Paradigm Mortgage Services has outlined details of a new round of mortgage and protection events for advisers covering preparation for the Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD).

The events are taking place across the country and will be held in the lead up to the introduction of the MCD on 21 March. Each event will offer an MCD update, which offers a directly authorised adviser perspective, looking at where firms should be with their preparations as well as what is required in order to meet the deadline. These events are designed to supplement the range of MCD-specific practical support material for advisers which is available on the Paradigm website.

At each event, attendees will also be provided with a market update and Paradigm will also offer its outlook for 2016. Attendees will also be able to hear from various lenders and providers about their plans for the year ahead. 

Details of the events are as follows: 

• Cardiff – Thursday 11 February: MCD, Mortgage & Protection event – St Mellons Hotel, Castleton, St Mellons, Cardiff. Lenders and providers attending include: Royal London, Fleet Mortgages, Kensington, Exeter Friendly Society, Commercial Mortgage Desk, and Legal & General.
• Colchester – Wednesday 24 February: MCD, Mortgage & Protection event – Wivenhoe House Hotel, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester. Lenders and providers attending include: Coventry for Intermediaries, Metro Bank and Platform.
• London – Thursday 25 February: Specialist Protection Event – The Grange Holborn Hotel, 50-60 Southampton Row, London. Providers attending include: Aegon, iPipeline, The Exeter and AIG.
• Durham – Tuesday 8 March: Mortgage Masterclass with MCD session – Ramside Hall, Carrville, Durham. Lenders and providers to be confirmed.
• Gatwick – Tuesday 22 March: Mortgage & Protection event – The Felbridge Hotel & Spa, London Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex. Lenders and providers to be confirmed.

Paradigm Mortgage Services will also be exhibiting at the Financial Services Expo (FSE) Glasgow event taking place on Wednesday 16 March at the Hilton Hotel Glasgow. 

As well as holding its events, Paradigm will shortly be publishing its fourth MCD Bulletin, with plenty of guidance and support material from Christine Newell, Mortgages Technical Director.

Bob Hunt, chief executive of Paradigm Mortgage Services, said: “We are now just a month and a half away from the implementation of the MCD and advisory firms certainly need to be working through their plans in order to ensure they are ready and prepared for the changes.

“One of the major areas for Paradigm to focus on in Q1 has been around providing as much help and support to our member firms to ensure they can hit the ground running on the 21^stMarch and we have a range of support resources, including Christine Newell’s invaluable bulletins, which will help them do this.

“In my experience, having the Directive and its responsibilities explained directly to you can make all the difference and this is why our forthcoming events focus so firmly on the MCD and its requirements. We are attempting to spread this message as far and wide as possible over the next couple of months, and would therefore urge any firm or individual who is still unsure about what they need to be doing, to make sure they register now for an event near them.

“This is all about ensuring a smooth, ‘business as usual’ process is achieved but it will require time, effort and resource in order to get to this point – Paradigm wants to ensure no firm is left behind and everyone is clear about what these significant changes will mean in practical terms. Now is certainly the time for MCD action.”