The 4.3 million borrowers your pipeline is probably missing

There are 4.3 million self-employed workers in the UK and nearly one in five self-employed workers plans to buy a property in the next year. And 24% of those who tried to get a mortgage last year were...

Latest news

Busting the myths that stop homeowners protecting their income

In my role at LifeSearch, I spend a lot of time talking to mortgage advisers, brokers, and, increasingly, customers directly. One thing comes up time...

First-time buyers turning to side hustles to bridge deposit gap

Almost half of aspiring first-time buyers are using secondary income streams to help fund a deposit, according to new research from Santander UK. The lender...

Vida cuts residential rates and loosens criteria for self-employed and contractor borrowers

Vida has reduced selected residential mortgage rates by up to 106 basis points and eased criteria for self-employed applicants, contractors and borrowers with commission...

Iress adds AI underwriting tool to The Exchange in protection push

Iress has struck a deal with The Interesting Life Company to offer an AI-powered underwriting tool through The Exchange, giving advisers an early view...

Property firms still relying on manual checks as AI fraud risk grows

More than half of identity verification checks in UK finance and property businesses are still being carried out manually, despite widespread concern about the growing use of AI in financial crime. That is according to SmartSearch’s 2026 Compliance Report,...

Storm warnings fall as home insurance premiums ease

The number of storm warnings issued across the UK fell sharply between 2023 and 2025, according to analysis of Met Office data obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Compare the Market. The comparison site said storm-related warnings...

Nationwide trims fixed mortgage rates for first-time buyers and home movers

Nationwide is cutting fixed mortgage rates by up to 25 basis points for first-time buyers and home movers, with the changes due to take effect from tomorrow. The mutual said the reductions would apply across selected two-year, three-year and...

Halifax Intermediaries cuts fixed mortgage rates

Halifax Intermediaries is reducing fixed mortgage rates for homemovers and first-time buyers. The lender will reduce rates by up to 0.15% across its fixed rate range for both homemovers and first-time buyers, in a further sign of incremental repricing...

PROFILE

Kevin Tunnicliffe on ending the race to the bottom

This was always going to be a tricky interview. I’ve known Kevin Tunnicliffe, chief executive officer of Sort Group, which includes Sort Refer, for...

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Stop tinkering: Why mortgage tech needs a proper overhaul

Let’s be honest. If you work in the UK mortgage market right now, you know we’re all running pretty fast just to stand still. Between...

This is a different mortgage market and borrowers are reacting to it

It is important to be clear about what has changed in the mortgage market over the last month or so, because the latest data-specific...

The rise of larger deposits

The first-time buyer profile is changing. Increasingly, buyers are entering the market with larger deposits than at any point in recent years as many...

Is life insurance too confusing to buy?

While there are peaks and troughs depending on where we look, the UK life insurance market is typically quite flat, including mortgage-related protection. Recent data...

Why the government’s housing ambitions won’t fix the affordability crisis

With the bidding open for the government’s £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme - the main pillar of its long-term housing strategy - homebuying...

Second charge, the first option

A quiet shift is underway in the UK mortgage market, and it is being driven by borrowers, not lenders. We are seeing more clients who...

Q&As

BUY-TO-LET

Brokers invited to webinar on boosting landlord income strategies

Brokers are being offered an opportunity to learn how to help landlords accelerate income...

Landbay lowers core buy-to-let rates and raises loan limits to £1.5m

Landbay has cut rates by 20 basis points (bps) across selected products in its...

Foundation adds large HMO and short-term let products as fixed rates fall

Foundation Home Loans has launched new buy-to-let products for large HMOs and short-term lets,...

Accord raises buy-to-let maximum loan sizes to £1.5m

Accord has increased the maximum loan size across parts of its buy-to-let range, in...

The Saffron broadens criteria across buy-to-let, self-build and residential lending

Saffron for Intermediaries has widened criteria across its buy-to-let, self-build and residential mortgage ranges...

Skipton cuts rates and adds new fixed deals for existing borrowers

Skipton Building Society is cutting rates on parts of its residential mortgage range and...

Renters’ Rights Act to reshape buy-to-let risk models

The Renters’ Rights Act is set to trigger a fundamental shift in how lenders assess risk...

Market Harborough cuts fixed rates and adds pre-completion switch option

Market Harborough Building Society has cut fixed mortgage rates by up to 36bps and...

MORTGAGE MINGLE PODCAST

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Brokers report rising caution among borrowers as remortgaging picks up

Mortgage brokers are seeing more remortgage activity, but say geopolitical uncertainty, cost of living pressures and affordability concerns are making borrowers more cautious about moving home. The latest broker survey from Family Building Society found that 51% had seen an increase in remortgage applications. The same...

MAB research shows confidence among buyers is rising, but many still hesitate

More than half of prospective buyers say they are ready to purchase in 2026,...

Atom points to growing near-prime hurdle for first-time buyers

First-time buyers with thin credit files or minor historic credit issues are becoming a...

Rates rise but mortgage market holds firm

The mortgage market is showing resilience despite a sharp rise in borrowing costs with...

Landlords shift to interest-only as rates climb above 5%

Buy-to-let landlords are rapidly changing borrowing strategies as mortgage rates climb with a growing...

OPINION

Beyond the Robo-Adviser: why the future of mortgages is ‘Human Plus’

The fintech industry is obsessing over a binary choice: the traditional human broker or the fully automated 'robo-adviser'. But as we navigate the complexities...

Ceasefire boosts sentiment more than mortgage market

What goes up must come down, but for mortgage rates the drop will be...

A surge today, but what comes next for advisers and conveyancing?

March has provided a very clear example of how quickly this market can move...

Technology adapts so you don’t have to

20 years ago, many brokerages looked and operated in very similar ways. Typically small, local business, many firms focused solely on standard residential mortgage applications. Processes were straight forward and the range of product options available was far narrower. There was very little need –...

Rental barometer shows strength, but March changes the tone

Looking at our recently published Q1 2026 Rental Barometer data in isolation, there is clearly a strong and positive story to tell. Average rental...

DISTRIBUTION

Richard Goppy to rejoin PMS as director of acquisition and key accounts

PMS Mortgage Club has confirmed the appointment of Richard Goppy as director of acquisition...

Paradigm hires Nick Delawa as business development director for London and South east

Paradigm Mortgage Services has appointed Nick Delawa as business development director, with responsibility for...

Russell Quirk calls out broken transaction system

UK mortgage and property professionals have been urged to rethink the homebuying process after Russell...

Recognise Bank hire to lead intermediary sales and lending

Recognise Bank has appointed Luke Watson as director of intermediary sales and lending to...

FCA maps out open finance plans with mortgages and SME lending in focus

The Financial Conduct Authority has set out its latest vision for open finance, with early work expected to focus on improving access to credit for SMEs and exploring how shared financial data could support mortgage borrowing and management. In a paper published on Tuesday, the...