ROAR Newsletter Summaries

What you need to know this week The February 2026 Regulatory Update has been issued to subscribers, with vulnerability management positioned as entering a tooling phase.The bulletin says Middle East conflict is feeding through into essentials, inflation expectations and mortgage repricing.The FCA says firms have strengthened earlier harm identification, governance and support for customers in vulnerable circumstances under FG21/1 and Consumer Duty.Inclusive Outcomes says firms should test whether lived experience, proposition capability and governance are delivering meaningful inclusion under PRIN… Read more

What you need to know this week StepChange Debt Charity Scotland reports average client debt of £20,116 (up 10% year-on-year), the highest level recorded in over a decade.38% of StepChange Scotland clients were in energy arrears, averaging £2,600 per client, and two in three were in household bill arrears averaging £5,470 (up 85% since 2021).Firms with debt counselling and debt adjusting permissions face the CCR009 reporting window starting Monday 2 March 2026, with a backstop of 24 April 2026, ahead… Read more

What you need to know this week UK payrolled employees fell by 121,000 year-on-year to December 2025, with a further 134,000 annual decline estimated for January 2026.Annual earnings growth was 4.2% for both regular and total pay in October–December 2025, with public sector growth at 7.2% and private sector at 3.4%.Median monthly pay in January 2026 was £2,588, equating to approximately £31,056 per annum before tax.The Bank of England is engaging industry via AI roundtables to assess implications for financial… Read more

What you need to know this week UK population reached 69,487,000 in mid-2025, with employment at 75.1% and unemployment at 5.1%.80,490 homeowner mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more in Q4 2025, down 4% on the previous quarter.1,210 homeowner mortgaged properties were taken into possession in Q4 2025, 13% fewer than the previous quarter.AI adoption remains modest and uneven, with 16% of UK businesses currently using at least one AI technology.The FCA published PS26/1 introducing BNPL borrower protections effective… Read more

What you need to know this week Regulators signalled constraints on delivery of growth initiatives where primary legislation remains outstanding, including Buy Now Pay Later and targeted support.The FCA confirmed it cannot finalise targeted support rules until Parliament creates a new regulated activity, with a statutory instrument expected by end of Q1 2026.The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 4 February 2026, with a 5–4 MPC split and continued inflation risks.Average UK house prices rose to £300,077… Read more

What you need to know this week UK economic data pointed to contraction in late 2025, ahead of the Budget, with the next Monetary Policy Summary and rate decision due on 5 February 2026.Larger debt advice providers reported spikes in demand for debt advice sessions over the festive period and New Year.A utility-focused bulletin emphasised the need for secure, timely digital collaboration between creditors, agents and debt solution providers, supported by data protection agreements and electronic data exchange.A case was… Read more