Demsa

In today’s bulletin: General update FCA publish regulatory initiatives grid Ofgem vulnerability strategy Treatment of customers in vulnerable circumstances that involve bereavement Collaborations Training Events General update The ONS has published its latest Consumer Prices Index, which shows the rate of inflation fell slightly to 2.6% in the 12 months to March, down from 2.8% in February 2025. Falling petrol prices have helped. National Debtline responded to these figures. Matt Hartley, Director of Engagement at the Money Advice Trust, the… Read more

In today’s bulletin: General update FCA support for innovative products and new firms Ofwat Priority Services Register (PSR) standards UKRN 2025-2026 delivery plan Collaborations Training Events General update The price for a cup of coffee in the US is going up as tariffs put the squeeze on local café and bakery owners The flip side of the Trump tariffs. Some US businesses say the queues for a morning latte are already getting shorter as customers tighten their belts and imported… Read more

In today’s bulletin: General update IVA Protocol FOS Strategic plans and budget Aryza blog from Debt Awareness Week Collaborations Training Events General update £1 trillion worth of UK card transactions in 2024 UK issued debit and credit cards were used to make 31.4 billion transactions in 2024 (both here and abroad) – up from 30.2 billion transactions in 2023.  At the end of 2024 there were 163.4 million UK debit and credit cards in issue – up from 159.7 million… Read more

In today’s bulletin: General update Personal insolvency stats for February 2025 QA framework workshop Call for evidence – data intermediaries Government Debt Management Function (GDMF) Functional Centre - Communication Toolkit Collaborations Training Events General update Interest rates were held at 4.5% last week. At its meeting ending on 19 March 2025, the MPC voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain Bank Rate at 4.5%. One member preferred to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 4.25%. Link: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy-summary-and-minutes/2025/march-2025… Read more

In today’s bulletin: General update FCA statement on motor finance review next steps FCA findings around their Consumer Support surveys Testing and reviewing communications with consumers Collaborations Training Events General update The UK economy (GDP) contracted ‘unexpectedly’ in January 2025 by 0.1%, which was weaker than forecast, driven mainly by a decline in the manufacturing sector. Economists had predicted the economy would grow by 0.1% in January, after 0.4% growth in December 2024. Monthly readings can be ‘volatile’, and the… Read more

In today’s bulletin: General update FCA reports on their vulnerability guidance The StepChange 2024 Impact Report Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) outcomes and providers 2024 Tackling scam calls FOS - Quarterly complaints data: Q3 2024/25  Collaborations FCA vulnerability event on 11/3/2025 General update One of the headlines last week was 'Chancellor set to cut welfare spending by billions' is unlikely to raise consumer confidence or be welcome news to those with low financial resilience. Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1lpjqg2mp5o We had an interesting discussion… Read more