Opinions & blogs

Why paying more for conveyancing isn’t necessarily bad

With the clocks now having ‘sprung forward’ there’s no doubting that winter is over...

Unlock value in BTL market via second charge

When I look at the new business board in my office, apart from giving...

Brokers still first line of defence against fraud

The issue of fraud and potential fraudulent activity appears to be high on the...

Does the sale of add-ons add up?

I’ve previously warned that the Financial Conduct Authority was putting the sale of add-on...

Beware of unregulated packagers

Occasionally in life you may need to call upon the services of a solicitor....

Why social media makes a difference

Firstly, a confession. When it comes to the world of social media I was...

Together we move forward

Both the bridging and term mortgage sectors have experienced a period of growth,...

Prepare for teething problems from MMR

If you wanted an idea about the importance lenders have placed on the Funding...

The importance of relationship management

House prices are booming again. Reports from Nationwide and Halifax show a surge in...

With short term loans, you get the long end of the stick

Shawbrook’s Commercial Mortgages division recently undertook the second of its quarterly broker surveys. The...

MMR – behind the headlines

This is the first of our commentaries on the detail behind the MMR, designed...

Insurance bills set to rise?

It’s likely that many of your clients are going to see the cost of...

Beware of a buy-to-let business grab

The countdown to MMR has begun in earnest and, as our industry is prone...

Too much evidence to ignore

I have been asked on many occasions to justify the relevance of the second...

Latest POLL

COMMENT

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)...