FCA pushes car finance firms to halt repossessions amid coronavirus April 17, 2020 The UK’s financial watchdog has proposed a freeze on car finance repayments, ruling out repossessions of vehicles during the coronavirus crisis. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) told car leasing firms today to offer three-month repayment pauses for customers in financial difficulty as a result of coronavirus. “We are very aware of the continued struggle people [...]
FCA introduces credit card and loan freeze to help consumers through coronavirus April 9, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced a package of measures today to help customers with credit cards and loans during the coronavirus lockdown. The City watchdog said the measures would help provide temporary financial relief to people with commonly used consumer credit products. Firms are expected to offer customers a temporary payment freeze on loans [...]
Coronavirus dividend cuts produce £4.4bn hit to investor portfolios March 27, 2020 With more UK firms announcing coronavirus-fuelled dividend cuts this week, the total loss of investor income so far this year is now £4.4bn. The pace of dividend cuts is accelerating as coronavirus wreaks havoc on world economies. In March 116 companies have suspended their dividends totalling £4.2bn, according to investment fund AJ Bell. That compares [...]
Coronavirus: British companies rush to mothball results after City watchdog calls for delay March 23, 2020 British companies are rushing to delay the publication of their results following an unprecedented call from the financial regulator for results to be suspended due to the coronavirus crisis. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said late on Saturday that listed firms planning to report preliminary results in the next few days should mothball them for [...]
Flying taxi startup Lilium raises $240m in funding round March 23, 2020 German flying taxi firm Lilium has raised an extra $240m (£207m) in funding from backers such as Chinese tech firm Tencent. The new funds mean that the startup has now raised more than $340m, which it will use for further development of its prototype jet as well as preparing its facilities to begin production. The [...]
Car dealers confident for coming year as Brexit fears dwindle February 25, 2020 An overwhelming majority of UK car dealerships are confident about the outlook for their business, despite a challenging 2019 for the motor industry. A new survey by Close Brothers Motor Finance shows that 98 per cent of dealers were optimistic about the future, with almost two-thirds (63 per cent) describing themselves as “very confident”. The [...]
City regulator fines Provident Financial subsidiary Moneybarn £2.8m February 17, 2020 The financial watchdog has fined car finance provider Moneybarn £2.77m for treating customers unfairly when they fell behind on loan repayments. Moneybarn, which is part of Provident Financial, has voluntarily repaid over £30m to almost 6,000 customers potentially effected by the failings, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said. The FCA also found that Moneybarn was [...]
Consumer credit forecast to grow at lowest rate for six years in 2020 February 17, 2020 Consumer credit is forecast to grow at its lowest rate in six years in 2020, despite a post-election pick-up in consumer confidence. The EY Item Club predicted consumer credit growth of 3.2 per cent this year. Although lending rose slightly at the end of 2019, signalling a post-election increase in demand, the annual forecast remains [...]
Most Brits intend to turn to electric or hybrid cars with next purchase January 31, 2020 The majority of British drivers do not intend to buy a conventional petrol or diesel car for their next purchase, amid growing interest in hybrid and electric cars. Only 48 per cent of consumers in a major poll said they plan to buy a traditional internal combustion engine-powered car next, City A.M. can reveal. That [...]
Sajid Javid denies ‘no alignment’ with EU plan will hit manufacturers January 21, 2020 Sajid Javid has denied the government’s policy of “no alignment” with European Union rules will damage the manufacturing industry. The chancellor was asked whether comments made over the weekend that some firms would not benefit from Brexit meant he was prepared to sacrifice some UK manufacturers. He said: “No, not at all. We look forward [...]