Almost half of global trade receivables are now in high-risk markets.
Insurance Business has reported that Allianz Trade has published the fourth edition of its ‘Collection Complexity Score and Rating’, which provides a snapshot of how companies try to recover unpaid invoices across 52 economies that represent 90% of global GDP and global trade. Allianz Trade estimated that 48% of international trade receivables are now in countries […]
Atradius discusses common late payment excuses and how to respond.
Atradius has published a guide on late payment that lists seventeen common excuses (from “we lost the invoice” to “cash-flow issues” and “bank delays”) and recommends clear, consistent follow-up. Practical steps include resending the invoice, confirming details, requesting evidence (payment confirmations or references), and pursuing partial payment for undisputed amounts. Atradius highlights three “golden rules”: […]
Five consecutive years of rising global insolvencies – the worst streak since the financial crisis.
Insurance Business reports that new Allianz research found large businesses are going insolvent at a rate of one every 18 hours globally, warning that domino effects through supplier networks are heightening non-payment risks across sectors. A record 147 cases were recorded in Q4 2025, bringing the annual total to 475 – the largest quarterly and annual […]
Coface expects global insolvencies to rise 2.8% in 2026.
As reported by Insurance Business, Coface predicts that worldwide business insolvencies will increase by 2.8% in 2026, but warns that a 25-basis-point increase in business lending rates, relative to current expectations, would be enough to push global insolvency growth back up towards 4% to 5% in 2026. “2026 should offer a respite rather than an improvement,” said […]
Atradius flags rising late payment rates in the automotive sector.
Insurance Edge reports that Atradius has raised a red flag for the motor industry, with new data showing a sharp increase in claims linked to late and unpaid invoices. Failed and late payment claims against automotive businesses (including original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers and dealerships) rose 78% year-on-year in November 2025. Claims across the wider transport […]
Only 3% of global businesses describe their supply chains as “very resilient”.
Supply chain resilience remains a major concern in the latest Allianz Risk Barometer. While cyber and AI disruption top the global rankings, business interruption including supply chain disruption ranks joint third for UK businesses — with only 3% of respondents globally describing their supply chains as “very resilient”. Against this backdrop, Allianz also suggests that […]
Atradius launches a Food & Drink Accelerator programme for UK SMEs.
Atradius has announced a free online Food & Drink Accelerator for UK SMEs, launching in early 2026, to help food and drink businesses build resilience and plan for growth amid rising insolvency risk. The programme offers short modules (around 45-60 minutes) covering supply-chain resilience, export confidence (regulation, currency and market exposure), late-payment protection (credit policies […]
Coface plans to scale its Business Information/data services.
Coface CEO Xavier Durand recently gave an interview to Le Point magazine, now available on Coface’s website, in which he highlights that Coface’s growth plan is to scale its Business Information/data services alongside trade credit insurance. He notes this activity already represents around 4-5% of group revenue and is growing by about 15% per year, helping Coface […]
A collapsed rescue deal leaves suppliers exposed, sharpening focus on trade credit insurance across hospitality.
Insurance Business reports that, with its suppliers facing limited recoveries after a proposed rescue deal collapsed, Revolution Bars’ administration is refocusing attention on hospitality trade credit risk. Parent company, The Revel Collective, entered administration after a potential purchaser withdrew following due diligence. Restructuring specialist Michael Lynch said buyers typically prefer to acquire businesses without legacy debt, […]
33% of small UK SMEs have not heard of trade credit insurance.
The Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) report, ‘Small Business, Big Risk: Tackling SME Underinsurance’, finds that awareness of trade credit insurance is lowest among the smallest firms: 58% of sole traders and businesses with 1-9 employees say they have never heard of it, while familiarity is higher among larger SMEs (50–249 employees). Across the full […]
Almost half of global trade receivables are now in high-risk markets.
Insurance Business has reported that Allianz Trade has published the fourth edition of its ‘Collection Complexity Score and Rating’, which provides a snapshot of how companies try to recover unpaid invoices across 52 economies that represent 90% of global GDP and global trade. Allianz Trade estimated that 48% of international trade receivables are now in countries […]
Atradius discusses common late payment excuses and how to respond.
Atradius has published a guide on late payment that lists seventeen common excuses (from “we lost the invoice” to “cash-flow issues” and “bank delays”) and recommends clear, consistent follow-up. Practical steps include resending the invoice, confirming details, requesting evidence (payment confirmations or references), and pursuing partial payment for undisputed amounts. Atradius highlights three “golden rules”: […]
Five consecutive years of rising global insolvencies – the worst streak since the financial crisis.
Insurance Business reports that new Allianz research found large businesses are going insolvent at a rate of one every 18 hours globally, warning that domino effects through supplier networks are heightening non-payment risks across sectors. A record 147 cases were recorded in Q4 2025, bringing the annual total to 475 – the largest quarterly and annual […]
Coface expects global insolvencies to rise 2.8% in 2026.
As reported by Insurance Business, Coface predicts that worldwide business insolvencies will increase by 2.8% in 2026, but warns that a 25-basis-point increase in business lending rates, relative to current expectations, would be enough to push global insolvency growth back up towards 4% to 5% in 2026. “2026 should offer a respite rather than an improvement,” said […]
Only 3% of global businesses describe their supply chains as “very resilient”.
Supply chain resilience remains a major concern in the latest Allianz Risk Barometer. While cyber and AI disruption top the global rankings, business interruption including supply chain disruption ranks joint third for UK businesses — with only 3% of respondents globally describing their supply chains as “very resilient”. Against this backdrop, Allianz also suggests that […]
Atradius launches a Food & Drink Accelerator programme for UK SMEs.
Atradius has announced a free online Food & Drink Accelerator for UK SMEs, launching in early 2026, to help food and drink businesses build resilience and plan for growth amid rising insolvency risk. The programme offers short modules (around 45-60 minutes) covering supply-chain resilience, export confidence (regulation, currency and market exposure), late-payment protection (credit policies […]
Coface plans to scale its Business Information/data services.
Coface CEO Xavier Durand recently gave an interview to Le Point magazine, now available on Coface’s website, in which he highlights that Coface’s growth plan is to scale its Business Information/data services alongside trade credit insurance. He notes this activity already represents around 4-5% of group revenue and is growing by about 15% per year, helping Coface […]
A collapsed rescue deal leaves suppliers exposed, sharpening focus on trade credit insurance across hospitality.
nsurance Business reports that, with its suppliers facing limited recoveries after a proposed rescue deal collapsed, Revolution Bars’ administration is refocusing attention on hospitality trade credit risk. Parent company, The Revel Collective, entered administration after a potential purchaser withdrew following due diligence. Restructuring specialist Michael Lynch said buyers typically prefer to acquire businesses without legacy debt, […]
33% of small UK SMEs have not heard of trade credit insurance.
The Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) report, ‘Small Business, Big Risk: Tackling SME Underinsurance’, finds that awareness of trade credit insurance is lowest among the smallest firms: 58% of sole traders and businesses with 1-9 employees say they have never heard of it, while familiarity is higher among larger SMEs (50–249 employees). Across the full […]
71% of UK business decisions are made without complete data.
Following a survey of 250 leaders at UK companies with revenues above £100 million, new research from EY found that only 29% of high-value decisions (spend ≥ £50,000 with measurable financial, risk, operational or reputational impact) were made with complete, reliable data. Nearly 1 in 10 (8%) were taken using very limited or poor-quality information. […]
Business insolvencies are on the rise in three out of five countries in 2025.
Allianz Trade’s latest Insolvency Report notes that export-driven economies are most affected by President Trump’s tariffs on global insolvencies. In the worst-case scenario, Canada could see an additional 1,900 insolvent companies, France 6,000, Spain up to 2,900, and the Netherlands 700. In contrast, Allianz Trade forecasts a negligible impact in Germany, the UK, Italy, and […]
Allianz Trade sees US insolvencies rising into 2026.
As reported by Insurance Business, Allianz Trade’s latest Insolvency Report found that, although US tariffs have altered trade flows, they have not led to a surge in US insolvencies. Instead, large firms benefited as exporters moderated prices and goods were rerouted through countries such as India and Vietnam, while tariffs provided protection for US domestic firms […]
Growing disparity between the experience of the UK’s largest and smallest exporters.
New data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit shows a widening divide between the fortunes of different-sized UK exporters. Only 16% of micro-exporters (businesses with fewer than 10 employees) increased export orders in Q3 (18% in Q2), 27% reported a fall, and 57% reported no change. In contrast, 42% of large exporters, […]
UK finance leaders report rising cost pressures.
Deloitte’s latest survey of UK Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) shows that CFO expectations for operating costs have risen to the highest level in more than four years. A net 84% of finance leaders expect operating costs to increase over the next 12 months. Geopolitics has been rated as a top concern for CFOs in all […]
The UK economy has lost momentum.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research’s (NIESR) latest Economic Outlook predicts that, after a strong start to 2025, the UK economy has lost momentum. GDP grew by 0.7% in the first quarter, boosted by activity brought forward ahead of higher National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage rise. But growth slowed to […]
One in six trading businesses in the UK have no cash reserves.
New data from the Insolvency Service shows that corporate insolvencies in England and Wales decreased by 2% in September 2025 (to 2,000) compared with August 2025 (2,046). This was an increase of 2% compared to the September 2024 figure of 1,967, but a 6% decrease from September 2023’s figure (2,128). Tom Russell, President of R3, […]
Nearly a third of UK small businesses are considering shrinking, selling, or closing down.
According to the latest research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), more small UK firms expect to shrink than to grow over the next year. New figures reveal that the proportion of small firms bracing for contraction (downsizing, closure, or a sale) in the next 12 months has risen to an unprecedented 30%. Within […]
Nearly a fifth of UK-listed businesses have issued at least one warning in the last 12 months.
According to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report, 1 in 5 of the 64 profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies during Q3 2025 cited the impact of weaker consumer confidence, the highest proportion recorded for this cause since 2022 and up from 6% during the same period last year. While 19% of all profit warnings referenced […]
Critical financial distress soars ahead of the UK budget.
The latest “Red Flag Alert” report from Begbies Traynor has revealed a 78.0% year-on-year increase in ‘critical’ financial distress. As of 30 September 2025, 55,530 companies were in ‘critical’ financial distress, a 12.6% rise on the previous quarter. Notably, this rise in ‘critical’ distress was widespread, with 21 of the 22 sectors monitored by Red […]
The UK private sector expects activity to fall through the fourth quarter of 2025.
According to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator, UK firms across the private sector expect activity to fall in the next three months (weighted balance of -20%), extending a run of negative predictions that began in late 2024. The downturn is expected to be broad-based, with business volumes in the services sector set to decline (-18%), […]