OREANDA-NEWS. July 12, 2013. UK families are experiencing a mixed bag of financial fortunes, the latest Aviva Family Finances Report reveals today. The report, which tracks the financial circumstances of different UK family types, shows that while incomes and savings habits are sneaking upwards, so are typical debts.

Typical family debts stack up to record levels
Despite their growing incomes and a greater commitment to saving every month, UK families are regularly turning to unsecured borrowing. Typical household debt has increased by 38% since May 2012 (GBR 9,314 ) and now stands at GBR 12,834, the highest since this report series began in January 2011.

The biggest debts have actually been racked up through loans from friends and family, at an average of GBR 2,011 per household, while credit cards add a further GBR 2,006 and personal loans an additional GBR 1,959. Five per cent of families say they now rely on payday loans and a further 3% make use of pawnbrokers.

It is therefore a slight concern that the percentage of families making monthly debt repayments has fallen consistently in the last twelve months from 57% in August 2012 to 51% in January 2013 and just 45% in July 2013.

Good news as family income increases slightly
More positively however, UK families’ typical monthly net income in July 2013 fell just short of the highest figure ever recorded by the report series, which was GBR 2,150 in April 2012.

With GBR 2,108 at their disposal each month – 5% more than a year ago – the typical family has GBR 1,260 more spending power over twelve months than they did in August 2012 when the typical monthly income was GBR 2,003.

Regular family savings see a surge
This extra income appears to be having a beneficial impact on people’s monthly saving habits. The typical family saves or invests GBR 96 per month in July 2013, up by 20% from GBR 80 in January to set a new record for the Family Finances Report.

For the first time since the series began, fewer than one in three families save nothing each month (31%) – a significant improvement on the 40% recorded in January 2011.  This edition also breaks new ground in terms of the number of families with no savings put away: down to 23% from a high of 33% in January 2011.

Expenses fall as families cut back on holidays and luxuries
The improvement in savings habits marries up with the fact that typical monthly expenditure among UK families fell for the first time since November 2011. The July 2013 average of GBR 1,748 represents a fall of 4% from the peak of ?1,819 in January 2013.

Luxury items are among the first to go when it comes to trimming household expenses. While spending on food has gone up by ?14 a month across all families in the last six months alone – equivalent to ?168 per year – a range of non-essential items including satellite TV subscriptions and recreation have all been scaled back to compensate. Financial constraints also appear to be prompting more families to forgo a holiday this year, with 51% spending on this expense in July 2013 compared with 54% in August 2012.

Louise Colley, protection distribution director for Aviva says: “Since we began our report series, we’ve seen a common thread of people juggling their finances to balance the family books. As money matters improve in one area, this is often offset in another – and this edition is no different. It’s great to see that families are saving more than ever, but slightly concerning that debt levels are continuing to climb.

“Building a savings pot is a fantastic step, but if debts are growing, families need to consider which is the more pressing need. We’d also urge people to take further steps and think about family protection to cover them against a sudden loss of income. Notably 55% of families say that unexpected expenses are one of their biggest financial fears so having this cover in place can provide invaluable peace of mind.”

Methodology:
Data was sourced from the Aviva Family Finances Report series which used findings from over 18,000 people who are members of one of the six groups of families identified above via Canadean research. This report is a definitive look at the personal finances of families in the UK. Not only does it look at personal wealth, income sources and expenditure patterns but also tracks how these change across the different types of family unit.

In addition to the regular data, in each edition a spotlight will be shone onto a different relevant topic. This issue has a focus on how the cost of sending children to school impacts on family finances.