Navigating a volatile environment
COEO, collections and current consumer trends

Published 10 October 2022

Keeping in-line with customer trends is crucial when it comes to collections. When we understand how events, such as the cost-of- living crisis, will likely impact customers, we can prepare and adapt strategies to create better outcomes for all. This article shares a selection of customer trends we’ve uncovered and what to expect next.

Feeling the shock
Sharing data to protect vulnerable consumers

Published 10 October 2022

The potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis has sent out shockwaves, maybe because we are all going to be really hit in the pocket, but have we been limping towards this for years? Have we been unwittingly making people’s situation worse while patting ourselves on the back for talking about vulnerable customers and achieving the right outcomes? There is no

Attack of the sludge
Explaining and avoiding sludge practices

Published 10 October 2022

We are sure that by now you are knee deep into the final Consumer Duty and your brain is saturated with new terminology from manufacturers, distributors and Sludge Practices. So, what are Sludge Practices? The FCA defines them as: an excessive friction that hinders consumers from making decisions in their interests, by taking advantage of their behavioural biases.

A whole new world
Helping customers who aren’t used to needing help

Published 10 October 2022

We have all talked a lot about the imminent rise in utility bills and the cost-of-living crisis that is happening all around us.

Right help, right time
Connecting customers with debt advice

Published 10 October 2022

Whether it is having that difficult conversation you have been dreading or visiting the dentist the first time you get a tooth ache, addressing a problem earlier tends to lead to a better outcome with most things in life. We feel better once we have just done it, and invariably the outcome is better than our worst fears.

Crunching numbers
Pre-emptive planning for the crisis ahead

Published 21 June 2022

I’ve written quite a lot recently about the cost of living crisis and how it’s set to impact consumers in general. It was also a common theme running across all the great sessions at the recent CCTA event, so I thought I’d cover some of the work we’re doing at Lantern to help our three million plus customers.

The driving factor
A new direction for consumer credit

Published 21 June 2022

Dear Chief Technology Officer, Did you see what I did there? Have I got your attention? This is not a letter from a regulator, but it is a call to arms and, perhaps, offers regulation of a different kind. Some Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) reading this may truly feel they work in innovative industries.

Rising to the occasion
A summary of development plans for CCTA

Published 20 June 2022

Hello to all our members and associates. I hope you are enjoying the latest edition of CCTA Magazine. As many of you will know, I am the new Head of Policy and Advice at the CCTA. I had the pleasure of meeting many of our members and associates for the first time during our annual conference in Liverpool in April.

Weathering the storm
Credit in a cost-of-living crisis

Published 20 June 2022

This winter will be hard. We can say that with certainty. Rising costs will impact everyone. The ‘middle classes’ may have some disposable income, and perhaps some savings. However, those already financially vulnerable will really struggle.

Turning over a new leaf
ESG – Why is it important?

Published 20 June 2022

Increasingly members will have heard more about the importance of thinking about ESG – Environment, Social, and Governance issues. The CCTA was delighted to take part in Credit Strategy’s recent Car Finance Conference and to meet some of our members. I was asked to join some of the panel sessions and the debates.

Ahead of the pack
Ensuring five star complaint handling excellence

Published 20 June 2022

Today, most financial organisations have a robust complaint management process in place, but will this be enough for tomorrow? The past couple of years in particular have resulted in not only a rise in complaint numbers but an increase in customer expectations too, creating a perfect storm of complaints for financial services organisations to manage.

The art and the science
Part 36 offers explained

Published 20 June 2022

Litigation is expensive for everyone involved. It’s unsurprising, then, that the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), which underpin litigation in England and Wales, contain extensive provisions encouraging and facilitating settlement, both before and after proceedings are issued. One such provision is the unique and self-contained settlement procedure contained in CPR Part 36.