Opinions & blogs

Markets calmed but mortgage pricing uncertainty remains

It appears that the calm and certainty the markets were crying out for has,...

What next for first-time buyers?

Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the situation for...

Are we at an EPC crossroads?

As the government continues to be occupied by the fallout from the mini-Budget, the...

Finding solutions in the current buy-to-let market

Options. Ask most advisers what they are seeking to provide their clients with, and I...

Make the most of that opportunity right now

For context, this piece was written on the afternoon of Friday 14th October. Given what...

Among all the rate changes, criteria is still king

As brokers know only too well, the mortgage market is moving at an extraordinary...

Protection as costs of living rise: a question of affordability and value?  

It’s no secret that the costs of living in the UK are rising, with...

Transparency and communication are key at times like these

Even for those of us who have been in the mortgage market for a...

Thriving through culture

The Covid pandemic provided businesses with a unique set of challenges. Some closed down...

How did we get here?

Lenders, intermediaries and borrowers have experienced a turbulent few weeks and there’s no denying...

When later life clients don’t want to keep it in the family

"You can choose your friends but you sho’ can’t choose your family, an’ they’re...

Advisers, I salute you

When the history of this period in the mortgage/housing market is written, I hope...

What will replace Help to Buy?

Given everything that has happened both politically and economically recently, it is easy to...

You get what you pay for with free legals on remortgage cases

As an industry, there is little question that mortgage brokers deliver excellent value for...

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Helping university students onto the property ladder

As we head towards the Easter break, thousands of first-year university students up and down the country will be preparing for exams and making...

Lenders must step up on high LTV products

Things are on the up for borrowers with a smaller deposit. The financial information website Moneyfacts publishes a regular update on mortgage product numbers,...

Why it matters that bridging hit more than £10bn last year

We see many numbers bandied around in the financial industry, which can sometimes have a numbing effect. So why should we all, especially brokers, care...

Top five reasons why renters should consider short-term protection insurance

In an unpredictable world, financial security can often feel like a luxury, especially for renters who may already juggle living expenses, rent payments, and...

Credit search vs credit scoring

The terms credit score and credit check are often used interchangeably by consumers, many of whom assume they mean the same thing. Yet understanding...

Latest news

Bank of England expected to hold interest rates at 4.5% amid economic uncertainty

The Bank of England is widely expected to maintain interest rates at 4.5% when...

£6.5k bill for homebuyers who miss stamp duty deadline

Rent and mortgage spending rose 7.7% year-on-year in February, as more homeowners moved from...

Advice Guru partners with Pure Retirement to support broker education

Financial adviser learning platform Advice Guru has announced a new sponsorship partnership with Pure...

Nationwide ups LTV limits for interest-only and foreign national borrowers

Nationwide has announced changes to its mortgage lending criteria, increasing the maximum loan-to-value (LTV)...