Opinions & blogs

2015: what cards are in the regulatory deck?

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”...

Reasons to be positive about buy-to-let in 2015

The plethora of forecasts that come out around this time of year make for...

2015: don’t just focus on mortgage advice

Taking a break in the mortgage and property market is almost impossible given the...

Balancing litigation and reputation

Much has been said about the fines levied against banks found guilty of LIBOR...

2015: time to understand your client database

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” Actually, it began to look like...

What a year it’s been…

What a year for the second charge market and also what a year for...

Do bridging lenders earn a fair reward for the risks they take?

Bridging and short term finance is effectively project facilitating capital, and not funding to...

Landlords – a target for 2015

It seems there is no slowing of the growth in the residential private rental...

Brokers should offer a more holistic retirement advice service

It would appear that Chancellor George Osborne has spent the last couple of years...

The first of a double hit on wealthier home owners?

Noel Meredith, executive director of United Trust Bank, comments on changes to the Stamp...

Preparing to weather the storm

The winter of 2013/14 turned out to be pretty mild but as we all...

You need to get involved in the conveyancing process

We’re all acutely aware that the process of purchasing a home can be either...

Time to act in the spirit of MMR

There have been some whisperings around the mortgage market that a number of lenders...

BTL is only going in one direction

To be described as an ‘industry giant’ is somewhat disconcerting but that was the...

COMMENT

Mutual strength and the broker partnership

The mutual sector has always been associated with community purpose, local branches and a member-first approach that feels a little different to the wider...

First-time, accidental or professional? How the landlord profile is shifting in 2026

One of the most common misconceptions that people have about the buy-to-let market is that landlords are a single, uniform group. The reality is...

Complexity is rising and broker enablement has never mattered more

 For many years, success in the mortgage market was built off efficiency. If a broker understood the mainstream lending landscape, packaged cases well and kept...

Industry pushes to build next generation of home valuers

According to RICS, the average qualified surveyor is in their mid-fifties. Couple this with new entrant numbers failing to keep pace with retirements, and...

Supply side continues to drive the change agenda

Regulatory change is no longer something firms respond to periodically. It is now a permanent feature of the landscape. Whether it is capital treatment...

Latest news

Together expands second charge range into commercial sector

Together has launched a new suite of commercial and semi-commercial second charge products as...

HTB launches ‘Flow’ range with rates from 5.54%

Hampshire Trust Bank has introduced ‘Flow’ - a new buy-to-let tier with rates starting...

Afin waives legal fees on remortgages in broker push

Afin Bank is offering free legal fees on remortgage applications submitted before the end...

Conveyancing delays blamed by 65% of buyers

More than six in ten homebuyers say conveyancing is the biggest cause of delays...

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