You're not alone: How to ease the pain of debt problems
11 February 2012 12:00 AM
In these difficult economic times there is no shortage of debt advice out there. One thing the experts seem to agree on is that you should act early.
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Simon Read: Pets and sweethearts are this week's payday loan targets
11 February 2012 12:00 AM
Payday lenders are all set to become more mainstream, if you believe the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The bean counters said in a report published this week that they've seen increasing evidence of consumers seeking alternative finance such as payday loans.
Borrowers pay back £400m in December
31 January 2012 04:10 PM
Consumers cut their debts at the fastest rate in two decades during December amid signs they dipped into savings to pay for Christmas.
Roll-over loans curb agreed by Wonga
30 January 2012 12:00 AM
Britain's biggest payday loan company, Wonga, has signed up to a new code of practice being introduced on Wednesday that will restrict the number of times a loan can be extended.
Pawn again: The rebirth of the high-street credit merchants
15 January 2012 12:00 AM
Twenty years ago, the pawnbroking industry had all but shut up shop. Now business is booming as never before. Rhiannon Harries meets the loan arrangers whose value is on the rise.
EU targets payday loan sites that break rules
14 January 2012 12:00 AM
Payday loan firms which flout European consumer rules will be shut down, the European Union said this week. Its investigations found that four out of five UK online credit companies failed to provide basic information required by law, such as the cost of borrowing.
New regulation 'will hinder lending'
13 January 2012 12:00 AM
Delays and uncertainty over new financial regulations risk upending long-term investments such as new mining projects or international trade, the head of Barclays' investment bank has warned.
Wonga slammed over student loan information
12 January 2012 10:27 AM
Online payday loan firm Wonga was forced to remove an article from its website yesterday after it caused outrage by suggesting that students should take out loans that cost up to 4,000 per cent rather than using government-backed Student Loans, which charge around 5 per cent.
EU to shut down 'misleading' loan websites
11 January 2012 12:00 AM
In the UK, 38 out of 47 loan sites checked failed to provide basic required information
Credit unions to come in from the cold
08 January 2012 12:00 AM
An overhaul of legislation should offer more people the chance to avoid high-cost payday loans
Online payday loan firms may be guilty of mis-selling, says lawyer
07 January 2012 12:00 AM
Online payday loans could end up being the next mis-selling scandal, a former lawyer at the Financial Ombudsman Service has warned.
Simon Read: Rogue payday lenders must be closed down to protect the hard-up
07 January 2012 12:00 AM
Hardships are continuing for families this year. Housing charity Shelter reckons some seven million vulnerable folk have turned to expensive credit just to pay their rent or mortgages.
A million using payday loans to keep homes
04 January 2012 12:00 AM
Around seven million people are turning to credit to try to keep a roof over their heads, research by housing charity Shelter reveals.
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