News & Views

News

Buy Now Pay Later needs to pay for debt advice

The regulation of Buy Now Pay Later is a long time coming. In the meantime, lenders in this sector haven’t been making any contribution to the funding of debt advice. It's time for #BuyNowToPayNow
News

Illegal lending: new evidence from the Debt Need Survey

Our recent analysis of the Debt Need Survey provides important new evidence about the drivers of illegal lending. Contrary to recent reports of a 'credit vacuum' arising from regulatory interventions, we find most users of illegal lenders are 'maxed out' on legal credit. The underlying problem is poverty, which credit markets cannot be expected to address.
News

Risk appetite: the credit industry bares its teeth

Following the Chancellor's Mansion House speech there have been calls for the FCA to review its creditworthiness and affordability rules. In this blog, we argue these regulations are not the reason why fewer low income households have been able to access credit in recent years. Those calling for a watering down of consumer protections are ignoring the wider context of the cost-of-living crisis which has made consumer credit less affordable.
News

How severe is the consumer credit debt burden?

The stock of outstanding consumer credit is at an all-time high. But relative to gross household incomes the ratio is falling. In this blog we take a deep dive into the data, highlighting why aggregate measures are misleading, and reporting on the shocking severity of the consumer credit debt burden being experienced by low income households.