Adverse credit in 2026: what brokers need to look out for
As higher rates, cost-of-living pressures, and a refinancing wave reshape borrower finances, adverse credit cases are becoming more common. Oliver Smith, strategic partnership manager at Vida, explores what brokers need to understand about context, recency, and responsible packaging when placing specialist lending cases.
The learning objectives for this article are to:
- Understand how specialist lenders interpret adverse credit beyond headline scores.
- Recognise why recency of credit events often carries greater weight than severity.
- Be able to identify the significance of satisfied versus unsatisfied debt in lending decisions.
- Understand why improving case packaging and explanations when submitting specialist lending applications help achieve better outcomes.
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