Consumer Finance

In 2023, consumer lending has witnessed a surge in current value growth, despite soaring inflation rates that have caused substantial economic challenges for consumers. Unpredictable fluctuations in the cost of living and foreign exchange rates have…

In comparison with Eurozone countries, the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the soaring cost of living in 2023. While rising electricity and gas prices drove inflation in 2022, they have been gradually decreasing in 2023,…

The consumer lending sector in the Netherlands is currently witnessing a significant slowdown in growth, particularly in gross lending for the year 2023. This deceleration can be attributed to increasingly stringent lending criteria. Policymakers are…

Gross lending in Sweden registered positive, yet slower growth in 2022, as the uncertain economic environment, exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, led to a decline in consumer confidence. In August 2022, the annual inflation rate soared…

The year 2023 was another prosperous year for consumer lending in Norway although growth was lower than previous years. The exceptionally high levels of consumer lending seen in 2021 and 2022 were boosted by the shift back to normal lifestyles…

Consumer lending in Italy maintained positive, albeit modest growth in current value terms in 2023, as ongoing economic uncertainty led many Italians to retain a cautious attitude towards borrowing. Factors such as high inflation rates, increasing…

Consumer lending is facing challenges in 2023, arising from the current socioeconomic environment. Indeed, as society began to recover from the impacts of the pandemic era, new factors came to play, from soaring global interest rates to the ongoing…

There is expected to be moderate growth in consumer credit gross lending in 2023, though growth will be significantly lower than the previous year. In terms of housing/mortgages, gross lending is expected to fall. A second year of rising interest…

The year 2023 witnessed a decline in the number of consumers obtaining personal consumer credit. As Inflation and the cost of living remained high, consumers relied on cash withdrawals from credit cards when they needed small sums of money. This…

Numerous consumers have increased their reliance on credit to enable them to afford higher retail prices in 2023, as the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, card lending is set to…

Lending institutions in the Netherlands are adapting their lending norms to accommodate inflation and the increasing cost of living. These updated lending norms predominantly affect consumer credit. By incorporating rising prices into their…

Consumer credit suffered during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when economic uncertainty saw the postponement of larger purchases. While gross lending surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, consumers remained cautious, amid much uncertainty…

Consumer credit is enjoying a more prosperous year in 2023 than was expected, as the Norwegian economy remains resilient in the face of high inflation. The rate of inflation has reduced slightly in 2023, but it is still much higher than the 2%…

Consumer credit registered positive, albeit modest growth in terms of gross lending and outstanding balance values in Italy in 2023, as ongoing economic uncertainty led many consumers to retain a conservative approach towards borrowing. While the…

Consumer credit is facing challenges in 2023, due to the uncertainty of the overall economic context. Negative influencing factors include high inflation, geopolitical unrest concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and, in light of this situation,…

Increasing interest rates are having an impact on consumer lending in 2023, with growth lower than the previous year. That being said, growth is still positive as the economy fares fairly well, in spite of inflation continuing to rise, though at a…

Charge cards were not issued by banks in Turkey at the end of the review period. Instead, credit cards and debit cards remain the two main types of financial card. Consumers who use credit cards employ them mostly for the “pay later” function, while…

While charge card payments have experienced some growth in popularity over the review period, they remain a relatively minor payment method in the Netherlands, largely due to deeply ingrained cultural factors. Dutch consumers typically gravitate…

Charge cards are increasingly viewed as a niche product in Sweden, accounting for just 1% of all transactions in 2023, and therefore recorded further decline in the year. In a development which started before the COVID-19 crisis, fewer and fewer…

Charge cards is a niche category in the Norwegian financial cards and payments landscape where debit cards and credit cards dominate. in 2023, debit and credit cards combined accounted for 95% of card payment transactions with little room for charge…