Mortgage Strategy
24 March 2008

  • High demand for OEA code

    24 Mar 2008

    The Ombudsman for Estate Agents has reported a strong response to its code of practice scheme. And a report by Christopher Hamer, ombudsman of the OEA, shows that while member numbers climbed by 60% during 2007, complaints also increased by 48% for residential sales.

  • Eddie Goldsmith

    25 Mar 2008

    QBuying overseas remains popular for UK investors, but differences in the property purchase process across continental Europe and beyond can lead to problems. Is there a way that the risks associated with buying abroad can be mitigated?

  • Patrick Day

    25 Mar 2008

    Though the Mortgage Packager Summit in Monte Carlo was an informing and opulent event, as some wag put it: “ at the rate the mortgage industry is shredding next year’s event could be held in a telephone booth in Brighton”. Though I am not that gloomy, my confidence in the ability of the industry to repair and reconstruct itself over time has been examined.

  • Rob Jupp

    25 Mar 2008

    I have read with interest the article regarding the research data about customer retention. It indicated that only 40% of clients who go back to the same lender will use their original broker to secure the deal.

  • Roger Morris

    25 Mar 2008

  • 44% of FTBs willing to go overseas to get on ladder

    26 Mar 2008

    Fairinvestment.co.uk has revealed that 44% of Brits would move overseas to get a foot on the property ladder.

  • A&L pulls two-year fix

    28 Mar 2008

    Alliance & Leicester will withdraw its 4.99% two-year fixed rate deal from close of business tomorrow. Richard Taylor, head of mortgage products at A&L says: "Over the past few days we have seen a high demand for our 4.99% two year fixed rate product and therefore we have taken the decision to remove it from the range, in order to manage the volume of business we are receiving at present."

  • Adverse loans hard to place

    24 Mar 2008

    The Regulatory Alliance of Mortgage Packagers says that with lenders struggling to stay in the sub-prime sector it's unable to place a whopping 25% of all adverse cases.

  • Advise buy-to-let clients to remortgage while they can

    24 Mar 2008

    Remortgage before it's too late. That is the message brokers should be passing on to their buy-to-let clients, especially those with larger portfolios.

  • Alan Dring quits Goldsmith Williams

    27 Mar 2008

    After just four months Goldsmith Williams’ sales and marketing director Alan Dring is leaving the firm.

  • An interesting way to help first-timers

    24 Mar 2008

    If boring chancellor Alistair Darling was to do anything as interesting as make sellers rather than buyers pay Stamp Duty it would help aspiring first-time buyers, says Sue Read

  • AToM unveils Remo Package

    24 Mar 2008

    All Types of Mortgages is launching the Remo Package, a deal that combines valuation and legal costs in one discounted application fee.The Remo Package combines lenders' valuation costs and standard legal remortgage charges, which AToM says will deliver substantial savings of as much as £749 off high street prices.Richard Hearn, managing director of AToM, says: "We have been planning this for some time and have teamed up with Easier2move to launch it."

  • AToM urges lenders to ditch cautious approach

    25 Mar 2008

    All Types of Mortgages has called on lenders to ditch their cautious approach and offer more competitive products in a bid to boost confidence in the market.

  • AToM warns balance sheet lenders against over-cautious approach

    25 Mar 2008

    Vic Jannels, chairman of All Types of Mortgages, the mortgage distributor, has called for lenders to abandon their overly cautious approach in order to boost confidence in the market.

  • Barnetts hires MS columnist

    24 Mar 2008

    Barnetts Solicitors has hired Julian Wells to head its brand and marketing strategy. Wells, former head of marketing at Mortgages PLC, will help to develop Barnetts' plans to build its residential and commercial conveyancing services.

  • BDS wants 60 packagers by 2008

    24 Mar 2008

    BDS Mortgage Group is looking to have 60 satellite packagers on board by the end of 2008. At the start of the year it had 45 satellite packagers and was aiming to increase this to 60 by 2009. But with nine taken on in the past few weeks alone and another six being turned down because of question marks over volumes and quality, BDS has brought its target forward. The packagers says it has had a flood of enquiries from small packagers being squeezed from the market by lenders wanting ...

  • BoE offers markets £15bn

    24 Mar 2008

    The Bank of England has pledged £15bn to help the short-term money markets. The funds will come in three £5bn tranches, one a week until April 9.The BoE revealed the additional injections after its £11bn scheduled short-term auction was three times oversubscribed.

  • BoE pledges extra liquidity

    26 Mar 2008

    The governor of the Bank of England has pledged extra liquidity to the money markets in a bid to restore confidence.

  • Bridge building

    24 Mar 2008

    The bridging sector has left behind its unsavoury image to emerge as a vital aid for borrowers and an attractive proposition for brokers, says Nick Reeves

  • Brokers face £625m proc fee shortfall

    24 Mar 2008

    A whopping £625m could be wiped off brokers' proc fee income due to the liquidity crisis, according to edeus.

  • Brokers fail to capture TCF data

    24 Mar 2008

    Data management firm iiCon has warned that a large number of brokers still don't have systems capable of meeting the regulator's Treating Customers Fairly initiative. Even brokers who submit applications online will only store 50% of their client communications, with the rest being provided verballyor in email correspondence.

  • Brokers need to understand value of packagers says KGB

    28 Mar 2008

    Rachel Bancroft, managing director, KGB Packaging says that for too long packagers have worked in the background of lenders, brokers and the mortgage broker, and have suffered being labelled "just the middle man".

  • Brokers who focus on customers will succeed

    24 Mar 2008

    The liquidity crisis has seen a great number of commentators covering all sorts of angles and issues.

  • Buy-to-let investors' gearing declines

    25 Mar 2008

    Buy-to-let investors' gearing has declined to 36% - its lowest level since May, reveals Paragon Mortgages.

  • Buy-to-let is a ray of light in dark times

    24 Mar 2008

    I recently spent an excellent couple of days at Mortgage Strategy's Buy-to-let Summit.

  • Cable damns FSA NR statement a 'total cop out'

    26 Mar 2008

    Vince Cable has rebuked the FSA's claim by that the Northern Rock debacle may still have arisen regardless of any FSA involvement as a “total cop out”.

  • Chewing the fat

    24 Mar 2008

    With less than a month before the London marathon, eConveyancer’s Vanessa Blount has stuck to her healthy eating plan and maintained her weight. But it’s not all good news as her plan to do a 22-mile training run have been curtailed by the weather.

  • CHL Mortgages may axe 50 staff

    24 Mar 2008

    CHL Mortgages is likely to make 50 staff redundant as a result of its effort to scale down lending.The company confirms jobs will be lost as it shifts focus towards credit quality and margin. Bob Young, managing director of CHL, says: "This change of focus will have consequences for staff numbers. We believe it will lead to a reduction of about 50 jobs."

  • Client income hit by utility bills

    24 Mar 2008

    Borrowers are being forced to commit more of their disposable income to utility bills, claims the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. In its annual review published last week, the service revealed that its high income clients' household budgets have soared from £448 to £776 a month. Clients over 60 have the most debt, averaging £29,642.

  • CML pins hopes on ratings

    24 Mar 2008

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders says it hopes positive news from Fitch Ratings about the long-term outlook for UK sub-prime securitisations will boost confidence in the sector.

  • CML slams police fraud figures

    24 Mar 2008

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders last week slammed a police report for failing to make the case that mortgage fraud is now worth £700m. While the CML says it welcomes the Association of Chief Police Officers' report entitled Safe as houses? Organised mortgage fraud in the UK, it says ACPO's £700m figure does not stack up. As the report's results are based on responses to questionnaires by police and lenders, the CML says it is likely some double counting was involved.

  • Commercial First crunched

    24 Mar 2008

    Commercial First Mort- gages has suspended new lending after falling victim to a banking crisis it says was un-thinkable just months ago.

  • Communication is a matter of timing

    24 Mar 2008

    In a highly competitive market and at a time of considerable strain for the industry, lenders are continually updating their mortgage ranges.

  • Credit card firms are still irresponsible

    24 Mar 2008

    Lenders have finally awoken to the danger of irresponsible lending and are tightening their criteria accordingly.

  • Credit Suisse pins loss on traders

    24 Mar 2008

    Credit Suisse has blamed a £1.4bn loss on what it calls the intentional misconduct of traders inflating the value of mortgage-backed bonds. Brady Dougan, chief executive officer of Credit Suisse Group, says: "This incident is unacceptable and does not represent the high standards of Credit Suisse."

  • CurriculumVitae: Karen Butt

    24 Mar 2008

    "I've always been taller than average and wanted to become a model at one point"

  • Darling gives FSA powers to grant immunity

    28 Mar 2008

    Chancellor Alistair Darling is increasing the Financial Services Authority’s ability to bargain with informants who provide details of criminal activity.

  • Dear Delia...

    24 Mar 2008

    Dear Delia After attending a seminar, my client is looking to expand his buy-to-let portfolio rapidly but is frustrated by lenders only being willing to lend against a proportion of the purchase price rather than the value of the properties. He is securing good discounts from distressed sellers but is having to use more cash for each transaction than he would like. This limits the number of properties he can buy. Can you suggest a solution?

  • Debt a success for LeadPoint

    24 Mar 2008

    LeadPoint has revealed that since launching into the debt market in January this year it's now trading 200 debt leads every day.

  • Derbyshire cuts 50 jobs and closes three branches

    26 Mar 2008

    Derbyshire is closing three branches and cutting up to 50 jobs in an attempt to cut costs.

  • Don't dismiss all new-build property

    24 Mar 2008

    Lenders are turning their noses up at new-build deals but in a diverse market they should check their facts and treat each deal according to its merits, says Mark Harris

  • Don't hold your breath waiting for NR to waive clawbacks

    24 Mar 2008

    By advising customers whose mortgages are due for review that it might not be able to offer them competitive products, Northern Rock has made clear its intention to shrink its mortgage book.

  • Doublethink regulation doesn't help

    24 Mar 2008

    When it comes to financial services regulation, the world divides into two camps - those who have to comply with it and those who are supposedly protected by it.

  • Dunfermline appointment

    24 Mar 2008

    Dunfermline has appointed finance director Patrick Ferguson to its board of directors.The mutual says the move recognises Ferguson's hard work and the value he offers to the business.

  • Dunfermline joins Paradigm panel

    26 Mar 2008

    Dunfermline has joined the Paradigm Mortgage Services lender panel.

  • Ecology's green lending doubles

    24 Mar 2008

    Ecology's eco-friendly lending doubled last year, rising from £7.7m in 2006 to £15m in 2007.

  • Edeus moves into purpose-built office

    24 Mar 2008

    Specialist lender edeus has moved up the property ladder into new offices dubbed edeus house.

  • Elephant Loans cuts costs

    24 Mar 2008

    Elephant Loans & Mortgages has unveiled a number of cost savings to free up £100,000 per year. Its mortgage business Elephant Loans Direct will become an appointed representative of FT Partners Network and Elephant Loans will no longer undertake regulated activities.

  • em- teams up with Affirmative

    27 Mar 2008

    Bridging specialist Affirmative has teamed up with packager em- and will work together to grow the em-bridging brand.

  • Estate agencies clash over ad

    26 Mar 2008

    Estate agency Hamptons International has hit out at rival estate agents Savills over the contents of a recent advert it produced.

  • Exclusive Connections adds Money Partners to panel

    27 Mar 2008

    Exclusive Connections has taken Money Partners on board its lender panel.

  • Fairness test may open can of worms

    24 Mar 2008

    Kevin Paterson takes a weekly look at the latest developments in the market and brings you what's hot and what's not in the world of mortgages

  • Fed shows the chancellor how to do it

    24 Mar 2008

    We recently heard the news that troubled investment bank Bear Stearns has been snapped up at the heavily discounted price of two dollars per share by JP Morgan Chase.

  • First Active must shape up when it comes to service

    24 Mar 2008

    I'd like to share my experience of the service provided by two lenders - Woolwich and First Active.

  • Fitch downgrades Alliance & Leicester

    27 Mar 2008

    Fitch Ratings has downgraded Alliance & Leicester, saying the action reflects the lender’s weak access to funding compared with higher rated banks.

  • Fitch says tightened criteria may affect RMBS

    27 Mar 2008

    Fitch Ratings is warning that tightening lending criteria could have a negative impact on residential mortgage-backed securities.

  • Five days notice for Coventry’s latest product change

    26 Mar 2008

    Coventry and Godiva have given brokers a total five working days notice for its latest product refresh.

  • Former Stroud & Swindon commercial director joins M2 Financial

    26 Mar 2008

    Former Stroud & Swindon commercial director Paul Chafer is to join M2 Financial in May.

  • FSA admits NR supervision not up to scratch

    26 Mar 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has today admitted that its supervision of Northern Rock was "not carried out to a standard that is acceptable".

  • FSA offers free small firms surgeries

    28 Mar 2008

    Free surgeries from the Financial Services Authority are available to mortgage brokers in Taunton on April 22, Bath on April 23 and Bristol on April 24.

  • Future denies packager cut

    28 Mar 2008

    Future Mortgages says it has no plans to scale down its packager panel, or stop its distribution through satellite packagers.

  • Future withdraws 90% self-cert

    25 Mar 2008

    Future Mortgages will be withdrawing its 90% self-cert product from close of business today.

  • Get ready to pay, FOS tells brokers

    24 Mar 2008

    Brokers have been advised to ensure their professional indemnity insurance is in shape to cope with a rising tide of complaints.

  • Government is eroding the appeal of NR's prime book

    24 Mar 2008

    Will the government clarify whether Southern Pacific Mortgage Limited and Lehman Brothers withdrew NR's access to sub-prime borrowing facilities, or is it sending a message that it could not care less about individuals with credit problems?

  • Guide to help brokers broaden product range

    24 Mar 2008

    Loanoptions.co.uk has added a guide to its website to help brokers get to grips with secured loans.

  • Halifax attacked over client retention

    28 Mar 2008

    A broker claims that Halifax has gone back on an informal agreement with advisers over client retention.

  • Hamptons sets up shop in Dubai

    24 Mar 2008

    Hamptons International Mortgages is to open a branch in Dubai on March 30 as part of the group's expansion plan.

  • Has the government done enough to stave off an economic recession?

    24 Mar 2008

    The banking industry was engulfed by another crisis recently as JP Morgan gobbled up stricken lender Bear Stearns in a bargain deal. How will our economy deal with the fallout? Chancellor Alistair Darling has assured taxpayers that the UK is well prepared to ride out the storm, but does anyone believe him?

  • Helping the new breed of DIY clients

    24 Mar 2008

    Property renovation is a booming sector and borrowers looking to do up their dream homes can benefit from using brokers rather than going direct to lenders, says John Hay

  • Home truths from across the Atlantic

    24 Mar 2008

    Towards the end of play on March 14 - the day Bear Stearns' shares tumbled by 50% - Morris Reid, erstwhile aide to former US President Bill Clinton and now a media pundit and managing director of a public affairs firm in Washington DC, dropped by for a chat.

  • Hopeful portents despite the gloom

    24 Mar 2008

    It was a roller coaster ride for the mortgage market last week. We went from the collapse of US banking giant Bear Stearns and its acquisition by JP Morgan Chase to traders deliberately dragging down UK giant HBOS' price. You couldn't make it up.

  • House purchase loans approvals drop 30%

    27 Mar 2008

    The total amount of house purchase loans approved by banks has fallen 30.1% in the 12 months up to February this year, new figures reveal.

  • Investors pump £1.5m into John Charcol

    26 Mar 2008

    Directors at John Charcol have pumped around £1.5m into the company as a temporary measure before a sale or new investment.

  • Involve brokers in shared equity deals

    24 Mar 2008

    Key workers have become a staple of recent Budgets and chancellor Alistair Darling wasn't about to disappoint when unveiling a new and improved scheme to help them.

  • Is there consumer appetite for long-term fixed rate mortgage products?

    24 Mar 2008

    Our experts are divided this week, as one believes clients want and are well served by such deals, while the other believes they are unworkable

  • It would be dangerous for lenders to return to manual underwriting

    24 Mar 2008

    Countless letters on the same subject will be tedious for your readers. But I must respond to Nick Baxter (Mortgage Strategy Letters March 17) as he appears to be using expert witness experiences of a few cases to make general assertions about the quality output of good automated underwriting. This flies in the face of the facts.

  • Jurassic Parked

    24 Mar 2008

    Meanwhile it’s a case of 3,000 miles of separation for Quantum managing director for Jonathan Burridge and his team.

  • Just Mortgage Packaging offers packager indemnity insurance

    26 Mar 2008

    Just Mortgage Packaging is offering packager indemnity insurance, to offer brokers piece of mind.

  • Lenders pile on the pressure

    24 Mar 2008

    Brokers continued to bear the brunt of the liquidity crisis last week as lenders chopped and changed criteria and fees at short notice.

  • Lenders told to lobby government over CCA

    24 Mar 2008

    The government's sums don't add up when it comes to how much borrowers will be charged if they pay off their loans early under new Consumer Credit Act guidelines, says Target Group.

  • Letting ideas flow

    24 Mar 2008

    Buy-to-let is a bright spot in a troubled mortgage world but participants at Mortgage Strategy's recent Buy-to-let Summit were not content to rest on their laurels, suggesting various ways to move the sector forward, says Marcel Le Gouais

  • Link-up to boost efficiency

    24 Mar 2008

    BM Solutions and Personal Touch Financial Services have integrated their technology services to help brokers in-crease their efficiency.

  • Link-up to help Scottish owners

    24 Mar 2008

    Mortgages.co.uk has launched a deal with MoneyQuest to help home owners in Scotland to remortgage.

  • Loanoptions.co.uk appoints consultant

    26 Mar 2008

    Secured loan packager Loanoptions.co.uk has signed up Ray Ronan as a consultant to help develop new relationships within the intermediary market.

  • Looky-likey

    24 Mar 2008

    Mole has discovered a certain managing director bears an uncanny resemblance to a Hollywood A-lister with the same name as our editor extraordinaire’s mother.

  • Malone vows to guide PMS through the storm

    24 Mar 2008

    John Malone , managing director of Premier Mortgage Service, will stay on in his role for up to two years to help the mortgage club survive the market downturn.

  • Market frets over the next Bear Stearn

    24 Mar 2008

    The sale of Bear Stearns to JP Morgan Chase has been described as the US' Northern Rock but this underestimates its significance. The sheer size of Bear Stearns sets it apart.

  • Market watch 24 March 2008

    24 Mar 2008

    Last week, swaps went up, then down, then rapidly up again towards their highest levels of the year. Three-month LIBOR is now 5.97% - a worrying 0.75% above the base rate.

  • Me and my ipod - 24 March 2008

    24 Mar 2008

    I love listening to relaxing music such as jazz and dreamy ballads and some of my favourite artists are Amy Winehouse, Luther Vandross and Kirsty MacColl, says Rachel Bancroft

  • Mform points to interest-only rush

    24 Mar 2008

    Mform.co.uk predicts that a rush of consumers will opt for interest-only mortgages in a bid to stem rising costs.

  • Mform says remortgage fears overblown

    26 Mar 2008

    Consumer finance site mform.co.uk says remortgaging fears are overblown as a result of the liquidity crisis.

  • MI join forces with Halifax

    24 Mar 2008

    MI join forces with HalifaxMortgage Intelligence has launched general insurance deals in association with Halifax General Insurance.Network members now have access to Halifax home buildings and contents insurance products.

  • Money Partners in job loss talks

    24 Mar 2008

    Money Partners is to consult staff about 65 possible job losses. The consultation, which is expected to start on Wednesday, will last for 30 days. No redundancies will be made during this time. Most departments will be affected but the firm insists there will be no disruption to its service. Chief executive officer Colin Sanders says: "The absence of liquidity and buyers for mortgage-backed assets means we have had to reassess the sort of business we want."

  • Money Partners joins Exclusive Connections' lender panel

    27 Mar 2008

    Exclusive Connections has appointed Money Partners to its lender panel.

  • Mortgage Products Shrink

    26 Mar 2008

    We all know that we are sailing through choppy waters at the moment, but it really hits home when you look at the actual reduction in the number of mortgage products available at the moment.

  • MSTV tackles future of secured loans market

    24 Mar 2008

    The future of the secured loans market and the impact of the Consumer Credit Act have come under the spotlight in the latest edition of MSTV.

  • Nationwide cuts packager panel for specialist brands

    27 Mar 2008

    Nationwide has cut its packager panel for The Mortgage Works and UCB Home Loans, down from 50 to 20 firms.

  • Nationwide pulls two-year fixes and trackers

    27 Mar 2008

    Nationwide has followed in the footsteps of Abbey and repriced its product range. The mutual has withdrawn its two-year trackers and two-year fixes and increased all fixed rates by 0.20%. It has also increased the rates of selected trackers by 0.51% and 0.57%.

  • NatWest alters buy-to-let range

    28 Mar 2008

    NatWest will be offering new buy-to-let deals from March 31.

  • NR plans to focus on direct channels

    24 Mar 2008

    Northern Rock is to slash lending via brokers this year as it launches a major downsizing programme.

  • Offsetting can close the savings gap

    24 Mar 2008

    Chancellor Alistair Darling began this year's Budget statement by referencing the global liquidity crisis and the nationalisation of Northern Rock before going on to deliver what he called a Budget for stability in unstable times.

  • Online tracking from Pinnacle

    24 Mar 2008

    Pinnacle Mortgage Funding has unveiled an online case tracking system for brokers. With the new facility, brokers can keep up-to-date with cases via email, text, phone or fax. Brokers signing up to the system will automatically qualify for 48-hour proc fee payouts. Les Daley, director of Pinnacle, says: "In the prevailing market climate, speed of service combined with positive cash flow are key requirements for brokers and this service meets those needs."

  • Orbiter to launch in April

    28 Mar 2008

    Broker sourcing system Orbiter is set to launch officially in April 2008 with a panel of 30 lenders.

  • Over 2,000 products withdrawn this month

    26 Mar 2008

    Lenders have withdrawn over 2,000 products in the past month, says eMoneyfacts.co.uk.

  • Packagers should consider opportunities in FSA paper

    24 Mar 2008

    In recent weeks there has been much debate in Mortgage Strategy about the role of packagers but little comment on the hidden opportunities that lurk within the Financial Services Authority's Consultation Paper 07/23.

  • Paradigm adds Dunfermline to panel

    26 Mar 2008

    Dunfermline has become the latest lender to be added to the Paradigm Mortgage Services’ lender panel.

  • Pink supports ARs' TCF processes

    26 Mar 2008

    Pink Home Loans is helping its Appointed Representatives to meet the Financial Services Authority's Treating Customers Farily management information deadline of March 31.

  • Planning review launched to cut red tape

    25 Mar 2008

    A red tape-busting review to weed out bureaucratic hurdles and create a more efficient, slicker planning system has been launched.

  • PNG helps brokers diversify service

    24 Mar 2008

    Premier Network Group has launched an introducer service for brokers looking to diversify the products they offer.

  • Prime market will inject life back into sub-prime

    28 Mar 2008

    Roger Morris, managing director, em-financial believes that life will be injected back into the sub-prime market through problems in the prime market.

  • Promise offers brokers more application processing options

    26 Mar 2008

    Promise Finance has revealed an increase in point of sale options for brokers looking to increase application speed while accomodating the FInancial Services Authority’s TCF guidelines.

  • Property is key goal for 20-somethings, says A&L

    26 Mar 2008

    Research from Alliance & Leicester has revealed that property ownership is a key aspiration for 20-somethings.

  • PTFS adds Paymentshield to insurance quote engine

    24 Mar 2008

    Personal Touch Financial Services has added Paymentshield to its buildings and contents quote engine.

  • PTP celebrates record month

    28 Mar 2008

    Personal Touch Packaging has passed 700 mortgage applications in a month for the first time in its short history.

  • Punters bet on a strong housing market

    26 Mar 2008

    Cantor Spreadfair, the betting exchange, says punters are predicting a stronger housing market.

  • Rabbitt resigns from Nationwide

    24 Mar 2008

    Joe Rabbitt, formerly head of corporate intermediary relations at Nationwide, has left the firm citing family reasons. Head of sales Ian Andrew will take on Rabbitt's duties until a successor is appointed.

  • Reader interest piqued by loan guarantee deal

    24 Mar 2008

    some 61% of Mortgage Strategy Online readers will explore the government-backed Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme intended to help com- panies survive the market downturn. The remaining 39% won't bother looking at the funds.This week, Mortgage Strategy asks: "Will you encourage clients to consider long-term fixed rate mortgages?"

  • Recruitment fell last year

    24 Mar 2008

    Financial services recruitment has fallen, with 22% of employers saying candidates lack the right qualifications, according to CII Group.

  • Remembering London's generous Lord

    24 Mar 2008

    Lord Shaftesbury was one of Victorian London's greatest philanthropists and his impact can still be seen in the shape of buildings throughout the capital, says Simon White

  • Richard Griffiths

    27 Mar 2008

    I have always felt that Northern Rock was the victim of circumstances last September, although it could perhaps have handled the PR situation better at the time.

  • Rooftop silent on Bear Stearns sale

    24 Mar 2008

    Rooftop Mortgages refuses to comment on the recent sale of parent company Bear Stearns.

  • Sesame offers consumer equity release guide

    26 Mar 2008

    Sesame has created a consumer guide to help advisers provide the facts about equity release to their clients.

  • SHIP says equity release growth is inevitable

    25 Mar 2008

    Huge growth in the use of equity release is only a matter of time, says the Safe Home Income Plans group.

  • Showing the value of home reversions

    24 Mar 2008

    An important requirement of the Financial Services Authority's MCOB rules is that brokers should consider with their clients the effects releasing equity may have on their estates when they die.

  • Six in the City - 24 March 2008

    24 Mar 2008

    If we accept our failings and get on with life things may turn out better, says Christine Toner

  • Solent Mortgage Services offers enhanced proc fees

    25 Mar 2008

    Solent Mortgage Services, the national branded mortgage arranger, is offering brokers enhanced procuration fees when they use their SEAS product research facility, available through The Porthole.

  • Steady as she goes to ride the storm

    24 Mar 2008

    In the prevailing market environment, lenders are becoming choosy about the firms they work with, which means brokers must be even more sturdy and reliable than before, says Sally Laker

  • Stock Picker

    24 Mar 2008

    Last week, UK banking shares fell in the aftermath of Bear Stearns' dramatic collapse and sale to JP Morgan Chase.

  • Stockton has role expanded

    26 Mar 2008

    Nigel Stockton's role as managing director of HBOS Intermediary Mortgages has been expanded to encompass all of HBOS’s broker business, including valuation business Colleys.

  • Swift says up to 60 jobs at risk

    28 Mar 2008

    Swift says it's in consultation with 60 staff regarding possible job losses.

  • Teachers enters equity release sector

    25 Mar 2008

    Teachers has entered the equity release market via a partnership with Key Retirement Solutions.

  • Ten steps to national money guidance

    24 Mar 2008

    The national money guidance service recently announced as part of the Thoresen review could boost sales and make the mortgage market a more stable place, says Bill Warren

  • TFC offers First National promotion

    25 Mar 2008

    TFC Homeloans is now offering a £99 application fee on all purchases and remortgages places with First National with a free legal service also available on remortgage deals.

  • The proc fee dilemma

    28 Mar 2008

    Natalie Martin

  • THE VAT DEBATE: Who’s paying what

    29 Mar 2008

    The long debated issue as to whether mortgage clubs and packager associations should pay VAT does not look set to disappear, so Mortgagedistributor.co.uk has conducted its own vox pop to see where the industry stands.

  • Third party could have widened scope of FSA review

    26 Mar 2008

    The Financial Services Consumer Panel says independent auditors could have widened the scope of the Financial Services Authority's internal review.

  • Time for brokers to prove themselves

    24 Mar 2008

    The boom times meant that until last summer there appeared to be few better occupations than that of mortgage broker.

  • TMA promotes TCF lending forum to DAs

    26 Mar 2008

    The Mortgage Alliance is promoting the Treating Customers Fairly lending forum to its directly authorised members.

  • US Fed Reserve offers $50bn funding

    25 Mar 2008

    The US Federal Reserve has offered $50bn in 28-day funding to banks through a crisis auction today.The central bank has offered the credit through its Term Auction Facility.The auction was opened at 11am EDT and will close at 1pm EDT. The maximum bid amount per institution is $5bn.The minimum amount for a bid is $5m and the funding is being offered at 2.19%.

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