Landlords are buying – and advisers should take note

There has been no shortage of commentary over recent years suggesting landlords are heading for the exit, buy-to-let apparently no longer works and the PRS is facing some sort of mass withdrawal of investment, yet the actual behaviour...

Latest news

Access FS targets adviser expansion in five-year growth plan

Access Financial Services has unveiled a five-year strategy to expand its adviser network, develop new talent and invest in technology and data. Founder and chief...

Buckinghamshire BS introduces broker affordability calculator

Buckinghamshire Building Society has launched a residential affordability calculator intended to give mortgage brokers a more accurate indication of clients' borrowing potential. The tool, developed...

Guardian cuts average protection underwriting time to less than one day

Guardian reduced its average underwriting time to less than one day during the first half of 2026, compared with three days in 2025. Cases requiring...

Second charge mortgage lending rises 16% in June

The value of new second charge mortgage business reached £205 million in June 2026, up 16% from a year earlier, according to the Finance...

The Right Mortgage hire to strengthen specialist lending support

The Right Mortgage & Protection Network has appointed Drew Wilson as specialist lending development manager. Wilson (pictured) will report to Victoria Clark, head of lending, and work with the network's member firms and advisers across the specialist lending market. He...

Mortgage misconceptions leave first-time buyers doubtful about their prospects

More than half of prospective first-time buyers believe securing a mortgage would be difficult, according to research from Yorkshire Building Society. The building society's No Way Home? Restoring Britain's Housing Ladder report found that 56% of prospective first-time buyers...

Darlington backs first-time buyer mortgage with pension income

Darlington Building Society has provided a residential mortgage to a first-time buyer approaching retirement whose income came primarily from a pension. The case required a detailed affordability assessment because the applicant, who is based in the UK, relied on...

Loan.co.uk launches specialist lending webinar series for advisers

Loan.co.uk is to run a series of four webinars designed to help mortgage advisers identify specialist lending opportunities among their existing clients. The Beyond Mainstream series will examine secured loans, bridging finance, specialist residential mortgages and complex buy-to-let cases. The...

PROFILE

Toni Smith on the human factor and the fourth emergency service

After nearly four decades in financial services, Sesame Network distribution director Toni Smith still believes technology should make advisers stronger, not replace them. When Toni...

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Why energy efficiency is hiding mortgage portfolio risk

For years, ESG strategies across the UK mortgage sector have operated under a relatively straightforward principle: better Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings equal lower...

Affordability shocks and expiring deals: why the 2026 mortgage peak demands a holistic protection review

I speak to mortgage advisers and brokers every day, and one topic keeps coming up - the sheer number of mortgage deals coming to...

Why the FCA’s Protection Report is a wake-up call and a massive opportunity for advisers

According to Mortgage Advice Bureau, approximately 90% of all mortgages are secured through an adviser, and 80% of protection are sold via the same...

Q&As

BUY-TO-LET

Cumberland launches index tracking UK holiday let market

The Cumberland Building Society has launched its first Holiday Let Index, examining confidence, investment...

TMA adds Monmouthshire BS to lender panel

TMA Club has added Monmouthshire Building Society to its lender panel as the mutual...

Tipton cuts expat and limited company buy-to-let rates

Tipton & Coseley Building Society has reduced selected expat and limited company buy-to-let mortgage...

UK rent growth accelerates as supply pressures persist

Average UK private rents rose by 3.7% to £1,393 a month in the year...

Landlords reporting rent arrears falls to record low

The proportion of landlords reporting rent arrears has fallen to its lowest level on...

Fleet Mortgages brings back fee options for HMO and MUFB loans

Fleet Mortgages has reintroduced two five-year fixed-rate products for houses in multiple occupation and...

Hanley Economic moves into holiday let lending

Hanley Economic Building Society has entered the holiday let mortgage market with two variable...

FIRST-TIME BUYERS

First-time buyer support tops Gen Z priorities

Support for building new homes locally is almost twice as high as opposition while helping first-time buyers is the top housing priority among Gen Z, research from Barclays has revealed. More than two in five UK adults (43%) supported new homes being built within three...

Young homeowners turn to 40-year mortgages to manage costs

Two-thirds of mortgage holders aged under 30 have taken loans lasting between 30 and...

How are we supporting the next generation of first-time buyers?

With GCSE and A-level results out over the last fortnight, it feels like the...

Mortgage myths deter would-be first-time buyers

Misconceptions about mortgage eligibility may be prompting aspiring first-time buyers to abandon their plans...

Eleos partners with Homebox to target underserved renters

Eleos has partnered with household bills platform Homebox to offer life insurance and income...

OPINION

Bank Rate holds, but the pressure is building

The Bank of England's decision to maintain Bank Base Rate (BBR) last month at 3.75% provides another period of stability for the mortgage market,...

Let’s not get bogged down in the macro, let’s focus on the ones and twos

In challenging times such as this, it often feels like the first instinct for...

Underwriting: Are we saying “no” to the wrong risks?

Over the last two days I’ve talked about the size of the later life...

The blind spot: residential advisers and the over-55 customer

Yesterday I talked about the supportive nature of the equity release and later life lending community and the fact that collaboration is one of the real strengths of our specialist sector. That collaboration is important, because it brings responsibility. We all have a duty of care...

The uncomfortable truth about the later life lending market

The headlines around the latest Equity Release Council figures released this month all suggested growth. But I think we need to have an honest...

DISTRIBUTION

Together completes 1,000th Networks & Clubs channel case

Together has completed its 1,000th case through its Networks & Clubs channel, providing a...

Mortgage industry backs alcohol-free MIMHC lunch

An alcohol-free event organised by the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC) has secured...

James Miller & Associates renews Stonebridge partnership

The Cornwall-based mortgage and protection firm James Miller & Associates has extended its partnership...

L&G appoints Kerrigan to drive Ignite broker rollout

Legal & General has appointed Craig Kerrigan as broker relationship manager for its Ignite...

Nomo joins Omni Mortgage Club lender panel

Omni Mortgage Club has added Sharia-compliant property finance provider Nomo to its lender panel. The Fintel-owned, whole-of-market mortgage proposition said the agreement would broaden the specialist and international finance options available to its member firms. Omni Mortgage Club, which was developed with input from advisers and...