Opinions & blogs

Why predicting 2025 interest rates feels like a fool’s errand

In my first (and for some reason clearly not my last) article last month,...

Helping university students onto the property ladder

As we head towards the Easter break, thousands of first-year university students up and...

Lenders must step up on high LTV products

Things are on the up for borrowers with a smaller deposit. The financial information...

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...

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...

Credit search vs credit scoring

The terms credit score and credit check are often used interchangeably by consumers, many...

It’s not just about work/life balance

Firstly, it was good to get feedback on last month’s blog on technology from...

The value of building societies: 250 years of mutual success

A key anniversary reflects how far the building society movement has come — and...

2025: The year of CX

In financial services, customer experience (CX) is no longer a secondary concern – it’s...

Caffeine & Cortisol: Are your daily habits fuelling stress & fatigue?

For many professionals in your industry, caffeine is a daily ritual. Whether it's a...

Putting a spin on choosing the right CRM for your business

A recent Mortgage Soup column by Martin Reynolds, CEO of SimplyBiz Mortgages, drew an...

Rethinking the stamp duty cycle: can we break free from the boom-and-bust trap?

Ahead of the stamp duty changes on 1 April, the UK property market is once...

Filling the commercial and semi-commercial advice gap

Despite the turbulence in the residential market caused by rising interest rates and affordability...

The future of bridging: what 2025 has in store

The bridging finance industry is a vital component of the property market, offering flexible...

COMMENT

Mortgage maturity: A golden opportunity for advisers

Around 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgage deals are due to come to an end in 2026, adding to the 1.6 million mortgages that already matured...

Rates are moving and regulation is evolving

Many lenders are having to increase their rates, and that trend looks set to continue over the coming week. For clients whose current deal...

Building tomorrow’s mortgage market: AI built on trust, governance and confidence

The government's Financial Services AI Adoption Plan, led by Harriet Rees, group chief information officer at Starling Bank, and Dr Rohit Dhawan, group director...

The protection prompt: what AI still needs to get right

The Mills Review has prompted plenty of discussion across the mortgage industry. While much of the focus has been on the finding that a...

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 to become a homeowner and over the last five years,...

Latest news

First-time buyer squeeze deepens as mortgage rates climb

First-time buyers with small deposits face mounting pressure as average mortgage rates rise and...

Mortgage costs push sales 9% lower

Higher mortgage rates have contributed to a sharper-than-usual summer housing slowdown, with sales agreed...

Access FS appoints Alan Baldwin as compliance director

Access Financial Services has appointed Alan Baldwin as director of compliance as it expands...

Mortgage-backed Swansea auction sale completes in six days

A mortgage-financed property purchase in Swansea has completed six days after the draft contract...

PROFILES