Consumer Credit Act 1974

The law that gives consumers protection and sets out how credit should be marketed and managed. The Consumer Credit Act 1974 (as amended by the Consumer Credit Act 2006) regulates consumer credit and consumer hire agreements. Its protections apply to agreements between traders and individuals, sole traders, partnerships and unincorporated associations, but not agreements made between traders and corporate bodies such as limited companies.

The Act lays down rules covering: the form and content of agreements and credit advertising; the method of calculating the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of the Total Charge for Credit and the procedures to be adopted in the event of default, termination, or early settlement.

The Act also requires that all traders who make regulated agreements or exercise rights under a regulated agreement obtain a consumer credit licence from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Credit brokers, credit repair businesses, debt advisors, debt management businesses and others, may also require licences. Appeals against OFT licensing decisions should be made to the Consumer Credit Appeals Tribunal (part of the Tribunals Service).

Local trading standards departments and the OFT enforce the Act. The OFT also produces guidance about the Act and its regulations. For further information contact local trading standards departments or the Office of Fair Trading.

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Accident Sickness And Unemployment Insurance (ASU)
Additional Cardholder
Adjudication
Administration Order
Adverse Credit
AER
Agreement In Principle
Amortisation
Annual Equivalent Rate (AER)
Annual Fee
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annuity Mortgage
Application Score
Application Search
APR
Arrangement Fee
Arrangement To Pay
Arrears
Attachment Of Earnings Order
Bank Reference
Bankruptcy Order
Base Rate
Bridging Loan
Broker
Building Society
Bureau Score
Buy To Let
CAIS
Callcredit
Callscore
Cap
Cap And Collar
Capital
Capital And Interest Mortgage
Capitalised Interest
Capped Rate
Card Protection
Cash Advance
CCA
CCJ
CCN
CCTA
Charge Card
Charge Over Equitable Interest
Charging Order
CIFAS
CIFAS Entry
CML
Collar
Collateral
Commission
Consolidation Loan
Consumer Credit Act 1974
Consumer Credit Trade Association.
Cooling Off Period
County Court Judgment (CCJ)
Court Information
Credit
Credit Agreement
Credit Card
Credit Card Cheques
Credit File
Credit Impaired
Credit Limit
Credit Rating
Credit Reference
Credit Report
Credit Score
Credit Search
Data Sharing
Deed Release Fee
Default
Delinquent
Delinquent Account
Delphi
Deposit Account
Depreciation
Disassociation
Discounted Rate Mortgage
Drawdown Loan
Dynamic Delinquency
Early Repayment Penalty
Electoral Roll
Endowment Mortgage
Endowment Policy
Enquiry
Equifax
Equity
Equity Release
Experian
Extended Credit Taker
Fair Isaac
FICO Score
Financial Association
Financial Ombudsman Service
Financial Services Authority (FSA)
First Mortgage
Fixed Rate
Fixed Rate Mortgage
Flexible Loan
Forced Sale Value (FSV)
FSA
FSV
Full Payer
Further Advance
GAIN
Garnishee Order
General Insurance Standards Council (GISC)
Geodemographic Data
GISC
Gone Away Information Network (GAIN)
Guarantor
Health Insurance
Higher Lending Fee
Household Score
Joint And Several
Kerbside Valuation
Lending Multiplier
Liability
Lien
LTV
Lump Sum Reduction
Money Laundering
Mortgage
Mortgage Indemnity Insurance
Mortgage Payment Protection
Mortgage Valuation
Mortgagee
Mortgagor
Multiplier
Negative Equity
Non Status Mortgage
Notice Of Arrears
Notice Of Correction
Notice Of Default
Notice Of Default Sums
Offset Mortgage
Ombudsman
Oral Examination
Overdraft
Overdraft Limit
Overpayment
P60
Payment Holiday
Payment Protection
Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)
Pension Mortgage
Personal Loan
Plastic
Portable Mortgage
Principles Of Reciprocity
Proof Of Income
Propensity Score
Protective Registration
Public Information
Reciprocity
Redemption Penalty
Refinancing
Remortgage
Repayment Mortgage
Repossession
Schumer Box
SCOR
Scottish Decree
Search Footprint
Searches
Second Mortgage
Secured Loan
Security
Self Certification
Sequestration
Set Off
Share
Shared Equity
Shared Ownership
Sharking
Shortfall
Standard Variable Rate
Status Report
Sub Prime Credit
Subsequent Mortgage
Summary Box
Third Party Data (TPD)
Title Deed
TPD Rules
Tracker Mortgage
Trade Organisation
Trust Deed
Underwriters
Unsecured Loan
Valuation
Wait Period
Warrant Of Execution
Wescore
Writ Of Fi Fa
Z Score

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