Opinions & blogs

Beware of conveyancing ‘dabblers’

We often write about the need for advisers and brokers to become fully involved...

Don’t ditch a diversified approach

The very latest gross mortgage lending figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)...

How can a secured loan be cheaper than a remo?

So, how can a secured loan be £215,000 cheaper than a remortgage? Well, lend...

Your Help to Buy responsibilities

The government’s Help to Buy scheme hit the headlines again earlier this month following...

Embrace technology – but be careful who you cosy up with

Apparently more than 400 insurance-related patents were filed last year with the use of...

You wait for one trade show…

'Tis the season of the Expo! Who would have thought we’d be saying/singing that...

Some people need just a little more help

It probably will come as no surprise to intermediaries that a recent study published...

Mortgage brokers must embrace impending secured loan regulation

With just a few months before the FCA issues its guidelines surrounding the forthcoming...

Flag waving for the regulator

Just how much does it take to persuade the broking community that secured loans...

There should be a distinction between mortgage and lifetime advice

The recent launch by provider, Hodge Lifetime, of its new ‘hybrid’ interest-only/lifetime mortgage product...

RICS has the wrong ‘idea’

It would seem that as soon as the housing and mortgage markets show any...

Non-traditional options for SMEs

If an SME is turned away from a high street lender, other options are...

How financial institutions are embracing change

The notion of a 'tipping point' became part of the public psyche after Malcolm...

Reasons to be cheerful (part ’13)

I’ve always been an optimistic type and the mortgage market is providing plenty of...

COMMENT

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 at the moment: artificial intelligence. Whether it’s trade shows and...

Commonhold and RTM: do not mistake control for simplicity

Commonhold is presented as a fairer form of flat ownership. Right to Manage (RTM) is sometimes portrayed as a quick way for residents to...

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 and administrators go on holiday. Specialist lending cases, which have...

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, effective 21 July. Halifax removed its sub-4% deals entirely. Barclays'...

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 for. It's not about rates. It's not about the political...

Latest news

Final call for views on FCA mortgage reforms

The mortgage industry has until tomorrow to respond to Financial Conduct Authority proposals intended...

One in five borrow to fund private healthcare

Almost one in five people who recently accessed private healthcare used a credit card...

Digital mortgage ID checks unaffected by government U-turn

Digital identity verification used by mortgage lenders, brokers and other regulated firms is unaffected...

Family BS launches broker Mortgage Hub

Family Building Society has launched an online mortgage application platform designed to give brokers...

PROFILES