For members of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), the landscape of 2026 is one of stark contrast. While the UK debt market has entered a "strategic window for growth" with renewed boardroom confidence, a massive hidden deficit remains: unrecovered assets and "lost" debtors.
As we move deeper into the year, the "wait-and-see" posture of 2024 has vanished, replaced by a desperate need for liquidity. Yet, for many, that liquidity is locked away in high-value assets that have simply disappeared off the radar.
Recent industry data and government reports reveal a landscape that should be a wake-up call for every credit professional:
At Towerhall Solutions, we don't just see numbers; we see specific, often complex, asset classes that require specialised handling.
With major clients, we operate at the critical stages of the journey of motor finance. The rise of PCPs (Personal Contract Purchases) has led to a surge in high-value vehicles (often exceeding £50k–£100k) becoming "lost" at the end of a contract. Our tracing success rate of 90%+ is vital here, as every day a vehicle remains unrecovered, its residual value plummets.
The post-pandemic recovery saw a massive reinvestment in heavy machinery and commercial equipment. However, as businesses recalibrate in 2026, many of these assets are being moved or sold unauthorised. Tracing these requires more than a database; it requires Human Intelligence to navigate complex site visits and third-party storage facilities.
The Bank of England recently noted that risky asset valuations remain "materially stretched," none more so than in the motor sector where lending loan amounts are often equal to or greater than retail value let alone trade recovery. As these firms face corrections, recovering hardware and intellectual property becomes a forensic challenge that traditional collection agencies simply aren't equipped to handle.
The CICM has long championed the "Human Side" of credit, and this is where our Re-Engage system thrives.
Standard tracing agents often rely on a desktop methodology, which results in a number of false postives. In contrast, we utilise a "Data Multiverse" approach—layering exclusive industry databases with manual oversight.
The "hidden cost" of bad debt isn't just the missing cash; it’s the 133 million hours of staff time UK businesses waste every year chasing late payments.
For CICM members, the message is clear: Integrity Without Exception is the only way forward. Whether you are dealing with a "gone away" debtor from a retail bank or a missing high value asset for a global finance house, the tools of the past are no longer sufficient.
Are you ready to stop writing off "lost" assets and start re-engaging your cash flow?
Q: With the FCA’s Consumer Duty now firmly embedded, how does Towerhall manage high-value asset recovery without risking "foreseeable harm" to the customer? A: Compliance is our starting point, not an afterthought. We use the Re-Engage methodology to conduct a "Vulnerability Sweep" before any field action is taken. By identifying financial distress or mental health indicators early through our data multiverse, we can tailor the engagement—often resolving the matter through a structured settlement rather than a hostile repossession, thus meeting the Duty’s requirement for "Good Customer Outcomes".
Q: We see a lot of "Ghosting" in our motor finance book. What is the success rate for tracing vehicles where the debtor has completely disappeared? A: Standard tracing can be ineffective because it relies on static data. Towerhall’s "Intelligent Case Handling" achieves a 90%+ success rate by utilising real-time digital forensics and human intelligence to track the asset’s movement, not just the debtor’s last known address. For our clients, this precision is the difference between a total loss and a successful recovery.
Q: In the current 2026 economic climate, is it still viable to pursue assets valued under £5,000? A: It depends on the "Replacement Cost" logic. While the physical asset value may be lower, the cumulative impact of "Bad Debt" on your cash flow is significant; a £5,000 loss requires roughly £100,000 in new sales to offset at a 5% margin. Our early-stage Re-Engage SMS and omni-channel journeys are specifically designed to be a cost-effective way to secure these "lower value" accounts before they escalate into expensive legal cases.
Q: How does Towerhall handle "Yellow Goods" or commercial machinery that has been moved across borders? A: Commercial assets require a different "investigative DNA". We utilise a network of specialist investigators who understand commercial leasing and site access protocols. By combining desktop forensics with physical intelligence, we can track assets of any size,shape and value, even when they have been moved to unauthorised storage or third-party sites.
Q: What is the single biggest mistake Credit Managers make when dealing with "Gone Aways"? A: Waiting too long. Data "decays" rapidly; once a debtor has been "gone away" for more than 60 days, the probability of a successful trace and recovery drops significantly. Engaging a specialist at the 30-to-60-day mark increases the likelihood of a successful re-engagement by nearly 40%.
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