Mortgage Strategy
25 August 2008

  • Best buy rates rise year-on-year

    26 Aug 2008

    Rates at the top of best buy tables have risen 0.64% year-on-year, says Mform.co.uk. The best deal is currently at 6.34% compared with 5.7% last August.

  • 1,300 jobs go at Northern Rock

    29 Aug 2008

    Northern Rock has confirmed it will make up to 1,300 staff redundant at the end of August with some leaving as part of "natural turnover".

  • 55% Commission share from lender

    26 Aug 2008

    Secured loans lender Guardian Homeloans is wooing brokers with a 55% commission share deal. Although it will charge a one-off administration fee of £395 before the commission is split to cover its costs, it says brokers will earn more than the secured lender.

  • A Glimmer Of Light?

    28 Aug 2008

    This is my first blog since returning from a 'stay-cation' which apparently is all the rage.

  • A&L deal does not mark MBS revival

    26 Aug 2008

    Industry pundits have warned that Alliance & Leicester's sale of mortgage-backed securities worth £400m does not mark the revival of the securitisation market.

  • A&L slashes mortgage rates

    26 Aug 2008

    Alliance & Leicester is reducing rates across its mortgage range from Wednesday, August 27.

  • Abbey to launch low fee range on Monday

    29 Aug 2008

    Abbey is rolling out a range of reduced fee mortgages from Monday.

  • Accidental landlords must take care

    26 Aug 2008

    Buy-to-let is in the news again although various reports have different takes on the ongoing popularity of the market.

  • AHIPP responds to calls for HIP review

    26 Aug 2008

    The Association of Home Information Pack Providers is highlighting the benefits of Home Information Packs in the face of criticism by industry groups.

  • All bleak on the lending front despite July boost

    26 Aug 2008

    There was bad news on the lending front last week despite Council of Mortgage Lenders' figures that show-ed gross mortgage lending was up 5%.

  • B&B makes first half loss

    29 Aug 2008

    Bradford & Bingley has reported a £26.7m loss for the first half of 2008 - a whopping £206m year-on-year fall from the £180m profit it made in the first half of 2007.

  • B2L virgins must do research

    26 Aug 2008

    Buy-to-let virgins have been warned not to underestimate their responsibilities when it comes to letting out property.

  • Battery

    26 Aug 2008

    With the Pilchard, Algae Eater, Dogfish, Halibut and Flounder all swiftly book-ed into the not-so-plush Royal Albion Hotel, it was soon time for karaoke at the Offshore Bar on Brighton Pier.

  • Birketts claim Prestbury victory

    26 Aug 2008

    The controversy surrounding Prestbury has finally been laid to rest after shareholders voted against the resolution that would have seen the Birkett family removed from the firm's board of directors.

  • Birketts win but Prestbury left to count cost

    26 Aug 2008

    The ongoing tug of war between chief executive Lee Birkett and fellow Prestbury board members came to an end last week, with Birkett reigning victorious and grabbing 59% of the shareholders' vote to maintain his position.

  • BoE's Bean warns of prolonged economic downturn

    26 Aug 2008

    Charles Bean, deputy governor of the Bank of England has warned the current economic downturn is as bad as the situation in the 1970s and is likely to drag on for some time.

  • BoE's Bean warns of prolonged economic downturn

    26 Aug 2008

    Charles Bean, deputy governor of the Bank of England has warned the current economic downturn is as bad as the situation in the 1970s and is likely to drag on for some time.

  • Borrowers struggle with lack of refinancing options

    26 Aug 2008

    Sub-prime borrowers are finding it increasing difficult to meet mortgage repayments as they struggle with a lack of refinancing options.

  • Bridgingloans on Creative panel

    26 Aug 2008

    Bridgingloans.com, has been added to Creative Mortgage Solutions' short-term lender panel. The specialist packager's panel is made up entirely of lenders approved by the Association of Short Term Lenders.

  • Broker censured for poor systems

    26 Aug 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has censured Bournemouth-based brokerage Leybridge for inadequate record-keeping and review procedures.

  • Brokers look to insurance

    26 Aug 2008

    Select & Protect has seen broker registrations double to over 10,500 over the past 12 months. The insurance distributor says it expects numbers to rise further.

  • Brokers more negative as year progresses

    26 Aug 2008

    Brokers are adopting a more negative outlook as the year progresses with almost half of advisers expecting business to get worse over the next three months, reveals research from Legal & General.

  • Brownman's allies are his real enemies

    26 Aug 2008

    Over the summer Prime Minister Gordon Brown confided to a journalist that there are moments when he sees himself as a modern day Heathcliff. This is something he has in common with Sir Cliff Richard, who went as far as writing, producing and performing in a fifth-rate rock opera based on Emily Bronte's romantic hero.

  • BTL repossessions increase by 100%

    27 Aug 2008

    Buy-to-let repossessions are increasing twice as fast as mortgages, show figures from housing charity Shelter.

  • Buyers need over £37,000 deposit for best deals

    26 Aug 2008

    Home buyers need a deposit of over £37,000 to qualify for the most competitive mortgage deals, reveals research from Mform.co.uk.

  • Buy-to-let lending drops 14% reveals CML

    26 Aug 2008

    New buy-to-let lending has fallen 14% year-on-year in the first half of 2008, reveals data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

  • C4 documentary seeks contact from brokers

    26 Aug 2008

    A documentary for Channel 4 is charting the progress of home owners who are sidestepping the lack of mortgage finance by combining their funds to buy property.

  • Cable slams "ruthless" Northern Rock

    27 Aug 2008

    Vince Cable, shadow chancellor for the Liberal Democrats, has called Northern Rock particularly ruthless when it comes to repossessions.

  • Call For Interest Rate Cut

    29 Aug 2008

    In an interesting and rather provocative move, arch Dove member of theMonetary Policy Committee Professor David Blanchflower has broken ranksand called for a rate cut, right now and in a big way.

  • CeMAP training fees cut to £500

    26 Aug 2008

    Chess Training Services has slashed its fees for CeMAP training by 50% to £500.

  • Climate change

    26 Aug 2008

    Monday, 7:25am. Disaster struck. Prevailing headwinds and an over-night storm front from Ireland resulted in a 60 knot, gale force seven wind that made sailing impossible.

  • Club and network exclusives down 87%

    26 Aug 2008

    Exclusive deals for mortgage clubs and networks have fallen 87% over the past year, says Abbey for Intermediaries.

  • Cod help us

    26 Aug 2008

    The idea was simple. Ten industry luminaries. Two nights. One boat. Eight hours of fishing 20 miles off the Brighton coast - and all for £55.

  • Come on Darling, loose lips sink ships

    26 Aug 2008

    It has been almost three weeks since chancellor Alistair Darling made his ill-advised statement in which he failed to rule out the possibility of a Stamp Duty suspension.

  • Competitive Mortgages From The Council

    26 Aug 2008

    In a blaze of fireworks and intricate dancing the Olympic spectacle came to a close, but not before we saw Mr Beckham and a red London bus.

  • Complete recruited to Money Partners panel

    26 Aug 2008

    Packager and distributor Complete Mortgage and Loan Services has joined the distribution panel of Money Partners.

  • Compliance officer exits FISA

    27 Aug 2008

    Clive Edwards, a compliance officer at the Finance Industry Standards Association has been made redundant, and his colleague Terry Hodgkinson moved down from full to part-time.

  • Confidence in BTL market still strong

    26 Aug 2008

    Landlords’ confidence in the buy-to-let market is still strong, shows research from Paragon Mortgages.

  • Confidence is the key

    29 Aug 2008

    As the market continues to dry up, secured loan brokers and those working in the industry are starting to ask what is going to be done to fix things.

  • Conveyancers divided over benefits of HIPs

    26 Aug 2008

    Conveyancing firms are split over the impact Home Information Packs are having on the duration of the house buying process.

  • Countrywide buys new homes broker

    28 Aug 2008

    Countrywide today confirmed its acquisition of new homes broker Hurst Independent Financial Services.

  • Coventry expands offset range

    27 Aug 2008

    Coventry is expanding its mortgage range with the addition of some offset products.

  • Coventry, the new model lender

    26 Aug 2008

    A week or two ago I was tempted to write a piece suggesting that the UK’s financial services industry was in danger of going the same way as our car makers did back in the early 1970s.

  • Crosby Conference

    26 Aug 2008

    The interim report into mortgage finance from Sir James Crosby was highly anticipated, but when it surfaced at the end of July after three months of research, the industry was disappointed.

  • Crunch conditions to persist

    26 Aug 2008

    Tony Ward, managing director of Home Funding, says there is no end in sight to turmoil in the market.

  • Dearling gears up to launch broker-facing business

    26 Aug 2008

    Keith Dearling, founder and former managing director of Advantage, is gearing up to launch Clear Start Partnerships, a broker arm of Debt Free Direct.

  • Delinquents are running out of space

    26 Aug 2008

    In the history of our industry, behaviour only changes when there's no room for manoeuvre. What do I mean? Well, let's go back to the days of the Financial Planning Certificate, which became a mandatory requirement for insurance salespeople.

  • Edeus savings deal for brokers

    26 Aug 2008

    Edeus has rolled out a broker-only savings product with a 2.75% proc fee. Skipton and edeus are guaranteeing the product that allows consumers to save 50% in a one-year bond fixed at 7.5%. The other half is invested in a FTSE 100-linked bond with a four-year maturity.

  • Enterprise announces EDGEv2 enhancements

    26 Aug 2008

    Enterprise Group is rolling out a whole of market enhancement of its EDGEv2 system.

  • Equity release cashback offer

    26 Aug 2008

    The Equity Release Club and Just Retirement are offering clients up to 0.1% of the value of their properties as cashback until September 30.

  • ERC adds Home & Capital and Dunfermline to panel

    26 Aug 2008

    Equity Release Club has added reversion specialists Home & Capital and Dunfermline to its provider panel.

  • Evaluate adds three more lenders

    27 Aug 2008

    Evaluate has added Bank of Ireland, Woolwich, and Chelsea to its lender offering.

  • Evaluate unveils KFI engine

    26 Aug 2008

    Evaluate Technologies has launched a Key Facts Illustration engine that will allow brokers to generate KFIs.

  • Excessive MPPI profits should be used to help borrowers

    26 Aug 2008

    I was interested to read on Mortgage Strategy Online that the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association is predicting a quick recovery for the mortgage market.

  • FSA calls for help from brokers

    28 Aug 2008

    The Financial Services Authority is calling on brokers to help stamp out mortgage fraud in the UK.

  • FSA may take lenders to court over fees

    27 Aug 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has found lenders are continuing to vary their mortgage fees, which may result in them being taken to court by the regulator.

  • GHL adds Cheshire Mortgage Corporation to panel

    29 Aug 2008

    GHL Group has added mortgage and bridging lender Cheshire Mortgage Corporation to its lending panel.

  • Gladdy axed from Mortgages Direct

    26 Aug 2008

    Peter Gladdy, director of Mortgages Direct, has been made redundant as a part of restructuring at the firm.

  • God departs and developers move in

    26 Aug 2008

    I have never been religious - all that singing and damnation stuff was never my style. What finally did it for me as a boy was the pointlessness of the Harvest Festival. I could never get my head around why my mum gave me tins of cocoa to take to church for it to send to Ghana where the stuff came from in the first place.

  • Half-year profits at Scottish Widows Bank leap by 12%

    29 Aug 2008

    Scottish Widows Bank has reported a pre-tax half-year profit of £16.4m, representing an increase of 12% from the same period last year.

  • Halifax slashes rates further

    29 Aug 2008

    Halifax has made further cuts to its product range, marking the fourtheenth decrease this year.

  • HBOS chief falls victim to ID theft

    26 Aug 2008

    HBOS chief executive Andy Hornby has fallen victim to the growing crime of identity theft.

  • HIP provider OpenBook forced to close

    27 Aug 2008

    Home information pack provider OpenBook has confirmed it will be winding down operations and shutting down the business at the end of this week.

  • HIPs bad omen for future intervention

    26 Aug 2008

    The demise of Home Information Pack provider Hipstar last week was a poignant reminder of the last time the government meddled in the housing market.

  • Hipstar goes into administration

    26 Aug 2008

    Hipstar, the Home Information Pack provider conceived by Network Data’s Richard Griffiths more than three years ago, has been placed into administration with the loss of 22 jobs, including chief executive Tim Jones

  • Hits on mis-selling site soar

    26 Aug 2008

    A website that allows consumers to check whether they have been overcharged on their mortgages has seen its hit count double in the past month.

  • Home owners still planning to make overpayments

    26 Aug 2008

    More than one in ten homeowners are planning to make an overpayment on their mortgage shows research from Abbey for Intermediaries.

  • Inhouse legal deal for brokerage

    26 Aug 2008

    Goldsmith Williams is to provide brokerage Mortgage Talk's head office in Rotherham with inhouse conveyancing support.

  • Interest in BTL still strong reports Paragon

    26 Aug 2008

    Landlords’ confidence in the buy-to-let market is still strong, shows research from Paragon Mortgages.

  • Intrepid brokers penetrate Stalag FSA

    26 Aug 2008

    Well, here we are again. Another Olympics and another four weeks of heroic endeavour and derring-do. And while our nation's best do their bit, on the home front we are taking the opportunity to forget the cares of the credit crunch, repossessions and the rest. At least that's the theory. In practice, it is difficult to escape from Financial Services Authority regulation. The FSA is watching you.

  • IT glitch forces BoS to suspend product launch

    29 Aug 2008

    Bank of Scotland has been forced to suspend the launch of its new buy-to-let and self-cert rates, set to be released tomorrow.

  • John Forde quits Norton

    26 Aug 2008

    John Forde, group business development manager at Norton Broker Services, has handed in his resignation today.

  • Kensington to expand packager panel

    27 Aug 2008

    Kensington has confirmed it is in talks with a handful of packagers about joining its panel, just weeks after it announced plans to cut the panel down.

  • KRS highlights cashback deal

    26 Aug 2008

    Key Retirement Solutions is reminding brokers of its 0.1% or £900 cashback deal available to all subscribers to its lifetime advisory panel.

  • L&C wins growth strategy laurels

    26 Aug 2008

    London & Country has been awarded the Growth Strategy of the Year accolade by the National Business Awards for Wales and the West. L&C will now compete in the national awards, which will be judged in October.

  • Landlords cash in on CGT reform

    29 Aug 2008

    Landlords who sold their properties in Q2 this year, benefited from a lower Capital Gains Tax bill of 18%, which was introduced in April.

  • Landlords reject regulation

    26 Aug 2008

    Landlords have given the thumbs down to Financial Services Authority regulation of the buy-to-let market.

  • Leeds slashes two-year rates

    26 Aug 2008

    Leeds has slashed its two-year fixed rate products by up to 0.5%. The mutual has also launched a range of three-year fixed rates with no higher lending charges.

  • Lender showed no common sense when it rejected my client's strong case

    26 Aug 2008

    From Robert Winfield

  • Lenders must clarify LTV policies for existing clients

    26 Aug 2008

    There is no doubt that consumers are feeling the full effects of what for many is a triple whammy - higher energy prices, food bills and rising mortgage costs.

  • Lib Dems to help home owners facing repossession

    27 Aug 2008

    The Liberal Democrat's have outlined proposals to help home owners facing repossession.

  • Local authority mortgages could work

    26 Aug 2008

    The New Local Government Network is lobbying support from councils in an attempt to persuade the government that they should be allowed to offer mortgages to struggling home owners.

  • Lower income families face rental life

    26 Aug 2008

    Recent figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors show a big jump in the number of properties up for rent. Given the scale of the slowdown in house sales this is hardly surprising.

  • LV= and Intrinsic team up on lifetime mortgage

    27 Aug 2008

    LV= has partnered with Intrinsic Financial Services to promote its lifetime mortgage.

  • M2000 DIY system scraps fee

    26 Aug 2008

    Mortgage 2000's DIY Packaging system has scrapped its monthly subscription fee of £90. This follows a 63% reduction to M2000's mortgage sourcing service's fees and means brokers can access both for £1,278 a year.

  • Marathon Money

    26 Aug 2008

    Mortgage Strategy brings you a rundown of the industry figures putting their bodies on the line in Septembers Berlin Marathon to raise money for charity

  • Market Watch 26 August 2008

    26 Aug 2008

    Swaps edged up slightly last week but I think this was due to the markets adjusting to the fact that they'd probably fallen too far after the Bank of England's pessimistic quarterly inflation report.

  • Mayfair Bridging launches BMV product

    28 Aug 2008

    Mayfair Bridging has launched a BMV Bridge, designed for below market value purchases.

  • Millions of Brits bottling up job and financial worries

    28 Aug 2008

    With the economy in meltdown, house prices plummeting, unemployment and repossessions rising, and fuel, food and energy costs going through the roof, a survey of 4,000 Brits reveals a nation on the brink.

  • Money Partners picks packager

    26 Aug 2008

    Personal Touch Mortgage Administration Services has been added to Money Partners' panel of key partners. The packager will now have access to a guaranteed tranche of specialist funding.

  • Mortgage lending up but approvals down, reveals BBA

    26 Aug 2008

    Figures from the British Bankers’ Association show mortgage lending rose by £4.3bn in July, matching the increase seen in June.

  • Mortgage Next increases commission on GI

    28 Aug 2008

    Mortgage Next Network has increased commission rates for its appointed representatives that arrange general insurance via its Source online comparison system.

  • Mortgage Porn

    28 Aug 2008

    Our dear Knightsbridge Sales Manager Roy Hardy sent me a copy of an email to a client which shows the vast change in mortgage rates from even a month ago.

  • Mortgage Rates Back Where They Were A Year Ago

    26 Aug 2008

    According to the latest reports from Moneyfacts mortgage rates are pretty much back where they were a year ago just before the credit crunch hit.

  • MPC member calls for rate cut to avoid recession

    29 Aug 2008

    A member of the Monetary Policy Committee is urging for rates to be cut to prevent the economy from sinking into a deep and prolonged recession.

  • MPC must cut rates or risk recession, says BCC

    26 Aug 2008

    Interest rates must be cut to avoid a full-blown recession, the British Chamber of Commerce is warning.

  • MPC split three ways over rate

    26 Aug 2008

    Monetary Policy Committee minutes for August revealed a three-way split. David Blanchflower called for a base rate cut, Timothy Besley wanted a hike and the rest voted for a hold.

  • NAEA calls for HIP reform

    26 Aug 2008

    The National Association of Estate Agents is calling on the government to reform Home Information Packs and stop wasting consumers' money.

  • NAEA calls for HIPs review

    26 Aug 2008

    The National Association of Estate Agents is calling on the government to reform Home Information Packs and stop wasting consumers' money.

  • NAEA to launch rival website to Rightmove

    26 Aug 2008

    The National Association of Estate Agents has confirmed it plans to launch a rival website to Rightmove where member agents will be able to list properties at no extra charge.

  • Nationwide revises range

    26 Aug 2008

    Nationwide is rejigging its mortgage range and has cut its fixed rate deals by up to 0.2%. The range includes five-year fixed rates from 5.68% for remortgages, further advances and existing customers, and from 5.88% for house purchase cases, both with a £1,499 fee.

  • Nationwide sees 10.5% fall in house prices

    28 Aug 2008

    The latest figures from Nationwide show house prices have fallen 10.5% year-on-year.

  • Nemo suspends use of AVMs

    26 Aug 2008

    Hometrack says it does not expect other lenders to mirror second charge lender Nemo Personal Finance's decision last week to suspend the use of automated valuation models.

  • Net mortgage lending up 24% at Coventry

    26 Aug 2008

    Coventry has increased its net mortgage lending by 24% to £851m for the first half of 2008 compared with the first half of 2007.

  • NR unveils broker exclusive

    26 Aug 2008

    Northern Rock has unveiled a three-year fixed rate broker exclusive at 5.79% for purchases and remortgages. It is available up to 75% LTV.

  • Number of sub-prime deals slashed by over 80%

    28 Aug 2008

    The number of sub-prime deals on the market has decreased dramatically since July last year, falling from 8,148 to just 1,252, figures from Moneyfacts.co.uk show.

  • OFT urges firms to prepare for CCL changes

    27 Aug 2008

    The Office of Fair Trading is calling on businesses to take the necessary steps to be ready for changes to the consumer credit licensing regime that come into force in the autumn.

  • OneSearch launches HIP refresher products

    26 Aug 2008

    OneSearch Direct has launched three products, designed to enable home buyers and other users of Home Information Packs to update the property searches originally included in HIPs.

  • Orbiter to help track demand

    26 Aug 2008

    Orbiter Group is developing loan software to help lenders, packagers and large brokers track product demand and sales.

  • Packagers come back into the fold

    29 Aug 2008

    There was a glimpse of good news this week with Kensington looking to take on new packagers to its panel.

  • Paymentshield to hold more events

    26 Aug 2008

    Paymentshield is to hold two more broker events this year. They will be held in Kempton Park on September 10 and Chepstow on September 11.

  • Price falls blamed on Stamp Duty issue

    26 Aug 2008

    Estate agencies Rightmove and haart have blamed the government's dithering over a potential Stamp Duty suspension for a fall in house prices.

  • Protection key to surviving downturn

    26 Aug 2008

    Sir James Crosby's interim report on the mortgage market didn't offer much relief for the harassed industry. It predicts that the shortage of mortgage finance will persist until 2010 at the earliest. Rather than a raft of measures to kick-start a stagnant market, the report suggests that the best action may be no action at all.

  • RICS forms plan to resuscitate housing market

    29 Aug 2008

    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has formed a 15 point action plan, which it believes could breathe life into the UK housing market.

  • Rightmove underlying operating profit up 58%

    29 Aug 2008

    Rightmove has revealed a 58% rise in underlying operating profit to £20.8m in its half yearly results released today.

  • Rising pessimism among firms

    26 Aug 2008

    Lloyds TSB's corporate markets' business barometer survey for July has revealed that business confidence is at its lowest ebb in six years. The survey shows that 60% of respondents are more pessimistic than they were three months ago.

  • RMBS arrears on the increase reports S&P

    26 Aug 2008

    The number of arrears in the UK’s prime residential mortgage-backed securities market continues to increase in Q2 2008, shows Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' latest index report.

  • Savills Private Finance reports 22% fall in profits

    28 Aug 2008

    Profits at Savills Private Finance were down 22% year on year in the first half of 2008 and parent group Savills says as a result jobs in the division will go as it looks to cut costs.

  • Scottish market beats the gloom

    26 Aug 2008

    The Scottish mortgage market is faring better than others parts of the UK, data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveals. The CML says there were 18,500 loans for house purchases approved in Scotland in Q2 2008 - an 18% increase compared with a 5% rise in the rest of the country.

  • Sesame offers brokers Leadbay discount

    28 Aug 2008

    Sesame has joined forces with Leadbay to bring its members an exclusive offer of discounted leads.

  • Slowing market forces Hipstar to shut up shop

    26 Aug 2008

    Hipstar has been placed into administration with the loss of 22 jobs, including chief executive Tim Jones.

  • Stamp Duty move won't help market

    26 Aug 2008

    In case anyone missed me, I've been bobbing about on a sailing boat in Croatia for the past two weeks. Although picturesque and lovely, with nine of us on a 50ft yacht it was a bit like being in a floating caravan for a fortnight. Suffice to say I was delighted to get back into a proper bed.

  • Student towns offer B2L bonanza

    26 Aug 2008

    The Property Investor Show has revealed rental yields as high as 10% in student towns. The research shows Nottingham is the best bet for buy-to-let investors, closely followed by Durham, Manchester, Bangor and Hull.

  • Takeover talks terminated between Elephant and FTP

    31 Aug 2008

    Reverse takeover talks between Elephant Loans & Mortgages and Financial Trade Partnership have come to an end.

  • TBMC to hold more broker workshops

    26 Aug 2008

    The Business Mortgage Company is holding three more broker workshops on the benefits of buy-to-let and commercial mortgages.

  • Tesco signs four property deals

    26 Aug 2008

    Supermarket giant Tesco last week raised £605m in four sale-and-leaseback property deals, bringing the supermarket's total capital gains from property to over £2bn over the past two years. In 2006 the retailer set out to release £5bn from property deals by 2011.

  • TFC Homeloans returns to Kensington panel

    28 Aug 2008

    TFC Homeloans has been reinstated on the Kensington Mortgages packager panel.

  • TFC Homeloans returns to Kensington panel

    28 Aug 2008

    TFC Homeloans has been reinstated on the Kensington Mortgages packager panel.

  • The London Mortgage Broker Bubble

    27 Aug 2008

    As a London Mortgage Broker it is sometimes difficult to look at the country as whole and take our heads out of the London bubble.

  • The long-term march of house prices

    26 Aug 2008

    It's easy to get downcast by gloomy stories about the market. I've no doubt the articles are based on sound data, given that most indices suggest house prices have been falling for 10 consecutive months. Only an estate agent living in a parallel universe could disagree with the fact of falling prices.

  • Time to start knocking on the right doors

    29 Aug 2008

    As secured loan lenders continue to exit the market, Richard Croll, business development manager at secured loan network, Yourbrokernetwork.co.uk asks who should take responsibility for injecting funds back into the secured loans industry.

  • TMW boosts choice with 19 deals

    26 Aug 2008

    The Mortgage Works has launched 19 products across its buy-to-let and self-cert ranges.

  • Trigold software to aid compliance

    26 Aug 2008

    Trigold has beefed up its Prospector AAA software to include a cost planner and a facility to save compliance documents such as Key Facts Illustrations.

  • Trustguard ARs may lose out

    26 Aug 2008

    Appointed representatives of Trustguard Credit Services are concerned that the winding down of the firm could see them wave goodbye to thousands of pounds in unpaid proc fees.

  • Two new recruits to ERC's panel

    26 Aug 2008

    Equity Release Club has added reversion specialists Home & Capital and Dunfermline to its provider panel.

  • Unsecured lender on Portfield panel

    26 Aug 2008

    Portfield Loans & Mortgages has added unsecured lender FLM to its panel. FLM offers loans of up to £3,000 to borrowers struggling to access credit.

  • Woolwich drops fixed rates

    29 Aug 2008

    Woolwich, the lending arm of Barclays, is cutting its fixed rate mortgages by up to 0.28% as SWAP rates continue to reduce the cost of funding mortgages.

  • Your shout

    26 Aug 2008

    Question: My client’s mortgage deal with Nationwide ends in November. He’s anxious to sort out another deal now as he’s worried rates could rise by then but I’m tempted to advise him to wait as I think there could be better deals by the autumn. There’s a complication too as he only needs just over £20,000 and has five years left on his mortgage. Any tips on lenders that would be prepared to offer him a good deal?

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