Mortgage Strategy
23 March 2009
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60 Seconds with....Tim Dawson
23 Mar 2009
What are you doing at the moment? I’m a non-executive director for the Mortgage Times Group and am working with some venture capitalist companies on start-ups. Other than that I like skiiing, sailing, generally relaxing and enjoying my retirement.
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A few emails won't solve this crisis
23 Mar 2009
The Conservative Party last week published Sir James Sassoon's interim review of regulation of the City.
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A&L cuts DA proc fee
23 Mar 2009
Alliance & Leicester is reducing its proc fee to directly authorised brokers that do not use a mortgage club or key account to submit applications.
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A&L posts pre-tax loss of £1.29bn
23 Mar 2009
Alliance & Leicester has reported a pre-tax loss for 2008 of £1.29bn, compared to a profit of £399m for the previous year.
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A&L sees 500% rise in online applications
24 Mar 2009
Alliance & Leicester’s broker arm recorded a 500% increase in the number of cases submitted online in January.
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Abbey and A&L launch broker exclusives
26 Mar 2009
Abbey for Intermediaries and Alliance & Leicester intermediary sales are launching two broker exclusives to mark the launch of their integrated sales force.
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Abbey launches flexible offset deals
23 Mar 2009
Abbey for Intermediaries has launched a range of flexible offset mortgages, giving borrowers the chance to use their savings to pay off their mortgage while interest rates are low.
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Abbey trims conveyancer panel
25 Mar 2009
Abbey has trimmed just over 6,000 solicitors and conveyancers from its residential mortgage panel.
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Affirmative is not a bridge too far for CMLS
23 Mar 2009
Complete Mortgage and Loan Services has added bridging loans provider Affirmative Finance to its lending panel.
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AMG Newcastle celebrates 10-year anniversary
25 Mar 2009
The Newcastle office of the Asset Management Group is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
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BBA reports increase in net mortgage lending
24 Mar 2009
The British Bankers Association has seen an increase in net mortgage approvals between January and February.
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BBA sees rise in net mortgage lending
24 Mar 2009
The British Bankers Association has reported an increase in net mortgage approvals between January and February.
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BDS launches Platform exclusive
26 Mar 2009
BDS Mortgage Group has launched an exclusive three-year mainstream product at 4.19% to their network members and appointed representatives of the Pink Group network.
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BDS staff placed into consultation
27 Mar 2009
All 27 staff at Skipton subsidiary BDS Mortgage Group have been placed into consultation.
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Bid to revive council mortgages
23 Mar 2009
Exact is calling on the government to reinstate local authority mortgage lending in a bid to kick-start local mortgage markets and take the pressure off high street banks.
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Britannia drops rates on three-year fixes
26 Mar 2009
Britannia is reducing the rates on its three year fixed-rate mortgages by up to 25 basis points.
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Broker defies gloom and hires staff
23 Mar 2009
A London brokerage is defying the doom and gloom of the mortgage market and looking to recruit advisers to the firm.
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Broker fined for failing to control ARs
23 Mar 2009
The Financial Services Authority has fined Blackburn insurance broker Aspray Limited £21,000 for failings in control of its appointed representatives and for misleading both its clients and the FSA.
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Cash is not an issue for online launch
23 Mar 2009
Mystery surrounds the identity of two serial entrepreneurs who are looking to launch an online lender into the mortgage sector targeted towards providing short-term and high-volume loans for consumers.
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Cheers and fears
23 Mar 2009
The economic climate didn't hinder the mortgage industry's ability to celebrate St Patrick's Day last week. Mole hears that the great and the good of the mortgage industry, Irish or not, gathered in Mulligan's of Mayfair to celebrate with a few pints of Guinness.
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Compliance is a safe bet for any job-seekers
23 Mar 2009
In a speech last week Hector Sants, chief executive of the Financial Services Authority, said the regulator would move away from principles-based regulation and focus on a more intrusive and direct style of regulation.
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Conservatives pledge to scrap inheritance tax under £1m
24 Mar 2009
The Conservatives are insisting that the party will scrap inheritance tax on estates under £1m if they are elected to government.
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Consulting Consortium partners with PFS
23 Mar 2009
The Consulting Consortium and the Personal Finance Society have joined forces to support PFS members in meeting their TCF requirements.
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Days of the broker are not numbered
23 Mar 2009
Some people are suggesting the rise of the internet comparison site could spell the beginning of the end for brokers. But advisors do far more for customers than just find the best deal
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Divert funding to non-bank lenders
23 Mar 2009
As I stated in this column last week I am sceptical about how much taxpayers’ money will find its way to home owners, despite the fact that £1trillion has been thrown at the problem.
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Dual pricing will fail to achieve objective
23 Mar 2009
Dual or differential pricing still exists and has the potential to hurt brokers and customers.
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Dunfermline fails to quash bailout rumours
24 Mar 2009
Jim Willens, chief executive of Dunfermline says the society will not be making any comment on speculation that its seeking a bailout after reported losses of up to 26m.
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Dunfermline fails to quash bailout rumours
23 Mar 2009
Jim Willens, chief executive of Dunfermline says the society will not be making any comment on speculation that it’s seeking a bailout after reported losses of up to £26m.
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EC duo launch Phoenix Financial Solutions
24 Mar 2009
Sonny Gosai and Ivan Vizor have bought the Cheltenham office franchise for Brilliant Loans, the secured loan brokerage of Exclusive Connections.
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Equity release can be boon for elderly
23 Mar 2009
A by-product of the credit crunch has been the effect of falling interest rates on pensioners' income, primarily affecting savings and annuities.
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Evaluate appoints commercial director
25 Mar 2009
Evaluate Technologies has appointed Francis Ghiloni as commercial director.
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Exclusive Connections sets up mortgage processing team
23 Mar 2009
Exclusive Connections has set up a special unit at its Peterborough head office, which will provide packaging and other fulfilment services to members who wish to outsource the packaging side of their business.
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Firms queueing up to take on credit claims
23 Mar 2009
The Ministry of Justice is receiving a staggering 150 applications a month from companies wishing to become claims management firms.
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First-time buyer queries dip 3%
23 Mar 2009
Adviser search website Unbiased.co.uk says it saw a 3% fall in queries from first-time buyers, dipping from 44% in January to 41% in February.
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FISA to close
25 Mar 2009
The Finance Industry Standards Association, the self-regulatory and standards body for the secured loan sector, is to close down in April.
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FSA and advisers both have their shortcomings
23 Mar 2009
The seemingly endless procession of individuals disciplined by the Financial Services Authority suggests that high moral scruples may not be inherent within all those that the FSA approved on Mortgage Day.
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FSA issues warning over insurance company
27 Mar 2009
The Financial Services Authority has issued a consumer warning about Manchester-based insurance company Bridgewater House UK.
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FSA raps broker for self-cert failings
24 Mar 2009
The Financial Services Authority has censured Doncaster mortgage broking firm Mortgages Remortgages Ltd for exposing up to 80 of its customers to the risk of self-cert mis-selling.
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Gloom as repossessions and arrears soar with worse to come
23 Mar 2009
The Financial Services Authority has revealed a sharp rise in mortgage arrears and repossessions.
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HBOS caught up in pensioner property scam
23 Mar 2009
HBOS has been embroiled in a property scam committed by four pensioners who pretended to own a 47-acre estate, it has been reported.
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House price falls could end by Autumn, says Assetz
25 Mar 2009
Assetz is predicting an end to house price falls as early as September 2009, having started to see signs of softening reductions in its House Price Watch - an amalgamation of the five major UK house price indices.
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House prices continue to drop
27 Mar 2009
Figures from the Land Registry show house prices fell 2% in February, a 16.5% fall year-on-year.
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Housing charities campaign for tenant protection
27 Mar 2009
Four housing charities have launched a joint campaign to win better protection for tenants who face sudden homelessness because their landlord is repossessed.
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I’ll drink to Klaus but fear the worst
24 Mar 2009
Lord Adair Turner’s tone following the publication of his 122-page missive on how to save the UK banking system from a second financial Armageddon (assuming we survive the first), is reminiscent of a previous holder of his office at the Financial Service Authority.
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In The Loop launches 20-year fix at 4.99%
26 Mar 2009
In The Loop has launched a 20-year fixed rate mortgage with Mortgage Intelligence, offering a rate of 4.99% and a 75% LTV.
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Jet blast
23 Mar 2009
While the rest of us are cutting down and swapping our triple quilted toilet tissue for the supermarket's budget range, it was good to see Royal Bank of Scotland trimming some of its spending.
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Just Retirement grows equity release business to £81.8m
27 Mar 2009
Just Retirement saw the value of equity release mortgage advances climb 10% year-on-year from £73.9m in December 2007 to £81.8m at the end of last year.
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Just tinkering
23 Mar 2009
The FSA will not make any decisions on the mortgage industry for six months but fine tuning of LTVs and income multiples is certainly on the agenda.
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King calls for new rules to be simple but tough
23 Mar 2009
Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England says that internationally both light and heavy regulatory regimes had failed to reduce the accumulation of risks that produced the current crisis. He called for future regulation to be simple and robust.
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KRS says brokers need to wise up to 'real' profit opportunities
23 Mar 2009
Key Retirement Solutions is warning brokers that the equity release market is being hyped up beyond what it can actually deliver.
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L&G Mortgage Club launches two-year exclusive with Platform
23 Mar 2009
Legal & General Mortgage Club is launching an exclusive two-year fixed rate deal at 3.79% with Platform.
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Landlords as well as tenants need protection
23 Mar 2009
I was intrigued by the Conservative Party's recent call for greater protection for tenants. If tenants don't pay rent it is only after they fall two months into arrears that landlords can serve a Section 8 notice for them to leave. If they don't respond, we can go for a possession claim online and obtain a court date usually within three to four weeks.
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Legal & General reports losses of £189m
25 Mar 2009
Legal & General has revealed it made an operating loss of £189m in 2008, compared to a profit of £658m in 2007.
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Lenders need to stop squeezing the professionals
23 Mar 2009
As we approach the end of Q1 2009, with many licking the deep wounds their organisations have suffered in the buy-to-let sector, no doubt they are now reflecting on their errors and looking for a way ahead.
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Lettings boost from unsellables
23 Mar 2009
Would-be sellers continued to flood the rental market with unsellable properties at the end of last year, research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reveals.
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Life, Death, Birth, Evolution and Mortgages
27 Mar 2009
Hello again all. It seems like ages ago since I last put pen to paper, or rather finger to keyboard, but in reality it has only been a couple of weeks.
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Light breakfast
23 Mar 2009
Meanwhile on the other side of town at the Butchers Hook and Cleaver in Farringdon, Mortgage Strategy hackette Natalie Holt was enjoying her own pint of Guinness at 11am at the Key Retirement Solutions breakfast briefing. A rather lightweight Natalie tippled back into the office at around midday wearing her Guinness hat and boasting about the benefits of equity release.
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Like sat nav, it's good to know what's around
23 Mar 2009
There's a lot to be said for keeping an eye open for new opportunities as they could bear fruit in the longer term
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Link Lending increases appetite for bridging
24 Mar 2009
Bridging and short term lender, Link Lending is renewing its appetite to lend and is currently welcoming new applications from brokers for bridging loans.
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Loans Warehouse launches unsecured portal
25 Mar 2009
Loans Warehouse has launched an unsecured portal, available to all financial professional in the UK.
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Loans Warehouse launches unsecured portal
25 Mar 2009
Loans Warehouse has launched an unsecured portal, available to all financial professionals in the UK.
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MAB set to take on Coreco as AR
23 Mar 2009
Coreco Group, the new venture launched by Andrew Montlake and a crack team from recently defunct London-brokerage Cobalt Capital, will be an appointed representative of the Mortgage Advice Bureau.
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Make our banks change their tune
23 Mar 2009
When Bank of England governor Mervyn King stepped into the media spotlight after the latest interest rate cut it was time to pay attention. So rarely does he assume a public profile that this had to be significant.
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Market needs a Kauto-style comeback
23 Mar 2009
What the mortgage market needs right now is its own Kauto Star. Kauto Star won this month's 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup, seeing off stablemate Denman by 13 lengths to become the first horse to regain National Hunt's blue-riband race after coming first past the post in 2007.
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Market watch 23.03.09
23 Mar 2009
Swaps had a mixed week. At the beginning of the week they surged before settling back slightly. Shorter-term money edged lower than the previous week whereas longer-term rates increased. Three-month LIBOR is now 1.81%.1-year money is down 0.07% at 1.71%2-year money is up 0.01% at 2.21%3-year money is up 0.06% at 2.52%5-year money is up 0.07% at 3%
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Marketing Innovation Forum joins AMI
26 Mar 2009
Marketing Innovation Forum has joined the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries as an affiliate member.
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MBL includes direct-only products
23 Mar 2009
Mortgage Brain is to include direct-only products on its sourcing system by the middle of next year.
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McCormack is the next asset for Connells
23 Mar 2009
Connells has appointed Roland McCormack, former managing director of Bristol & West, as managing director of its asset management division. McCormack will take up his role on April 20.
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Miles set for Blanchflower's role
23 Mar 2009
Professor David Miles is set to take over from David Blanchflower as an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
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Mortgage Intelligence offers L&G's GIology to members
23 Mar 2009
Mortgage Intelligence is offering its members access to Legal & General’s GIology system via its general insurance panel.
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Mortgages for Business launch network
26 Mar 2009
Buy-to-let mortgage packager, Mortgages for Business is launching a buy-to-let network to help unregulated mortgage brokers continue operating in the market.
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Mums must make sure of their cover
23 Mar 2009
Mothering Sunday is the one time of the year when we sit back and appreciate the important role mums play in family life.
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MWCL decision to take on TMG was a matter of identical ethics
23 Mar 2009
London-based brokerage Mortgage Warehouse Corporation has bought fellow brokerage The More Group by mutual agreement.
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My prediction on recovery
23 Mar 2009
Economic and house price forecasting is not an exact science. As the old adage goes, if you say something enough it will eventually happen.
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NAEA in new call to axe HIPs
23 Mar 2009
The National Association of Estate Agents has renewed calls to terminate Home Information Packs in the wake of the government's admission that it has spent £1.3m promoting them.
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Nationwide's high cost of compensation
23 Mar 2009
Nationwide estimates its Financial Services Compensation Scheme levy could cost £250m.
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Networks to lobby FSA as regulatory fees soar
23 Mar 2009
Networks are lobbying the Financial Services Authority to reconsider its position on regulatory fees as Mortgage Next reveals its FSA bill is a whopping 110% higher than last year.
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New FSA focus will help smaller firms
23 Mar 2009
At last, the Financial Services Authority has announced that it is to move away from a principles-based regulation towards a more outcomes-based regime.
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Nigel raises £100,000
23 Mar 2009
Nigel Stockton, sales director of mortgages at Lloyds Banking Group, tackled the annual Tokyo marathon on Sunday.
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No acceptable offer for Network Data
26 Mar 2009
Network Data has revealed that despite interest from a number of interested parties, it has been unable to find an acceptable offer for the network.
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No time for tough measures
23 Mar 2009
At the beginning of last week it looked like 100% LTV mortgages and flexible income multiples could be a thing of the past.
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Offset deals offer best of both worlds
23 Mar 2009
The Bank of England's base rate is now 0.5% and likely to remain at this level for a significant amount of time, according to some.
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OFT bans East Yorkshire estate agent
27 Mar 2009
The OFT has issued a prohibition order against an East Yorkshire estate agent banning him from engaging in estate agency work.
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Ombudsman ready to name and shame firms guilty of mis-selling
23 Mar 2009
The Financial Ombudsman Service says it is upholding 90% of cases made against firms for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, as it revealed its plans to name and shame those with the most complaints.
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Orbiter now available to Whitechurch ARs
24 Mar 2009
Orbiter, the online sourcing and compliance service, has been approved for use by appointed representatives with The Whitechurch Network.
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Orbiter teams up with Whitechurch network
24 Mar 2009
Orbiter, the online sourcing and compliance service, has been approved for use by appointed representatives with The Whitechurch Network.
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Out of order
23 Mar 2009
In a private note to clients, apparently investment bank Numis Securities has warned the UK will be bankrupted by the government's bailout policies and that house prices could fall a further 55%.
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Over 70% of Legal & General borrowers fixing their mortgage
23 Mar 2009
Legal & General’s fifth report in its Mortgage Purchase Index series shows 72% of borrowers chose a fixed rate in Q1 2009 compared to 65% in Q4 2008.
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Paradigm Mortgage Services links with Halifax Conveyancing
24 Mar 2009
Paradigm Mortgage Services, the mortgage partnership proposition, has added Halifax Intermediary Conveyancing Service to its panel of conveyancing partners.
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Parents investing in London property
27 Mar 2009
Parents across London are drawing on their savings to fund deposits on first home purchases for their adult children, says Cluttons.
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Patellis joins 'common sense' Blueprint fold
23 Mar 2009
George Patellis, the ex-director of Lehman Brothers-owned Preferred Mortgages, has joined Blueprint Lending as non-executive chairman.
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Pick 'n' mix is way to sell insurance
23 Mar 2009
With household names like Woolworths feeling the full wrath of the recession, it serves as a reminder that during these difficult times it has never been more important to protect ourselves against life's risks and use types of insurance that can be tailored to meet any budget or life stage.
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Platform widens distribution for mainstream products
23 Mar 2009
Platform, the intermediary lender of Britannia, is extending its mainstream product range to a wider distribution panel.
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RBS IP posts PartnersForum details
26 Mar 2009
Royal Bank of Scotland Intermediary Partners is hosting a roadshow programme featuring keynote speakers from Countrywide and Openwork.
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Redundancy fears are hitting property recovery, warns BSA
23 Mar 2009
Unemployment passed the two million mark last week, as the Building Societies Association warned redundancy fears were denting consumer enthusiasm to get on the property ladder.
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Rent arrears can cause problems for buy-to-let landlords
23 Mar 2009
I noted with interest Conservative shadow housing minister Grant Shapps' call for greater protection for tenants in a property repossession situation. I wonder if he understands one of the main reasons for such repossessions.
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Retail Prices Index hits zero
24 Mar 2009
Annual inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index, which includes housing costs such as mortgage interest payments and council tax – slowed to 0% in February, down from 0.1% in January.
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Retail Prices Index hits zero
24 Mar 2009
Annual inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index, which includes housing costs such as mortgage interest payments and council tax – slowed to 0% in February, down from 0.1% in January.
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Rock kept giving 125% loans after taxpayer bailout
23 Mar 2009
Northern Rock says it kept churning out Together mortgages for five months after it was propped up by government money to maintain relationships with brokers.
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Sales jump for mortgage protection insurance
23 Mar 2009
Helpucover says it has seen a 69% increase in the rate of sales for its income protection and mortgage payment protection insurance products in the first two months of 2009 compared with the second half of 2008.
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Second charge mortgage business down 84%
26 Mar 2009
The latest statistics released by the Finance and Leasing Association show that second mortgage business has been significantly hit by the credit crunch with new business 84% lower in January compared with January 2008.
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Secured loan market still open for business, says Moody
24 Mar 2009
Andy Moody, managing director of Loan Options wants is reassuring brokers that the secured loan market is still alive and kicking.
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Seeing the funny but not dodgy side of DA brokers
23 Mar 2009
I have never written to Mortgage Strategy before although I have been lucky enough to prop up the bar at several of its award dinners.
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Sesame appoints John Cowan as non-executive director
25 Mar 2009
Sesame has appointed John Cowan as an independent non-executive director, subject to approval by the Financial Services Authority.
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Shades of red
23 Mar 2009
Mole knows those folk at Pink Home Loans take their job very seriously, but it was surprised to hear that they are so committed they go to work wearing pink attire every day.
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Social housing waiting list could hit two million
23 Mar 2009
The number of households on waiting lists for social housing is set to soar to a record high of almost two million over the next two years, claims figures from the National Housing Federation.
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Stocking up
23 Mar 2009
The news last week that Harvey Nichols' profits have plummeted left Mole wondering where Ab Fab's Edina and Patsy will buy their champagne from now on. In their 1990s television reign the characters loved to shop at Harvey Nicks.
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Support for FSA to regulate secured loans
23 Mar 2009
Loan Options says it supports the Association of Finance Brokers' call for the Financial Services Authority to regulate the secured loan market.
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Tall order
23 Mar 2009
Pink isn't the only one that has been raising money for a good cause. Wriglesworth and his merry crew of PR gurus have teamed up to complete Vertical Rush in aid of Shelter and have raised £1,000 so far.
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Tenant demand leaps 46% year-on-year
24 Mar 2009
Figures from Your Move show tenant demand jumped 15% in February from January, with demand almost doubling since 2008.
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The diaryof Doobry Wotsit
23 Mar 2009
On edge and offline
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The nation must conserve its past - even prefabs
23 Mar 2009
Post-war pre-fabs seem an unlikely case for preservation but they are part of our heritage and must be kept
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Time to take a leaf out of Rafa's book
23 Mar 2009
I have just watched the mighty Liverpool FC stuff Real Madrid 4-0 and after reflecting on the glory that is Rafael Benitez, I wondered what could be learnt from Liverpool's recent string of successes and applied to the mortgage market.
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TMA and BuildLoan host seminar
26 Mar 2009
The Mortgage Alliance and BuildLoan, the self-build and renovation provider are to co-host a seminar exclusively for TMA members.
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Tony Ward calls for high LTV guarantees
23 Mar 2009
Tony Ward, chief executive of Home Funding, is calling on the government to attach guarantees to all UK mortgage lending between 75% and 95% LTVs.
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Tories say they will stick to tax pledge
23 Mar 2009
The Conservatives are insisting that the party will scrap inheritance tax on estates under £1m if they are elected to government.
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Transatlantic crossing for sale of UK repossessions
23 Mar 2009
America's leading real estate auction company REDC will hold five auctions across the UK from the end of March. Some 500 UK-based homes repossessed by lenders are up for grabs.
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Unleash Advice adds Cheshire Mortgage Corporation to panel
24 Mar 2009
Unleash Advice Partnership has added the Cheshire Mortgage Corporation to its lending panel in a tie-up that will allow broker partners to submit business direct to CMC.
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Vital to halt wave of repossessions
23 Mar 2009
The publication of the Financial Services Authority's latest mortgage lending statistics make grim reading on a number of fronts, not least the dramatic rise in mortgage and secured accounts in arrears and the 68% increase in the number of repossessions since 2007.
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Vote for 0.5% base rate was unanimous
23 Mar 2009
The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously in favour of both the £75bn Asset Purchase Facility and the 0.5% base rate reduction at its last meeting, committee minutes reveal.
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Warning not to ignore internet benefits
23 Mar 2009
Evaluate Technologies claims that brokers who fail to harness the opportunities presented by the internet could be hampered in the future.
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We need to end this casino culture
23 Mar 2009
Prior to the publication of Lord Turner's report on lending, rumours were rife that he would cap lending and abolish 100% loans.
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We need to make sure consumers get a fair deal
23 Mar 2009
The aim of the FSA's wide-ranging review is to ensure customers are treated fairly and receive quality advice
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Why it pays to know the detail on insurance
23 Mar 2009
Mortgage advisors are being told to sell insurance - but many will need to get up to speed with the detail
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Woolwich cuts rates on fixes and trackers
26 Mar 2009
Woolwich is making cuts of up to 0.5% points on its fixed and tracker mortgages, as well as its offset mortgage.
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Xit2 teams up with Alexander Hall & Optima Legal
23 Mar 2009
Property and mortgage outsourcing specialist, Xit2 has formed a partnership with mortgage broker Alexander Hall and solicitors Optima Legal.
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Yorkshire Bank reduces mortgage rates
27 Mar 2009
Yorkshire Bank has reduced interest rates across a range of its fixed, offset and flexible payment mortgages.
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Your intergalactic dividend
23 Mar 2009
Apparently the UK Shareholders' Association is forming an action group to represent shareholders angry at the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS and what it describes as creeping government control of the now super-bank.










