Moving to the cloud
Horizon scanning for financial services firms

Published 20 June 2022

Use of cloud technology in streamlining processes and enhancing the customer journey in the sale and maintenance of financial services products offers businesses obvious benefits, with the Bank of England (BoE) stating that “using the cloud allows businesses to work in a more agile way…from file sharing to managing fraud”.

Earning arrestment
It’s done differently in Scotland

Published 20 June 2022

This series looks at the enforcement options available to creditors to recover sums due by a debtor in Scotland. In a previous edition we looked at Inhibition which is similar to a Charging Order in England. In this edition, we now turn to look at how Earnings Arrestment operates in Scotland.

Fair and square??
Regulated and exempt loan agreements

Published 20 June 2022

ANALYSIS OF A RECENT CASE BROUGHT ON THE BASIS OF ‘UNFAIR RELATIONSHIP’ Liverpool, the location of the 2022 CCTA conference, is also the backdrop for a recent decision on the boundary between regulated and exempt agreements, and on the ‘unfair relationship’ question.

CCTA 2022 Conference
Write-up

Published 20 June 2022

MORNING SESSIONS We held our first conference since before the pandemic, on the 27th April in Liverpool. Here we pick up on some of the themes and discussions from the speeches and panel sessions that made up the agenda.

Empowering consumers
The use of credit technology

Published 20 June 2022

For UK consumers, the current economic climate continues to create challenges. As the cost of living increase continues to intensify, many are concerned that they will no longer be able to keep up with their regular monthly outgoings.

Dear CEO
Are you doing enough?

Published 20 June 2022

A ‘Dear CEO’ letter is fast becoming the choice instrument of communicating with regulated firms. Such letters serve to focus the attention of a firms’ CEO and accountable senior managers on crucial issues for the FCA.

Navigating the maze
The importance of credit and the Consumer Duty

Published 20 June 2022

Inflation is biting. Food, petrol and energy bills – the essentials for many are rising at rates not seen for a generation. Many households are struggling and will continue to have to make some difficult choices through these challenging times. The demand for credit is therefore likely to rise, as is the support that existing borrowers are likely to require.

THE fraud epidemic
Booming levels of identity fraud

Published 09 February 2022

Fraud in the UK has reached epidemic levels. It’s estimated that there were 3.8 million fraud offences in England and Wales in the year ending June 2019, the scale of which was experienced by Cifas members.

Solving the puzzle
Bringing all the pieces together

Published 09 February 2022

As 2022 gets properly gets underway, I am celebrating my first year completed in the role of Chief Executive of the CCTA. It has been an unusual year with the pandemic, but I am pleased to say that the numbers have remained strong, and we have managed to introduce a series of changes.

Year of the squeeze
Increasing strain on household incomes

Published 09 February 2022

Owing to the strains anticipated on households this coming year, 2022 has been named “the Year of the Squeeze” by the Resolution Foundation (an independent think-tank focused on improving living standards for those on low to middle incomes).

The odd one out
What’s being said on Buy-Now Pay-Later

Published 09 February 2022

The Treasury’s consultation on Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) has recently closed. This consultation sought opinions about the Treasury’s plans to bring the product into regulation, following the findings from the Woolard Review, which highlighted the risk of consumer detriment. It included different policy options on how best to achieve ‘a proportionate approach to regulation of BNPL’.

The vision
Helping everyone achieve financial welllbeing

Published 09 February 2022

Wellbeing has long been a focus for many organisations in the financial sector. Wellbeing hubs can offer employees and customers a wide range of helpful support and services from exercise and nutrition to sleep and mental wellbeing. Often though, organisations have not given as much consideration to a critical piece of the jigsaw, Financial Wellbeing.