost 1,500 professionals from across the credit industry took their seats in the Great Hall at the Grosvenor House hotel, London, where individuals, teams and companies took home awards for outst...

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Mortgage arrears and repossession figures.


13/05/2010

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has released mortgage arrears and repossession figures for the first quarter of 2010.The figures show that just under 253,000 mortgages were 3 months or more in arre...

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Banks hit with £284m bill for complaints.


11/05/2010

According to figures released by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), banks and insurers paid out almost £284m in compensation to customers whose complaints were upheld in the second half ...

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Unemployment reaches 2.5m but interest rates remain at record low.


10/05/2010

The number of unemployed in the UK rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million during the last three months to March, figures from the Office of National Statistics show, the highest level since December 1994.<...

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People 'must be aware of borrowing consequences'


11/05/2010

UK consumers need to be made aware of the implications of borrowing money, it has been stated.

The consequences of borrowing money need to made known to UK consumers, according to one exper...

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New figures show insolvencies still on the increase


07/05/2010

Figures released by the Insolvency Service today show that in the first quarter of 2010 there were 35,682 individual insolvencies in England. This was an increase of 17.9% on the same period a year...

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Average UK household debt nearly £58,000


05/05/2010

Figures released yesterday show that total UK personal debt at the end of March 2010 stood at £1,460bn. Total secured lending on dwellings at the end of March 2010 stood at £1,239bn. Th...

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Record numbers of Britons declared insolvent


04/05/2010


 Latest figures suggested that despite the recession being officially over, households are struggling to make ends meet.

Experts warned the so-called debt lag – where the...

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Baines & Ernst highlight the importance of being open about debt


01/05/2010


UK 'hidden' debt stands at an estimated £55bn as one in five consumers hide financial problems from a partner or family
Following the news that a significant amount of people i...

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London is the UK’s repossession capital.


30/04/2010

City centres are suffering from the highest numbers of repossessions in the UK, London leading the way according to the latest report from Spicerhaart Corporate Sales.

London had the most r...

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FSA takes banks to task over complaint handling


29/04/2010

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is taking tough action after finding weaknesses in five banks handling of customer complaints.
As a result of the review, five banks are undertaking ma...

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Personal debt leads to absence from work.


28/04/2010

A recent research report has shown that personal debt has a direct impact on staff sickness. The report by Katherine Ashby and Michelle Mahdon of The Work Foundation, was commissioned by Axa PPP he...

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50% of over 65’s owe money.


27/04/2010


50% of over-65s owes money on mortgages, loans, cards and overdrafts, according to Key Retirement Solutions.

According to Key, the average pensioner taking out an equity rele...

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Unemployment up 43,000


23/04/2010

The number of people unemployed in the UK has gone up by 43,000 between December and February to reach 2.5 million, data from the Office for National Statistics reveals.
The ONS says this is...

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Injunction secured against 'debt sale' firm


26/04/2010


The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has welcomed an interim Enforcement Order obtained by Birmingham Trading Standards against 'debt sale' company Momentum Network Ltd.
The Order, grant...

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UK public owe £55bn in hidden debts


22/04/2010

A survey of nearly 2300 people by OnePoll for the Post Office shows that nearly third of people (31%) hide the true extent of debt from family members,.
One in six women (16%) and more than...

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Children need to learn debt management skills.


21/04/2010

Children should be educated in finance to break the bad debt management habits of the UK's consumers, claims a money expert.

Parenting site Mumsnet.com and Martin Lewis from Moneysavingexpe...

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Government free Debt Advice Strategy a ‘complete failure’


20/04/2010

The management of the government’s strategy for providing free advice and support to people in debt has been branded a ‘complete failure’ by the Public Accounts Committee. The com...

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New handbook offers consumers tax advice


10/05/2010

Consumers concerned about issues such as tax arrears might benefit from the publication of a new handbook.

A new tax handbook is being made available by a consumer group, in order to help p...

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Total UK personal debt


31/03/2010

Figures published this week by Credit Action show that total UK personal debt at the end of February 2010 stood at £1,464bn. The twelve-month growth was 0.9%. Individuals now owe more than wh...

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Government unveils new rules to protect borrowers.


30/03/2010

The new rules for unsecured credit agreements include:
• a 14-day window for consumers to cancel credit agreements without penalty;
• lenders will have to assess consumers ...

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Mortgage support favours borrowers


29/03/2010

There has been some criticism of the Governments intention to extend the state support given to unemployed homeowners. Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money will be used to overpay mortgages...

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Lowest Counil Tax increase since 1994


26/03/2010

Council taxes will rise in the next financial year by 1.8%, the lowest figure since the levy was introduced nearly two decades ago. John Denham, communities secretary, claimed that the slightly bel...

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Mortgage market and support for homeowners


24/03/2010

The Government announced today that it intends to transfer the regulation of second charge mortgage lending to the FSA, including the regulation of existing second charge loans. This will create a ...

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Man had sex change to avoid debt collectors


23/03/2010

The man, who cannot be named, had got into so much debt that he decided to switch identities completely.
Actress Sarah Thom revealed that she found out about the man after speaking to worke...

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Rent arrears trigger for financial problems.


22/03/2010

Chris Elliot, Chief Executive of Warwick District Council has warned that low income households are at greatest risk of falling into unmanageable debt once their rent arrears cross the £500 t...

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DWP owed £1.85billion in overpaid welfare benefits.


19/03/2010

A committee of MP’s has found that the Department of Work and Pensions is owed £1.85bn by people who have been paid too much state benefit.

The Chairman of the Committee, Edward...

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FSA figures show repossession up 15% in 2009


18/03/2010

Financial Services Authority (FSA) figures show 54,055 people had their properties repossessed during 2009, up from 46,945 in 2008. But there was a fall in both the number of repossessions and the ...

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Consumer debt is a problem in the water and sewerage sectors.


17/03/2010

Over 5m households owe money on their water bills.

OFWAT the water industry regulator has announced that more than five million households currently owe money on their water bills an...

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OFT report “significant improvements in unarranged overdrafts”


16/03/2010

In a press release issued today the Office of fair Trading reported that “Real progress is being made towards personal current accounts that work well for consumers, with significant developm...

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30m credit card customers get new government protection.


15/03/2010

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced 5 new consumer protection measures for people who have credit cards

The five new rights for credit card users ag...

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Xmas spending leading to bankruptcy


12/03/2010

Figures released today by the insolvency trade body R3 show that 31% of personal insolvencies that occur in March have been triggered by overspending during the festive season.

Expe...

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FSA warn that “millions at risk of mortgage default”


11/03/2010

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has today warned that any increase in unemployment, a rise in interest rates or further falls in house prices could force millions of overstretched middle cla...

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Media Statement: Insolvency Service raises cost of bankruptcy by £90


10/03/2010

“Save up to go bust? With the Insolvency Service raising bankruptcy costs by £90 the price of going bust has never been so high, standing at £600 all in, including court fees. How...

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Scottish Parliament requires lenders to take all reasonable action to prevent mortgage repossessions


09/03/2010


In February the Homeowner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament. The Bill requires that all repossession cases except those were the property has been ...

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New reports show toll taken on low earning, hard‐working households by the recession


08/03/2010

Two new reports by the low earners think tank, The Resolution Foundation, show that low earners1 have struggled more in the recession because of their exposed and overlooked position compared to bo...

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Single parents and financial capability


05/03/2010

The singl parents pressure group Gingerbread has produced a comprehensive analysis of single parents’ financial capability, the key financial products they have, and their attitudes to managi...

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28% of borrowers do not know their mortgage rate


04/03/2010

According to Post Office Mortgages at least three million UK borrowers (28 per cent) do not know the rate of interest at which they are currently repaying their mortgage.

Over a thir...

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UK personal debt figures published


02/03/2010

New monthly figures from Credit Action show that UK personal debt at the end of January 2010 stood at £1,463bn, a 0.8% growth over the last 12 months.
Total lending in January 2010 ros...

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5m Britons live on overdrafts claims survey


01/03/2010

New research from moneysupermarket.com shows that five million people are always overdrawn, a reduction from 17% of UK adults from 2008 to 10% in 2009.
Kevin Mountford, head of banking at mo...

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Debt Relief Order reform announced.


24/02/2010

Baines and Ernst have welcomed the Governments plans to make it easier for people in financial difficulty write off their debts in Debt Rel...

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Rent payments crackdown


25/02/2010

Ministers are to crack down on excessive housing benefit payments in a series of reforms designed to curb the increasing £17 billion annual rental bill. Yvette Cooper, the work and pensions s...

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Official Receiver prosecutes former prison officer who lied about his debts


23/02/2010

A bankrupt former prison officer from Leeds has been given a nine month suspended prison sentence for failing to tell the Official Receiver about his debts and land he owned, following a prosecutio...

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Credit card rates “excessive” claim.


22/02/2010

The BBC reports today that Ros Altmann, a former government advisor has called for an investigation into the profit margins of credit card companies.

Ms Altmann says credit card rat...

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IVA’s More Important than Ever as Bankruptcy Reaches Record High, say Blair Endersby


19/02/2010

IVA Solution experts Blair Endersby are emphasizing the role debt management can play in the lives of people with money worries.

Recently released figures have revealed that last year more ...

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Record numbers declared insolvent in the UK, report Baines & Ernst


17/02/2010

Following the news that record numbers of people are being declared insolvent in the UK, Baines & Ernst are today advising people to seek help with managing their debts.

Figures ...

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Gross mortgage lending hits 10-year low


18/02/2010


New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show that mortgage lending dropped 32% in January to its lowest monthly total since February 2000

Experts say the drop...

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Highest credit card interest rates in 12 years


16/02/2010

Today’s “Times” reports new research which shows that millions of credit card holders are being charged the highest interest rates in more than a decade despite interest rates bei...

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Council charged illegal fee for council tax repayment plan


12/02/2010

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has expressed concern about Thurrock Council charging an illegal £400 fee for administering a council tax payment plan it had agreed as an alternative to ...

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Latest mortgage repossession and arrears figures published (source council of Mortgage lenders press release)


11/02/2010

Mortgage lenders took 10,200 properties into possession in the fourth quarter of 2009, 13% lower than in the third quarter, and 2% down on the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Council of Mo...

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Daily Mail investigation claims that “banks are the new loan sharks”


10/02/2010

The “Daily Mail” has published an article this week that claims that State-backed banks are charging more for short-term borrowing than back-street lenders and payday loan companie with...

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67% of lenders expect rise in repossessions


09/02/2010

A recently published mortgage repossessions report reveals that 67% of mortgage lenders and repossession experts are predicting an increase in the number of repossessions in 2010. The Council of Mo...

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Debts that just grow and grow:


08/02/2010

Source: “ The Observer” 7th Feb 2010.
Borrowers in severe debt difficulties are being charged thousands of pounds in interest by a company that has bought their loans.
Nor...

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New research shows demand for free debt advice outstrips capacity


05/02/2010

Rising demand from people in debt for free face-to-face advice from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill’s (BIS) is now oustripping capacity, according to a report published this...

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New statistics show record personal insolvencies


04/02/2010

A record 35,574 people in England and Wales were declared insolvent in the last quarter of 2009, according to statistics published by the Insolvency Service on Friday.

The figure, a 24.9% r...

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Debt management plans to jump by third say Moneysupermarket


03/02/2010

High unemployment and rising interest rates are expected to drive a 30 per cent rise in the number of people seeking debt management plans in 2010, according to moneysupermarket.com.

But th...

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New personal debt stats published


02/02/2010

Credit Action have today published new figures regarding personal debt levels in the UK. the figures show that at the end of December last year the amount stood at £1.46 billion.

Stat...

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Demand for credit on the increase


01/02/2010

New unsecured borrowing by UK consumers on credit cards, loans and overdrafts has exceeded the amount being paid back for the first time since June 2009.

Unsecured consumer credit ro...

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FSA to publish customer complaint data


29/01/2010


The Financial Services Authority has said today that in future banks and other financial services providers will have to publish details about the amount and type of customer complaints. Sh...

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OFT consults on unenforceable credit agreements guidance


27/01/2010

The OFT has today published draft guidance for consumers and industry on the application of sections of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (the CCA) that allow consumers to request information about thei...

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FSA to give greater protection to homeowners in mortgage arrears.


26/01/2010

The Financial Services Authority has suggested new rules to protect mortgage borrowers who get into arrears. The FSA says it wants to ensure that those borrowers are treated fairly, especially ones...

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Nearly half of credit card applicants rejected.


22/01/2010

According to figures published this week by the UK Cards Association 48% of applications were turned down in 2009, compared with 42% in 2008. It is the first time official figures have been release...

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Mortgage arrears compensation for borrowers


25/01/2010

On 24th Jan, “The Sunday Times” published an article which claimed that over 400,000 mortgage borrowers exposed to unfair arrears charging by mortgage lenders and more than 80,000 homeo...

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Skipton interest rate rise “disastrous for borrowers in financial difficulty” say Baines and Ernst.


21/01/2010

Debt solutions experts Baines and Ernst have branded Skipton Building Societies announcement rise in its interest rate as “disastrous news for borrowers in financial difficulty.”
...

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Drop in unemployment good news for people with debt problems


20/01/2010

Today’s announcement that there has been a sizeable drop in unemployment has been welcomes as good news for people with debt problems by debt solutions experts Baines and Ernst. Unemployment ...

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High housing lead to delays in having children


19/01/2010

New research released by the housing charity Shelter shows that people are being forced to delay having children because of the lack of affordable housing.
 
The research reveals...

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Having children leads to debt claims new research


18/01/2010


New research from Scottish Widows has shown that 4m of the 6.6 million UK households with dependent children are reliant on two or more salaries.

Families with children also have hi...

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Loansharks cause Xmas misery


15/01/2010

A new report, commissioned by Circle Anglia, a provider of affordable housing claims that
over 100,000 of the UK’s poorest families will spend 2010 saddled with a combined debt of aro...

More


FOS expects rise in complaints during 2010


14/01/2010

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is expecting at least 200,000 claims in 2010 as it anticipates a record year for financial complaints.


The FOS was set up 10 years ago to deal ...

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UK has a debt mountain warns Google chief


12/01/2010

Googles chief executive Eric Schmidt, has stated that western governments that reducing their deficiets will be much harder than it will in america, solely due to the status of the dollar in the wo...

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1m households used credit cards to pay their mortgage or rent


12/01/2010

The Housing Charity Shelter published a survey yesterday that claimed that more than 1 million householders have used credit cards to pay their mortgage or rent in the last 12 months.

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BIS seeks consumers views about credit and storecard reform


11/01/2010

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently consulting on proposals for reform to Credit and Storecard legislation including proposals for improved card borrowing, outlawing uns...

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Celebrity Big Brother contestant should have considered an IVA say Baines and Ernst


08/01/2010

Nicola Tappenden, the WAG of footballer Simon Walton, agreed to take part in celebrity Big Brother in order to clear a £35,000 credit card debt which she racked up after a series of spending ...

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Interest rates remain at 0.5%


07/01/2010

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has kept interest rates at 0.5% it was announced today. The 0.5% rate has now been in place since March 2009 and according to many experts may not rise...

More


UK personal debt in figures


06/01/2010

Credit Action has reported that total UK personal debt at the end of November 2009 stood at £1,459 billion. The 12-month growth was 0.7%.

Total lending in November 2009 rose by...

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Number of repossessions higher than official figures indicate claim Tories.


05/01/2010

The number of families having to leave their home has been understated according to the Conservatives, because the official figures exclude "sale and rentbacks", which allows mortgage bor...

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Lessons on debt for children.


04/01/2010

Ed Balls, the children, schools and families secretary, has announced that schools will be required to teach children how to spend with restraint, borrow within sensible limits and save wisely. Mr ...

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Mortgage arrears up 16% say FSA


15/12/2009

Figures published today by the Financial Services Authority show that the number of mortgage borrowers behind with their mortgage payments increased by 16% in the third quarter of 2009. An average ...

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UK household income plummets during 2009


14/12/2009

Figures published today in the Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin showed that the current recession has had a massive impact on household income during 2009.

The Banks figures show ...

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OFT concerns at high cost credit


09/12/2009

A summary of new research published yesterday by the Office of Fair Trading, (OFT), showed that significant numbers of consumers are fairly or very dependent on high-cost credit.

The OFT is...

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Families £300 to be year worse off claims report


07/12/2009

A new report by Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC) says the typical British family faces a decline of 2.4 per cent, or £300 a year, in its discretionary spending power, after tax, mortgages, food...

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Consumer Debt reducing for 4th month in a row


01/12/2009

According to new figures from the bank of England published this week, UK citizens reduced their unsecured debt for a fourth consecutive month in October.

Consumer debt was repaid at the fa...

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Greater protections for borrowers with second charge mortgages.


26/11/2009

The Treasury announced yesterday a raft of new measures designed to give greater protection to mortgage borrowers.
Under the proposals borrowers whose mortgages are sold onto third parties ...

More


Banks vindicated by Supreme Court over charges.


24/11/2009

 

The Office of Fair Trading has said it “disappointed” by today's Supreme Court judgment, which overturns previous High Court and Court of Appeal rulings that unarranged o...

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Bank charges test case


19/11/2009

The Supreme Court has announced that on Wednesday 25 November 2009 judgment will be given in the bank charges test case of Office of Fair Trading (Respondents) v Abbey National plc and others (Appe...

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Banks should not pay for finance education say banks


18/11/2009

Banks are unhappy with suggestions they should pay additional levies to fund financial education in the UK.

A nationwide financial education scheme, announced today as part of the Queen's S...

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Lenders trade body forecasts 48,000 home repossessions in 2009


17/11/2009


The Council of Mortgage Lenders has cut its forecast for the number of repossessions this year to 48,000. Having anticipated 75,000 repossessions in 2009 in last year's housing market forec...

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Second mortgage repossessions fall in Q3 but no cause for celebration, says FLA


16/11/2009

The Finance & Leasing Association gave a cautious welcome to its figures published today that show a fall in repossessions by second charge mortgage providers.

In the third quarter of 2...

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Bonus culture in banks leads to irresponsible lending claim.


13/11/2009

The banks have learned nothing from the credit crisis and are setting unachievable sales targets, forcing staff to sell products to people who don't need then and cannot afford them, says trade uni...

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Debt levels leave low paid at risk of homelessness


12/11/2009

Research by the thinktank Resolution Foundation shows low-income households – with an average of £15,800 at their disposal – are walking an increasingly precarious financial tight...

More


Bad credit card debts 'will soar'


11/11/2009

Bad credit card debts may reach as much as 9% of all outstanding balances by the end of next year, an accountancy firm has said.


"Bad debts in the sector have reached historic ...

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Rent reduction expected for housing association tenants


10/11/2009

The government is expected to announce modest rent reductions for around two million housing association tenants, despite a survey of tenants showing that most are against a rent cut.
 ...

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Homeowners ‘trapped’ in their own homes


09/11/2009

Millions of homeowners have put their moving plans on hold due to restraints on their finances, according to the latest research from advice website Unbiased.

Unbiased has estimated...

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RBS records £2.1bn loss


07/11/2009


RBS reduced lending by £5.3bn to £588bn during the third quarter, but recorded an operating profit of £1.2bn for its core banking activities, but an impaired loss of &poun...

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“Always seek advice before opting for bankruptcy” urge Paymex


06/11/2009

According to many commentators, personal insolvency in the UK is likely to reach record levels by the end of 2009. The combination of growing unemployment and massive levels of personal debt will l...

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Bank bailout costs £4,350 per family


05/11/2009

The government’s plan to pump a further £25.5 billion of taxpayers’ money into Royal Bank of Scotland means the cost of the banking bailout has reached £4,350 for every fami...

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Dannii Minogue's past reveals naked truth about debt advice benefits


04/11/2009

Dannii Minogue recently revealed that she bared all for Playboy in order to pay off debts.

Having gotten herself into £150,000 worth of debt, the Australian beauty decided to pose for...

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Best consumer confidence for 18 months


03/11/2009

Consumer confidence has risen to its highest level for 18 months but major job fears remain, according to the latest Consumer Confidence Index released by Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium ...

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Independent body the Lending Standards Board has launched a new code to monitor the actions of lenders.


02/11/2009

The Lending Code, launched yesterday and overseen by the newly-formed LSB, covers good practice in relation to unsecured loans, lending aspects of credit cards and charge cards and current account ...

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GMAC-RFC fined for arrears charges


30/10/2009


GMAC-RFC has become the first mortgage lender to be fined by the Financial Services Authority for levying unfair charges on borrowers in arrears.

The specialist lender, which focuse...

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20m People in europe in debt


29/10/2009


At least 20 million people are over-indebted in the EU. "With the increasing unemployment rates the number of people with debt problems can be expected to grow substantially over the n...

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A record number of Britons will be declared insolvent this year, prediction


28/10/2009

The current number of bankruptcies stands at 107,000 but is expected to a record annual level of 130,000 by the end of the year, according to some personal insolvency experts.

Mark Sands, a...

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Government calls on credit and store card companies to clean up their act


27/10/2009

The Government has today announced new proposals to ensure that credit and store card companies give people a fairer deal, in the latest of a series of reforms designed to make financial services w...

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Brown takes on credit card 'sharp practices'


26/10/2009

The government is set to take on credit card and store cards this week, with proposing promising a fairer deal for consumers.

Gordon Brown this weekend hit out at credit card firms that are...

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Bankruptcies in Scotland up 140 per cent


23/10/2009

The number of bankruptcies in Scotland skyrocketed 140 per cent in 2008-2009 compared to 2007-2008, official figures from the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) reveal.

Last weeks annual report...

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One in four households trapped in fuel poverty


22/10/2009

The number of households in fuel poverty, where at least 10 per cent of income is spent on gas and electricity, rose by 15 per cent to four million in 2007, statistics from the Department for Energ...

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The former England and Liverpool footballer John Barnes has been declared bankrupt - a situation that an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) can help to avoid.


21/10/2009

Mr Barnes was declared bankrupt by an insolvency court in Liverpool last week.

Last year he is reported to have said he "didn’t have any money to invest" after it was sugges...

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Number of households without bank accounts cut by half


20/10/2009

The Government and the Financial Inclusion Taskforce have announced today that the shared goal to halve the number of adults living in households without access to a bank account has been achieved....

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FSA looks to regulate secured loans and mortgage arrears charges.


19/10/2009


The Financial Services Authority is to ban self-cert mortgages and introduce affordability test for all new lending
The reforms include plans to widen the regulator's scope to includ...

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Sarah Ferguson, cancels lavish 50th birthday party over bankruptcy fears


16/10/2009


According to report in “The Sun” Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has scrapped a lavish 50th birthday party amid fears she is going bankrupt.

"Everyone ...

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Debt free loophole closed off by High Court


15/10/2009

A recent landmark High Court ruling has effectively scuppered the ability of indebted people to escape paying back their loans without serious consequences.

The ruling means that if...

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House prices show biggest increase since 2007.


13/10/2009

House prices are showing their strongest rise for more than two years as a lack of supply continues to drive the market, according to a survey today.

The Royal Institution of Charte...

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Regulator to ban liar loans


12/10/2009

The City watchdog is set to impose an outright ban on the self-certification mortgages many blame for driving the house price bubble and ultimately the credit crisis.
The Financial Services Aut...

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Low income households pay 17p in the £1 on motoring


09/10/2009

Lower income households are having to pay a surprisingly high proportion of their income just to keep their cars on the road, a new study has found.

Meanwhile the number of poorer home...

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HALF OF ADULTS IN DEBT MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM NEW REPORT OUT TODAY


08/10/2009

New research published today states that one in two British adults in debt may also have a mental health problem.
A literature review which has been endorsed by Stephen Fry and Alastair Cam...

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Banks agree to make improvements to personal current account market in the UK


07/10/2009

The OFT today announced that banks have agreed to make personal current account costs more transparent and the switching process more reliable and trusted.
This announcement follows the OFT's ...

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Local councils criticised over use of bankruptcy to recover council tax.


06/10/2009

The Local Government Ombudsman has condemned two councils for several "failings" in their use of bankruptcy to recover council tax debt.

The LGO criticised Newham Council for maki...

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House prices at September 2008 levels


05/10/2009

House prices rose by 0.9% in September, the fifth consecutive monthly increase, according to the latest Nationwide house price index.

The monthly index shows the annual house price c...

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200,000 firms in income tax arrears


02/10/2009

Over 200,000 UK businesses are in arrears when it comes to paying their taxes to HM Revenues & Customs, according to MCR Tax Arrears Solutions.

According to the service, there a...

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Consumers regret previous money habits


01/10/2009

Money worries topped a list of Britons' biggest concerns in 2009, a study suggests.More than a third (36%) of respondents say they wished they had been more responsible with money as the gloomy eco...

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Gordon Brown hopes for overdraft solution


30/09/2009

 

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Sale and Leaseback regulation ”may increase repossessions.”


29/09/2009

The introduction of regulation to the sale and-rent back sector could result in more people losing their homes.
While there are no definitive numbers available, industry figures suggest tha...

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Tourists opt for British bankruptcy


28/09/2009

Hundreds of Germans and Austrians are coming to Britain to exploit bankruptcy laws which promise to clear debts in a year, a money education charity has claimed.

The charity said insolvent ...

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Banks Criticised for "incomprehensible" Fees


25/09/2009


Banks across Europe are violating basic consumer principles by providing ‘incomprehensible’ information and having complex pricing structures according to a scathing report.
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Banks Criticised for "incomprehensible" Fees


25/09/2009


Banks across Europe are violating basic consumer principles by providing ‘incomprehensible’ information and having complex pricing structures according to a scathing report.
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Paymex launch the UKs first current account with a prepaid card facility


15/04/2009

Paymex Group, one of the largest financial solutions providers in the UK, has announced a partnership with Secure Trust Bank, to launch the UK’s first current account with a prepaid card facilit...

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* Only applicable for an IVA – Terms & Conditions Apply: Debt write off applies only where an Individual Voluntary Arrangement is suitable, adhered to and at the end of 60 months. This relates to unsecured debts that were included with an IVA and does not include any secured debts mortgages, HP or utility bills. Failure to adhere to an IVA can result in bankruptcy. An IVA will affect your credit rating for up to 72 months after completion of your IVA. Fee Payable this is paid out of your monthly contributions to your IVA and will be notified to you in advance. Homeowners may be required to remortgage after 4 years. Alternative solutions may be offered.
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