Blogs

Why second charges are helping Right to Buy borrowers do more with their home

For many people, Right to Buy is still one of the most accessible ways...

The case for tech fluency before AI adoption in the mutual sector

It often feels like there is only one conversation taking place in financial services...

Commonhold and RTM: do not mistake control for simplicity

Commonhold is presented as a fairer form of flat ownership. Right to Manage (RTM)...

No holidays: advice firms need a plan for a busy August

Every summer, the same quiet risk runs through the intermediary market. Advisers, case managers...

Every rate shock is becoming a test of the modern mortgage business

Halifax, Barclays and HSBC increased selected mortgage rates by up to 0.20% this week,...

Your next client is probably more complicated than your last one

There's a shift happening in the mortgage market that most small firms aren't ready...

Why post-contract variation is becoming the mortgage market’s next battleground

For much of the past decade, mortgage technology investment has focused on origination and...

Expect more movement in the coming days and weeks

Swap rates moved again last week, and brokers who get ahead of this by...

Will we look back at Q2 as the most stable quarter of 2026?

The first half of 2026 has reminded us how quickly sentiment can change within...

A steadier second half of 2026 in sight?

The first half of 2026 has been a reminder that the mortgage market does...

How brokers can secure better client outcomes in a volatile market

Experience has always counted in the mortgage market. Brokers who worked through the financial...

Uncertainty means greater need for client conversations

Last week showed just how quickly events on the other side of the world...

Housing reform needs a thriving private rental sector, not just a thriving sales and purchase market

One of the most encouraging developments over recent weeks has been the renewed focus...

The economics of developing the next generation of advisers

Over the past couple of decades, I have worked alongside literally thousands of AR...

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...

PROFILES