Blogs

It’s time to look at retention

As the summer winds down and the back-to-school routine kicks back in, I urge...

Landlords are buying – and advisers should take note

There has been no shortage of commentary over recent years suggesting landlords are heading...

Why energy efficiency is hiding mortgage portfolio risk

For years, ESG strategies across the UK mortgage sector have operated under a relatively...

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...

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...

Bank Rate holds, but the pressure is building

The Bank of England's decision to maintain Bank Base Rate (BBR) last month at...

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...

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...

Are we actually set up to support first-time buyers?

After a summer spent thinking it over, this time of year is often the...

Leasehold reform has a September window – will Burnham use it?

At the time of writing, the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill still has no...

Advisers need an answer for evolving landlords

It’s a tough time to be a landlord. The succession of changes to tax...

AI doesn’t remove bias. It gives us the chance to manage it

One of the great promises of artificial intelligence has always been objectivity. Machines, unlike...

Brokers shouldn’t wait to be asked about additional borrowing

We saw some welcome news last week, with several lenders reducing their rates. That's...

COMMENT

We need to wait to get a clearer picture

It's been a week where the political and economic backdrop has moved almost as fast as rates themselves, and it's worth taking stock of...

Leasehold valuation reform: the consultation is asking only half the question

The Government's consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates is important because it will help determine what leaseholders pay to extend leases or buy freeholds,...

What commonhold will mean for mortgage lenders and brokers

Commonhold is often presented as the straightforward alternative to leasehold. It removes the freeholder, gives flat owners greater control and avoids some familiar problems...

Why you need to know what sits behind the average review score

There’s a funny thing about review scores. The better they are, the less likely we are to question them. If a company is sitting at...

The new Chancellor wants to remove barriers to growth; he should start with housing

There was probably a degree of unintended irony in the Treasury choosing to call the Chancellor, John Healey’s, first major market ‘intervention’ his ‘Growth...

Latest news

FCA joins industry partners to tackle protection insurance gap

The Financial Conduct Authority is working with industry, government and consumer groups in an...

Family Building Society appoints Laura Hamp as chief financial officer

Family Building Society has appointed Laura Hamp as chief financial officer and a member...

Buy-to-let market reaches £311.6bn as sector marks 30 years

The UK buy-to-let market has grown to almost two million outstanding mortgages worth £311.6bn,...

Conveyancing Association names Nick Chadbourne as new chair

The Conveyancing Association has appointed former LMS chief executive Nick Chadbourne as its new...

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