The payday lender Wonga has been criticised by the Office of Fair Trading for accusing some of its own customers of being fraudsters.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, faced another blow to deficit-busting efforts yesterday with more gloom on borrowing as the UK's slide back into recession hit the Treasury's coffers.

Nearly 6,000 bogus payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation claims were made to the ombudsman last year, figures showed today.

Lending without the middleman is booming, report Chiara Cavaglieri and Julian Knight

If you're seeking finance to help with the cost of your home improvements or perhaps to change thefamily car, a personal loan from your bank or building society is often the first port of call.

Spanish-owned Santander has faced questions about its financial safety this week as the euro crisis deepened, causing rating agency Moody’s to downgrade 16 Spanish banks, including Santander UK.

Payday loans are trapping increasing numbers of consumers in a downward spiral of debt caused by exorbitant penalty charges, a consumer group has warned.

The short-term loans provider Wonga has chosen South Africa for its first step in international expansion after trials showed that the country's consumers liked its online service.

The Government hopes that by improving, credit unions can provide basic financial services to millions of vulnerable people. officials are proposing to bankroll a small number of credit unions to help them do away with the irresponsible high-cost credit providers or loan sharks that can force folk into a debt spiral.

Payday lenders assure me they don't prey on the vulnerable. Instead they claim to offer a valuable service to busy people who need cash in a hurry.

Up to seven million people who currently pay a high price for borrowing could be helped by the growth of credit unions, a Government report said today.

Some great news from payday lenders this week. They claim that we've got them all wrong and, in fact, their customers are a very happy bunch. They've done some research to back up their claims, too. According to the survey – funded, incidentally by the Consumer Finance Association which represents some payday lenders – 93 per cent of payday loan customers think the firms treat them with dignity and respect.

Businesses offering credit services must not mislead customers into believing they are a charity or government body by using names such as "helpline" or "debtline", the trading watchdog said today.

Employers are increasingly using credit checks when deciding who to hire, according to financial information service Call Credit.