Blogs

Finding the ‘yes’ on finance for trading businesses

Pressure on UK trading businesses continues to mount, driven by rising costs, tight cash...

Bridging finance for refurbishment – is it light, medium or heavy?

Not all refurbishment projects are created equal. The type of works being undertaken will...

Complaints: A pain that you can handle

One of the biggest problems an adviser can face is a complaint. And those...

The next decade for mortgage advice: back to the future?

The mortgage market has always moved in cycles, and right now it feels like...

Reflecting the modern realities of retirement

There’s a quiet revolution happening in the world of mortgage lending, driven by the...

Energy efficiency is now a mainstream concern for landlords

The energy efficiency of rental property has moved from being a regulatory side note...

Property transactions are slower than ever – why?

While much of the financial services sector is becoming faster and more automated, the...

Beyond the payslip: the importance of rethinking borrower profiles

In our market, the term ‘non-standard borrower is often used to describe applicants whose...

FCA’s mortgage rule changes: it’s time to raise the advice bar, not drop it

The FCA’s move to relax some of the rules around mortgage switching and term...

Tom Bill: Unintended consequences

Former Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduced a brick tax in 1784 to...

U.S. Market: lower rates are needed to help unlock the market

When Donald Trump was reelected and took office at the start of this year,...

Mortgage advice in jeopardy as FCA reopens the door to execution-only

Execution only and FCA’s consultation has been playing on my mind. Having navigated decades...

A home shouldn’t be out of reach for those who keep the UK running

In a housing market that has grown steadily more selective, it is often those...

Richard Pike: A conference of positivity – Global ABS Day three

It’s time for reflection of the last three days here in Barca. To readers,...

COMMENT

Harpenden’s expat move could be bigger than the numbers suggest

Harpenden Building Society’s move into expat mortgages this summer has been good news for brokers and borrowers. But I think its importance goes beyond...

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...

Latest news

Conveyancing delays seen as biggest obstacle to smoother home moves

Conveyancing is viewed as a bigger barrier to a smooth property transaction than chains,...

Millions of households exposed to financial shocks despite apparent stability

Millions of UK households that appear financially secure could struggle to absorb an unexpected...

The Mortgage Hut adopts Instamo tool to speed up mortgage applications

The Mortgage Hut has introduced Instamo's FastSubmit technology to reduce the amount of manual...

FCA sets out timetable for major expansion of anti-money laundering supervision

The FCA expects to begin taking over anti-money laundering supervision of legal, accountancy and...

PROFILES