Britons play 'double jeopardy' as borrowing soars

clock

New consumer borrowing has hit a four year high, as debt levels increased again in Q1 this year by £22bn, while savings rates fell by £11bn, according to research by Unbiased.co.uk.

Its Savings Brake research, which reveals the ratio of how much Britons are borrowing (excluding mortgage debt) contrasted with the amount consumers are saving, shows that for every pound saved during Q1 2008, 69 pence was borrowed. This is a notable increase from 29 pence borrowed against every pound, during Q1 last year. First quarter borrowing is £13bn higher this year than last, despite the credit crunch, the research found. As well as increasing borrowing levels, consumers also reduced savings as the amount added to “rainy day” funds dipped by £11bn to £32.7bn in Q1 of 2008, Unbias...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Advisers blast FCA funding requirement of £755m 'inexorable'

Advisers blast FCA funding requirement of £755m 'inexorable'

‘I don’t really know what value I’m getting from the FCA – if any’

Hope Coumbe
clock 19 April 2024 • 2 min read
Octopus Money: Why a Seccl-backed platform integration is for us

Octopus Money: Why a Seccl-backed platform integration is for us

'Technology and compliance acts as an anchor in the industry'

Sahar Nazir
clock 18 April 2024 • 1 min read
AJ Bell platform hits £80.3bn AUA as advised customers increase

AJ Bell platform hits £80.3bn AUA as advised customers increase

The firm recorded total advised customers of 165,000

Cristian Angeloni
clock 18 April 2024 • 2 min read