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| UK banks plan biggest squeeze on consumer credit since 2008 | UK banks plan biggest squeeze on consumer credit since 2008 |
| (4 months later) | |
| Clampdown on credit cards and overdrafts follows warnings from Bank of England and others of growing debt mountain | |
| Angela Monaghan | |
| Thu 12 Oct 2017 13.32 BST | |
| First published on Thu 12 Oct 2017 10.34 BST | |
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| British banks are planning the biggest squeeze on consumer credit since late 2008, when the economy was in the depths of recession, according to a Bank of England survey. | British banks are planning the biggest squeeze on consumer credit since late 2008, when the economy was in the depths of recession, according to a Bank of England survey. |
| The clampdown follows warnings that Britain’s debt mountain has risen to dangerous levels as households struggle with rising shop prices and low wage growth. | The clampdown follows warnings that Britain’s debt mountain has risen to dangerous levels as households struggle with rising shop prices and low wage growth. |
| The survey showed the net balance of lenders’ expectations for the availability of unsecured lending to households over the next three months fell from -16.2 to -28.6, indicating the sharpest drop since the fourth quarter of 2008, when the UK economy contracted by 2.2%. | The survey showed the net balance of lenders’ expectations for the availability of unsecured lending to households over the next three months fell from -16.2 to -28.6, indicating the sharpest drop since the fourth quarter of 2008, when the UK economy contracted by 2.2%. |
| Samuel Tombs, the chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: “It does look like banks are starting to clamp down on the supply of unsecured credit.” | Samuel Tombs, the chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: “It does look like banks are starting to clamp down on the supply of unsecured credit.” |
| He said a number of factors were making lenders more cautious, including a warning from the Bank last month that lenders could incur £30bn of losses on credit cards, personal loans and car finance if interest rates and unemployment rose sharply. | He said a number of factors were making lenders more cautious, including a warning from the Bank last month that lenders could incur £30bn of losses on credit cards, personal loans and car finance if interest rates and unemployment rose sharply. |
| Demand for secured lending for house purchases fell slightly in the third quarter and was expected to be unchanged in the final three months of the year. | Demand for secured lending for house purchases fell slightly in the third quarter and was expected to be unchanged in the final three months of the year. |
| Lenders made it more difficult for consumers to take out new credit cards and unsecured loans such as overdrafts in the third quarter, tightening lending criteria and approving fewer applications. | Lenders made it more difficult for consumers to take out new credit cards and unsecured loans such as overdrafts in the third quarter, tightening lending criteria and approving fewer applications. |
| “Some lenders reported that they had slightly tightened their credit criteria for some products,” the Bank reported. “Motivations for this included concerns about customer indebtedness and the squeeze in real incomes.” | “Some lenders reported that they had slightly tightened their credit criteria for some products,” the Bank reported. “Motivations for this included concerns about customer indebtedness and the squeeze in real incomes.” |
| Last month, the chief financial regulator urged the government to step in to help tackle the mountain of debt being racked up by the most vulnerable consumers in Britain. | Last month, the chief financial regulator urged the government to step in to help tackle the mountain of debt being racked up by the most vulnerable consumers in Britain. |
| Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, told the Guardian he was concerned about the number of people who needed loans to make ends meet. | Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, told the Guardian he was concerned about the number of people who needed loans to make ends meet. |
| Lenders taking part in the Bank’s latest credit conditions survey reported a slight increase in credit card defaults in the third quarter and a “significant” rise in the number of defaults on other unsecured lending, which includes overdrafts and personal loans. | Lenders taking part in the Bank’s latest credit conditions survey reported a slight increase in credit card defaults in the third quarter and a “significant” rise in the number of defaults on other unsecured lending, which includes overdrafts and personal loans. |
| A growing reluctance among banks to extend consumer credit comes as markets and economists bring forward their expectations for the timing of the first rise in interest rates in more than a decade. | A growing reluctance among banks to extend consumer credit comes as markets and economists bring forward their expectations for the timing of the first rise in interest rates in more than a decade. |
| Policymakers at Threadneeedle Street are widely expected to increase rates from their all-time low of 0.25% to 0.5% when they announce their decision on 2 November. | Policymakers at Threadneeedle Street are widely expected to increase rates from their all-time low of 0.25% to 0.5% when they announce their decision on 2 November. |
| The last time the Bank raised rates was July 2007, before the financial crisis took hold. | The last time the Bank raised rates was July 2007, before the financial crisis took hold. |
| Tombs said higher borrowing costs were likely to dampen demand for credit among consumers. “Faced with the prospect of higher interest rates, households are likely to be more cautious about their borrowing,” he said. | Tombs said higher borrowing costs were likely to dampen demand for credit among consumers. “Faced with the prospect of higher interest rates, households are likely to be more cautious about their borrowing,” he said. |
| Banks said they expected the availability of loans to businesses to remain roughly unchanged over the next three months. | Banks said they expected the availability of loans to businesses to remain roughly unchanged over the next three months. |
| However, lenders expect demand for loans for capital investment in businesses to fall at the fastest rate since the third quarter of 2011. | However, lenders expect demand for loans for capital investment in businesses to fall at the fastest rate since the third quarter of 2011. |
| Banking | |
| Borrowing & debt | |
| Family finances | |
| Credit cards | |
| news | |
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