Mark Fiander announced as new Chair of the Consumer Credit Trade Association

Published 25 August 2022

Mark Fiander, CEO of Gain Credit LLC and Consumer Credit Trade Association (CCTA) Council member, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Association. He took up the position having been involved with the CCTA and related associations for several years.

PS22/9: A new Consumer Duty – CCTA initial response

Published 27 July 2022

It is interesting to see the Consumer Duty policy statement and final guidance out. We will be taking a few days to work through all the materials. For some of us, this has been the focus for many months, if not years of discussion.

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.

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.