The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published its final rules setting out how the Solvency II Directive will be implemented in the UK.
A "relatively benign" rise in interest rates still has the potential to double the number of households facing debt problems, a think tank has said.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned the government against "prematurely" raising interest rates as its latest quarterly economic survey suggested challenges remain for the UK's recovery.
A hike in the base rate of as little as 0.25% would have a much greater impact on the disposable incomes of highly indebted consumers, potentially threatening the UK's recovery, Neil Woodford has said.
Britain's recovery has become entrenched and the Bank of England should start to raise interest rates in the coming months to reflect the stronger economy, according to one of its most dovish policymakers.
The official UK interest rate could settle at an average of 3% in a few years, the outgoing deputy governor of the Bank of England has predicted.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has tried to defuse expectations of an imminent rate hike by saying it would "not be the right tool" to deal with the UK's booming housing market.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said rates could be as high as 3% over the medium term to 2017, endorsing comments made by colleague Charles Bean earlier this week.