Opinions & blogs

What holiday season?

What an end to the 'quiet' holiday period, if August was 'quiet' then I...

Equity release: hard work just begun

In last month’s column, I wrote about the importance of consumer education when it...

Redundancy waivers – good idea or marketing gimmick?

Last month, one of our newest building societies launched the UK’s first ever mortgage...

Don’t settle for inertia

The phrase ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ could certainly be applied to many consumers’ views of...

The role of bridging in Bank Refinance Settlement opportunities

Following the rapid decline in the UK property sector from 2008, and the related...

Brokers share predictions for next 12 months

The summer sun is shining on optimistic brokers according to our latest Broker Barometer....

How will we cope with a base rate rise?

The regular quarterly arrears and possession statistics from the CML have hardly been the...

Why you can’t ignore secured loans

In the second charge division, we were delighted to have contributed to the £500...

SMEs ignorant of insurance needs

The good news is that the number of SMEs in the UK is at...

Treating customers fairly?

Whilst most bridging lenders operating in the sector are not currently regulated, those who...

Could peace break out between estate agents and advisers?

The relationship between estate agents and mortgage brokers has not always run smoothly and...

Helping portfolios grow with property refurbishment loans

The refurbishment lending market has seen a recent boost with property investors and homeowners...

New entrants should opt for intermediary distribution

Competition is absolutely vital in any sector and the mortgage market is certainly no...

Advisers needs educating about home reversion

Education about home reversion plans is critical. Even in the advisory community. We find...

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COMMENT

What the agents say: 2026 housing market predictions

Next year should be a year of steady progress for the housing market. After a challenging 2025 where we saw little to no house...

Graham McClelland on Britain’s broken mortgage market

When Graham McClelland, the youthful and quietly intense chief executive of Gen H, arrived at the City of London office of the fast-growing mortgage...

Younger consumers are ready for protection. So why aren’t we reaching them?

For years, the protection market has assumed that younger adults are less engaged with financial risk planning. Yet the latest findings from Bruised Britain...

The buy-to-let market continues to defy expectations

Perception and reality are often mistaken for one another. That is especially true in the buy-to-let market, where sentiment frequently diverges from what is...

Advisers are missing a clear chance to help clients with survey advice

For years, advisers have often seen surveys as something outside their core work. Some did not know enough about them. Some were unsure how...

Latest news

MPs launch inquiry into OBR’s first 15 years

The Treasury Committee has launched an inquiry to reflect on the Office for Budget...

Atom backs investor’s move into commercial property with £3m warehouse loan

Atom bank has completed a £3 million commercial mortgage to support an established residential...

CHL Mortgages widens upper LTV range with new fixed-rate options

CHL Mortgages for Intermediaries has expanded its upper loan-to-value range with a series of...

Swansea Building Society expands West Wales leadership remit

Swansea Building Society has promoted Sioned Jones to area manager, West Wales, with effect...

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