Consumer Finance Reporter
Daniel Kofi Asante focuses on consumer lending, credit, and buy-now-pay-later. He has a background in consumer rights advocacy and personal finance journalism.
Credit building apps including Loqbox, Bits and Creditspring have reported record user growth in the UK, driven by under-30s seeking to establish credit histories without taking on traditional debt.
The UK invoice financing market has grown to £40 billion in annual advances, with fintech providers now accounting for nearly one-fifth of all originations as digital platforms reshape trade finance.
The FCA has confirmed that BNPL lenders must obtain authorisation and conduct affordability checks from 15 July 2026, ending years of debate over the fast-growing, largely unregulated sector.
Fintech lenders Iwoca and Tide are filling the gap left by traditional banks in small business lending, with combined SME loan originations exceeding £2 billion in the past year.
After years of retrenchment following high-profile failures, the UK peer-to-peer lending sector is experiencing renewed growth as institutional capital flows back into the market.
Molo Finance, the UK's first fully digital mortgage lender, has surpassed £1 billion in cumulative lending as demand for online-first home buying experiences continues to grow.
PensionBee has processed a record £2.1 billion in pension transfers during 2025, driven by millennials consolidating scattered workplace pots. The listed pensions fintech now manages over £5.8 billion in assets on behalf of 280,000 customers.
Freetrade has launched a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA aimed at making investing accessible for families across income brackets. The product carries no platform fees for the first year and offers fractional share investing from as little as £1.
Shopify and Stripe have launched a joint embedded finance offering that gives UK e-commerce merchants instant access to invoice financing directly within their storefront dashboards.
London-based fintech Zilch has raised £200 million in a Series D round, valuing the company at £2.5 billion as it plans to move beyond BNPL into broader consumer credit.
Listed SME lender Funding Circle is shifting its strategy toward embedded lending partnerships with banks and platforms, signalling a new chapter for the UK's best-known alternative finance provider.
Revolut has entered the UK mortgage market with a digital-first home loan offering, signalling the fintech giant's ambition to become a full-service bank.
Clearpay has introduced dynamic AI-driven credit limits that adjust in real time based on user spending behaviour, as the BNPL sector prepares for full FCA regulation.
Zego has been granted a full UK insurance licence by the PRA, enabling the insurtech to underwrite policies directly rather than relying on capacity partners. The move is expected to improve margins and accelerate product development for gig economy workers.
Alternative lender iwoca has disbursed over £1.5 billion to UK small businesses in the past twelve months, marking a record year driven by demand for flexible credit products.
Klarna has announced that its UK user base grew by 40% year-on-year, reaching 18 million active accounts as consumers increasingly turn to buy now, pay later for everyday purchases.
Marshmallow has crossed the one million policyholder mark, making it one of the UK's fastest-growing insurtechs. The company is now exploring home insurance and commercial lines as it diversifies beyond its motor insurance roots.
Business banking platform Tide has closed a £100 million credit facility with institutional investors, aiming to triple its SME lending book by the end of 2025.