Opinions & blogs

A nail in the coffin for payday lenders?

More woe for Wonga it appears. Less than a week has passed since the payday...

Beware of ghosts haunting the housing market

It’s not Halloween yet, but ghosts are already out and about in the housing...

MMR forced HSBC’s arm

Many people will be having their two-penneth worth on the topic of HSBC finally...

Interest-only time bomb needs equity release solutions

There were always going to be some clear implications for existing borrowers from the...

Should brokers pick a lender by the proc fee?

Throwing stones is always dangerous, particularly if you’re a lender and you’re throwing them...

Q4 – Are you ready?

As we enter quarter four of 2014, in what is historically the busiest time...

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the cheapest of them all?

Sounds crass I know, but my Fincorp colleagues and I have recently been developing...

Development finance over the past decade

As Vantage Finance celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on how far the...

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....

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...

PROFILES