The number of people in England and Wales entering an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) fell in the first quarter (Q1) of 2011, today’s figures from The Insolvency Service have revealed. This was the third quarter in a row in which this has happened: 2010 Q2         13,466 IVAs (the highest...

Across the UK, the number of people being declared insolvent fell over the first three quarters of the year – except in Northern Ireland, where personal insolvencies have reached a new high. Here, the number of personal insolvencies shot up by 19% (compared with the previous three-month period), as 692...

On average, households tend to ‘start to struggle’ 20 days after payday, according to R3 President Frances Coulson. Commenting on the latest official insolvency figures from The Insolvency Service, Ms Coulson said: “[The insolvency] data only captures those that are in formal insolvency...

The number of people in England and Wales entering an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) fell in the first quarter (Q1) of 2011, today’s figures from The Insolvency Service have revealed. This was the third quarter in a row in which this has happened: 2010 Q2          13,466 IVAs (the...

The average household will experience a drop in disposable income of 2% (around £780) this year, a leading economist believes, as rising prices continue to take their toll on consumers. In Deloitte’s latest Economic Review, Roger Bootle – who used to advise the government on economic issues...

These are difficult times for people trying to get on the housing ladder. They’re dealing with the high inflation and (in many cases) worries about job security that affect all kinds of people, but they’re also affected by issues in the mortgage market that hit first-time buyers harder than...

A new insurance policy could protect homeowners against costly increases in their monthly mortgage payments. MarketGuard’s ‘RateGuard’ insurance pays out to customers whose mortgage rates reach a certain point – effectively ‘capping’ their mortgage payments and preventing...

Mortgage lenders believe there will be a rise in the number of repossessions this year, as difficult economic conditions continue to take their toll on homeowners, The Telegraph reports. According to CML (Council of Mortgage Lenders) figures, there were 36,300 repossessions in 2010, down from 47,700 a year...

Personal insolvencies in Scotland have fallen further, AiB tells us. Accountant in Bankruptcy is Scotland’s Insolvency Service, so these are the official figures. In the first three months of 2011, the total number of insolvencies fell to 4,262 – a decrease of 7% on the previous three-month...

One in four pensioners are not claiming their full benefit entitlements, and are missing out on an average of £675 a year as a result, according to research by Just Retirement Solutions (JRS). Overall, almost one in five pensioners (18%) who have never claimed benefits are entitled to do so. In a few cases,...