Economy

IPT delivers £1.3bn in August as pressure builds ahead of Budget

Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) generated £1.3bn for the Treasury in August, according to the...

Stamp Duty receipts hit £9.3bn amid speculation over reform

Homebuyers have paid £9.3bn in stamp duty between January and August this year, a...

Frozen tax thresholds push revenues to record highs

Inheritance tax receipts rose to £3.7bn between April and August, £200m higher than the...

HMO availability falls sharply as landlords consider exit

The number of house shares available across England has dropped sharply, with new research...

Bridging market shows signs of consolidation

The latest quarterly data from the Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) shows a...

Countrywide Surveying Services signs new MPowered deal

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS) has signed a new agreement to act as the surveying...

Employer health cover drives record demand for PMI

Corporate investment in staff health benefits is fuelling record demand for private medical care,...

West Brom reduces rates across shared ownership range

West Brom Building Society has announced a series of mortgage rate reductions within its...

INDUSTRY REACTION: Bank of England holds rates at 4% as inflation concerns persist

The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 4% and signalled...

Reeves considering staggered stamp duty payments to revive housing market

The Treasury is believed to be weighing reforms to stamp duty that would allow...

Brokers invited to shape landmark study on private credit in property finance

Mera Investment Management has teamed up with academics at the London School of Economics...

Planning approvals fall as residential development slows

Planning activity across England slowed in the second quarter of 2025, with the number...

Households need more than £740,000 for 25 years of financial independence

The average UK household would need savings of £743,338 to achieve 25 years of...

L&C breaks through million mortgage application milestone

L&C Mortgages has now submitted over a million mortgage applications since it launched over...

COMMENT

If you motivate an idiot you just get stupid things done quicker

There's a lot of excitement about artificial intelligence in the mortgage industry right now. Nearly nine in 10 mortgage brokers want technology to play...

AI for brokers: the three lines you should never cross

Most AI advice aimed at advisers is either breathless hype or vague caution. Here is something you can actually act on: a practical way...

Hobson’s Choice: Which root canal treatment would you prefer, Sir?

Now that Andy Pandy from ‘oop norf’ is de facto the Prime Minister elect and will shortly be choosing the colour scheme of No...

Buy-to-let: reality versus a much-peddled narrative

Every few months, it seems, another report emerges suggesting buy-to-let no longer stacks up as an investment proposition. The headlines are often dramatic, the...

A week of progress and reassurance

The past week has brought further reassurance for borrowers. With the Bank of England holding the base rate as expected and inflation remaining steady...

Latest news

Clydesdale to withdraw from new mortgage lending market

Clydesdale has confirmed it will no longer offer new mortgage lending, marking the end...

Sort Group podcast sees industry figures joining conveyancing debate

Sort Group says its new podcast series is attracting strong interest from across the...

New first-time buyer ISA proposed as replacement for Lifetime ISA

The government has launched a consultation on a new First Time Buyer ISA, which...

AR market consolidates as revenues rise despite fewer principal firms

The UK's appointed representative market is becoming more concentrated, with fewer principal firms overseeing...

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