Mortgage Strategy
27 October 2008

  • A bit of pre-recession optimism

    1 Nov 2008

    Sally Laker, managing director of Mortgage Intelligence, is feeling more optimistic than she did last month but she filed her column just ahead of Mervyn King mentioning the dreaded R-word...

  • A very British IT dilemma

    1 Nov 2008

    Lenders rail against their legacy technologies but find them so woven into the fabric of their businesses that they can't see a mid-term future without them, says Ian Benn of Fidelity National Information Services

  • A&L says many brokers are refusing to diversify

    27 Oct 2008

    Four out of 10 brokers are refusing to diversify in the face of the credit crunch.

  • Abbey cuts fixed rates by up to 0.35%

    31 Oct 2008

    Abbey is dropping rates by up to 0.35% across its fixed rate range available at 60% and 70% LTV.

  • Abbey sees mortgage market share grow

    28 Oct 2008

    Abbey's market share of gross mortgage lending has risen to 12.6% from 9.8% in Q3 2007.

  • Abbey's gross lending share up in Q3

    28 Oct 2008

    Abbey's market share of gross mortgage lending has risen to 12.6% from 9.8% in Q3 2007.

  • Another manic Monday for stock markets

    27 Oct 2008

    Shares around the world are falling this morning with the FTSE dropping by as much as 5.6% to 3,665 at open.

  • Balanced scorecards can be used for good or evil purposes

    27 Oct 2008

    I read the usually credible Peter Mounty's article 'Politicians have messed up the housing market' (Mortgage Strategy October 13) with some disquiet. Not because I disagree with its overall sentiment but because of his view that the balanced scorecard is corporate subterfuge.

  • Bank of England expects $2.8trillion in losses

    28 Oct 2008

    The Bank of England has doubled its prediction of financial sector losses to $2.8trillion or £1.8trillion.

  • Banks' refusal to lend cash keeps LIBOR rates high

    27 Oct 2008

    As I write this column three-month LIBOR stands at 6.11%, over 1.6% above the Bank of England base rate.

  • Barclays plans to raise £7.3bn

    31 Oct 2008

    Barclays is hoping to raise £7.3bn in capital from new and existing investors.

  • Barclays' shares take a hit

    31 Oct 2008

    Shares in Barclays are plummeting in the wake of news it plans to raise up to £7.3bn from Middle Eastern investors.

  • Barclays to raise 7.3bn in capital

    31 Oct 2008

    Barclays is hoping to raise 7.3bn in capital from new and existing investors.

  • Beckett says HIPs not living up to potential

    28 Oct 2008

    Housing minister Margaret Beckett is acknowledging the weakness of Home Information Packs following months of dissatisfaction from across the industry.

  • Blaming Bill for the credit crunch

    1 Nov 2008

    Forget greedy bankers and dodgy brokers persuading people living on the margin to take out massive loans to buy homes in Ohio - the real culprit behind the credit crunch is ex-President Bill Clinton.

  • Broker says 0.5% rate cut won't make a difference

    31 Oct 2008

    A 0.5% cut in interest rates will have little to no effect on the availability of mortgages for those looking to buy, says Joyce Coackley managing director of MCEdgebaston.

  • Brokers must act to stop repossessions

    27 Oct 2008

    It took a while but at last we are seeing concerted action by governments and central banks around the world to restore confidence in the financial markets.

  • Brokers must charge fees to survive crunch

    27 Oct 2008

    Congratulations to Jonathan Cornell for his consistently informative and interesting Marketwatch column.

  • Brokers should return to old-fashioned values

    28 Oct 2008

    An insurance campaigner is urging brokers to return to old-fashioned values in order to protect clients.

  • Brokers vote to ban single premium PPI

    31 Oct 2008

    A staggering 70% of Loandistributor.co.uk readers have voted for the sale of single premium PPI alongside unsecured loans be banned in our straw poll. Only 30% of readers did not want to the insurance banned.This week’s straw poll question is: Do you think the AFB should lobby the government for FSA regulation of secured loans?

  • Brown hints at joint rate cut

    27 Oct 2008

    Prime Minister Gordon Brown has hinted that another joint rate cut could be on the cards for struggling economies.

  • Brown must act to stop trauma of repossession

    27 Oct 2008

    We have seen alarming evidence highlighting a rapid rise in repossessions and Northern Rock is one of the worst culprits.

  • Building Societies see increase in lending

    29 Oct 2008

    Net mortgage lending by building societies increased to £314m in September, up from -£37m in August, but was still 47% lower than the figure for September last year.

  • Building Societies’ lending picks up in September

    29 Oct 2008

    Net mortgage lending by building societies increased to £314m in September, up from -£37m in August, but was still 47% lower than the £592m figure for September last year.

  • Burgess backs rent-back regulation

    27 Oct 2008

    Payment protection insurance group Burgesses is hailing the government's proposal to return sale-and-rent-back companies to regulatory control.

  • Bush summons G20 to discuss credit crunch

    27 Oct 2008

    US President George W Bush has called a meeting of the G20 economies on November 15 to discuss international action to tackle the ongoing global financial crisis.

  • Cable calls out government on repossessions

    28 Oct 2008

    Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor, is chastising the government for failing to bring forward radical reforms to stem the flow of repossessions.

  • Call for caps on sub-prime rates

    27 Oct 2008

    A Labour MP is calling on Whitehall to establish interest rate caps in the sub-prime market.

  • Can we still say 'entrepreneur'?

    1 Nov 2008

    Philip Tebbatt says the letter the FSA recently sent to companies on remuneration and risk management could deter a generation of financial services risk-takers from making a valuable contribution to the economy

  • CC denies bank pressure on PPI

    27 Oct 2008

    The Competition Commission has denied it was forced to postpone the findings of its work into the payment protection insurance market because of pressure from banks.

  • Charting a course through crisis

    1 Nov 2008

    Gary Styles, strategy, risk and economics director at Hometrack, highlights the importance of forecasting in these uncertain economic times, and the need to question the consensus view

  • Click launches exclusive product

    28 Oct 2008

    Click has today launched an exclusive new term insurance product for its target customers.

  • CML calls on Treasury to publish Crosby review

    28 Oct 2008

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has reiterated its calls to the Treasury to publish the long-awaited outcomes of the Crosby review.

  • CML issues repossession guidance

    27 Oct 2008

    Last week the Council of Mortgage Lenders issued guidelines on repossessions following the publication of the Civil Justice Council's arrears protocol.

  • Competent Adviser launches redesigned website

    29 Oct 2008

    Competent Adviser has launched its redesigned website to assist firms with compliance and staff development.

  • Conference to help UK corner Islamic market

    27 Oct 2008

    UK Trade & Investment is backing a conference on November 4 designed to help the UK become a global provider of Islamic finance.

  • Credit crisis costs firms £1.8trillion

    28 Oct 2008

    The Bank of England has doubled its prediction of financial sector losses to £1.8trillion.

  • Credit crunch forces Rightmove to cut jobs

    27 Oct 2008

    Rightmove is making around 20% of its workforce redundant due to the scale of the housing downturn.

  • Crunch hits Britons' mental health

    27 Oct 2008

    Mental health charity MIND has warned that the credit crunch is taking its toll on Britons' psychological well-being.

  • Curriculumvitae: Stuart Wilson

    27 Oct 2008

    Describe your current jobBuilding the Equity Advice franchise group and Equity Release Club into profitable and respected brands.

  • Debt advice body launches industry qualification

    28 Oct 2008

    A debt advice trade body has launched a national industry qualification in a bid to stamp out poor quality debt advice.

  • Debt advisers slam claim that repossession beats rent-back

    27 Oct 2008

    Legal and debt advisers are up in arms over claims that sale-and-rent-back schemes leave home owners 30,000 worse off than getting repossessed.

  • Different strokes to survive the downturn

    27 Oct 2008

    As the economic downturn begins to bite we will see more businesses throwing in the towel in the coming months.

  • Diversify and survive

    27 Oct 2008

    Our cover feature this week lays out in plain terms that if brokers want to survive they must accept that diversification is necessary.

  • Don't be at fault with defaults

    1 Nov 2008

    Paul Fenn, managing director of special servicing at HML, explores the problems facing lenders when their customers fall into arrears, and looks at how special servicing can help

  • E2M to Wear it Pink on Friday

    27 Oct 2008

    Easier2Move will be dressed in pink on October 31 in support of the Wear it Pink campaign for breast cancer.

  • Edge v2 integrates with eConveyancer

    28 Oct 2008

    Brokers using the Edge v2 sourcing system can now access conveyancing quotes without having to re-enter information.

  • em-'s unoffered pipeline to be processed by end of week

    27 Oct 2008

    Beacon Mortgage Packaging aims to have processed all unoffered cases from em-financial’s pipeline by the end of the week.

  • Escape route

    27 Oct 2008

    Things look bleak for brokers. The market is contracting and income is down but there is a way out of this mess as long as firms diversify their offerings to clientsThe outlook for the UK economy is tough for the rest of 2008 and looks likely to deteriorate further in 2009.

  • Evaluate adopts mortgage data standards

    27 Oct 2008

    Evaluate Technologies has adopted mortgage data standards to boost integration between lenders and brokers.

  • Ex-John Charcol chairman joins Towergate Financial

    27 Oct 2008

    Former John Charcol chairman Ian Darby has been appointed chief executive at Towergate Financial.

  • Fall in LIBOR shows greater readiness to lend

    27 Oct 2008

    Three-month LIBOR slowly crept down last week, falling from 6.11% on Monday to 5.9% on Friday.

  • Fed slashes rates 0.5%

    29 Oct 2008

    The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates 0.5% to 1% based on unanimous support from its board of governors.

  • Firm fined £49,000 for anti-money laundering failings

    29 Oct 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has fined Sindicatum Holdings, a corporate advisory firm, £49,000 for failing to have adequate anti-money laundering systems in place.

  • Firms plan to cut jobs

    31 Oct 2008

    More than one in four employers are planning to make new or further redundancies in the next year, reveals the latest research from the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development.

  • Focus is diversification at MBE London

    29 Oct 2008

    The Mortgage Business Expo London has revealed details of its 360 Degree Broker Zone to help brokers identify other income streams outside of mortgages.

  • Forclosures are a necessary evil

    27 Oct 2008

    Repossession is a simple concept yet in recent weeks the government and the media have been guilty of confusing the issue more than I thought possible.

  • Former mortgage adviser pleads guilty to forgery

    28 Oct 2008

    A former mortgage adviser has pleaded guilty to five counts of providing misleading information to the Financial Services Authority.

  • FOS warns poor claims handling may lead to extra compensation

    31 Oct 2008

    Financial businesses should be aware that, in considering claims referred to it, the Financial Ombudsman Service may, in addition to awarding compensation for the underlying claim, award damages for distress, inconvenience or other non-financial loss caused by the business.

  • Fright night

    27 Oct 2008

    Terror stalked the halls of mortgageforce as technical manager Katie Tucker was called on by the BBC last Wednesday to talk about repossession rule changes.

  • FSA poised to regulate customer treatment in everyday banking

    1 Nov 2008

    The Financial Services Authority is proposing a revised framework to regulate the way banks and building societies treat their customers. This will effectively result in the watchdog regulating everyday banking.

  • Fury at Northern Rock for placing phoenix firm on broker panel

    27 Oct 2008

    Brokers are outraged by rumours that a phoenix firm whose old brand was placed into administration with debts of £1.3m is on Northern Rock's secret broker panel.

  • GEMHL hikes rates as Oryen falls

    27 Oct 2008

    GE Money Home Lending dealt another blow to the packager community last week by hiking its rates for the second time in two months.

  • Goldsmith Williams named most innovative law firm

    29 Oct 2008

    Goldsmith Williams has been named the UK’s most innovative law firm and the top firm for corporate social responsibility by Top Legal Employers Research.

  • Good business and good works

    1 Nov 2008

    Well, we were there anyhow and it seemed fun to picture Mike Lazenby in the Diana seat at the Taj Mahal. It's an unlikely composition but the Queen of Hearts would have approved of the help Lazenby's Kent Reliance gives to the AIDS orphans of Mangalore

  • Government should consider helping clients remortgage

    27 Oct 2008

    I read with interest the support the government is giving to first-time buyers with no deposits via its My Choice HomeBuy scheme.

  • Higher fees for clients fact of life in 2009, says L&G

    27 Oct 2008

    Remortgaging has turned into an unaffordable luxury for struggling borrowers as a result of rising mortgage fees and a cut in free legals, warns Legal & General.

  • House price crash of 37% on cards

    27 Oct 2008

    Capital Economics is predicting that house prices will fall 37% by the end of 2010.

  • House prices fall 1.4% in October

    30 Oct 2008

    Nationwide is reporting a 1.4% fall in the average property price in October.

  • House prices fall 2.2% in September

    28 Oct 2008

    The latest figures from the Land Registry show that house prices fell by 2.2% in September, with an annual fall of 8%.

  • House prices fall despite boost to sales

    27 Oct 2008

    House prices have fallen to levels last seen in March 2006, reveals the latest data from Hometrack.

  • House prices to drop 25%

    27 Oct 2008

    The average house price is set to fall by £50,000 or £25% by the end of 2009, compared with Q3 of 2007, shows the latest publication by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

  • House prices to tumble 25%

    27 Oct 2008

    The average house price is set to fall by £50,000 or £25% by the end of 2009, compared with Q3 of 2007, shows the latest publication by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

  • HSBC is most competitive lender

    28 Oct 2008

    HSBC is the UK's most competitive mortgage lender according to analysis from mform.co.uk, with Yorkshire coming a close second.

  • Independent legal advice crucial to ER transactions

    27 Oct 2008

    Consumer watchdog Which? has once again ruffled financial sector feathers by suggesting that equity release should only be used as a last resort.

  • Institutions hand a Hungary $25.1bn get-out-of-jail card

    1 Nov 2008

    The International Monetary Fund, the EU and the World Bank have confirmed a joint financing package for Hungary totalling $25.1bn, to bolster its economy.

  • Irish lender fined for exploiting deposit guarantee

    1 Nov 2008

    The Irish Nationwide Building Society has been fined €50,000 for touting for business in the UK on the strength of the blanket guarantee on bank deposits given by the government of the Republic.

  • Is FSA regulation on the horizon

    31 Oct 2008

    The subject of secured loan regulation has been lingering around in the industry for a couple of years without any action actually having been taken.

  • Just Retirement rejigs sales and marketing team

    27 Oct 2008

    Just Retirement has restructured its sales and marketing team adding sales and distribution to his remit as marketing director.

  • Kent Reliance sets record straight on SVR level

    27 Oct 2008

    We read with interest your article 'Only two mutuals pass on full base rate cut' (Mortgage Strategy Online October 17) and feel it is only right to set the record straight regarding our SVR.

  • King's stark warning for LIBOR

    27 Oct 2008

    Bank of England governor Mervyn King has warned that short-term interbank funding could be gone for good.

  • KRS launches Premier Partners

    27 Oct 2008

    Key Retirement Solutions is launching a network of preferred distribution partners to promote its presence in the equity release market.

  • L&E parent posts 19.7% rise in sales

    27 Oct 2008

    London & European Title Insurance Services' parent firm the April Group posted sales of 408m for the first nine months of 2008, up 19.7% on 2007.

  • L&G mortgage network celebrates fourth anniversary

    28 Oct 2008

    Legal & General Partnership Services will be celebrating completing £66bn worth of mortgage applications when it reaches its fourth anniversary on October 31, the same anniversary of mortgage regulation.

  • Lancashire broker banned by regulator

    27 Oct 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has banned Neil MacKay of Ideal Insurance in Lancashire for failing to pass on customer premiums to insurers.

  • Late payments

    27 Oct 2008

    Bank of England governor Mervyn King has offered a cautionary tale about government spending. He recounted that in 1958 the then governor of the BoE Cameron Cobbold explained to Robin Day on TV what national debt was. Day responded by asking if the UK had finished paying for World War II.

  • Lending small business a hand

    1 Nov 2008

    The government is urging lenders to help small businesses in these difficult times. Julien Holmes, managing director of Crown Mortgage Management, explores their options

  • Let's get things in perspective

    1 Nov 2008

    Michael Coogan, director-general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, says that in the long run the real issue will be affordable housing but getting there will mean overcoming a lot of hurdles

  • Lib Dems warn of winter of discontent

    27 Oct 2008

    The Liberal Democrats are warning that we are on the verge of entering into a winter of discontent as consumers grapple with the threat of recession.

  • Living in fear of negative equity

    1 Nov 2008

    Some 170,000 Irish home owners could be facing negative by the end of next year if house prices continue to fall at their current rate, according to new research.

  • Lloyds appoints group executive board

    30 Oct 2008

    Lloyds TSB Group has unveiled the group executive committee that will lead the combined group next year pending approval of the HBOS acquisition.

  • Lloyds expects £1.5bn in savings

    1 Nov 2008

    Lloyds TSB claims its proposed merger with HBOS will deliver pre-tax cost savings of at least £1.5bn by the end of 2011.

  • Lloyds launches merger info webpage

    31 Oct 2008

    Lloyds TSB has dedicated part of its website to reassuring customers about the proposed merger with HBOS.

  • Lloyds TSB unveils group executive committee

    31 Oct 2008

    Lloyds TSB Group has unveiled the group executive committee that will lead the combined group next year pending approval of the HBOS acquisition.

  • Loanmakers staff enter into consultation

    28 Oct 2008

    Secured loan master broker Loanmakers has put staff into consultation with a view to halving its 70-strong workforce.

  • Loanmakers to shed up to 50% of workforce

    28 Oct 2008

    Secured loan master broker Loanmakers has put staff into consultation with a view to halving its 70-strong workforce.

  • Marketwatch 27/10/2008

    27 Oct 2008

    Sorry you are stuck with me again but Jonathan Cornell has been doing more important things, i.e. attending the birth of his first-born child.

  • Modus to move house

    28 Oct 2008

    Modus Mortgage Network is relocating to Modus House near Silverstone.

  • Mortgage Brain trio reach summit

    27 Oct 2008

    Mortgage Brain managing director Mark Lofthouse has raised 2,500 and counting after successfully ascending to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

  • Mortgage regulation - Four years on

    31 Oct 2008

    Friday October 31 marked four years since the mortgage market became regulated.

  • Mortgage Times exclusive via Platform

    27 Oct 2008

    Mortgage Times is offering an exclusive three-year fixed rate buy-to-let product at 5.99% available up to 75% LTV via Platform.

  • Mortgage Times offers extra commission incentive

    27 Oct 2008

    Mortgage Times along with preferred commercial finance partner E1 Finance is offering an additional £75 commission for brokers who have clients applying for commercial finance.

  • Moveme.com appoints marketing director

    28 Oct 2008

    Paul Treanor has been appointed to the role of marketing director at Moveme.com.

  • Movers and shakers

    1 Nov 2008

    The list of high-profile casualties of the credit crunch continued to grow last month with HBOS chief executive Andy Hornby, Royal Bank of Scotland head man Sir Fred Goodwin, HBOS chairman Lord Stevenson of Coddenham and RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop all heading for the exit door while RBS global markets chairman Johnny Cameron stepped down with immediate effect.

  • MP Abbott backs plan to protect 4,500 jobs at HBOS HQ in Halifax

    27 Oct 2008

    MP Diane Abbott has thrown her weight behind a political campaign to safeguard jobs in Halifax, west Yorkshire in the wake of Lloyds TSB's proposed takeover of HBOS.

  • MPC dove calls for rate cuts

    30 Oct 2008

    David Blancheflower, member of the Monetary Policy Committee, is calling for significant and quick interest rate cuts.

  • MPs blast Rock foreclosure stance

    27 Oct 2008

    Northern Rock's repossession policies have come under increasing scrutiny from MPs who are concerned about the hardline stance the government-owned lender is taking.

  • Myopic Treasury failed to see shareholder threat

    27 Oct 2008

    So the government has finally woken up to the fact that investors are likely to be angry if they're asked to forgo any return on their investment for five years.

  • N4 + 4 = FSA - S

    1 Nov 2008

    On the fourth anniversary of Mortgage Day when the Financial Services Authority assumed responsibility for mortgage lending - code-named N4 - John Murray reviews the regulator’s achievements

  • Nationwide raises trackers

    31 Oct 2008

    Nationwide is cutting prices on some two-year fixed rate deals and increasing tracker rates from tomorrow.

  • Nationwide sees 1.4% fall in house prices

    31 Oct 2008

    Nationwide is reporting a 1.4% fall in the average property price in October.

  • Network Data Holdings calls EGM

    28 Oct 2008

    Network Data Holdings has called an extraordinary general meeting to address speculation over the sale of its head office.

  • Non-payment sign of network trouble

    27 Oct 2008

    Sesame is warning brokers that delayed commission payments from networks could be an early warning sign of wider financial problems.

  • One in 10 home owners could face negative equity

    28 Oct 2008

    One in 10 home owners face the threat of negative equity if house prices fall another 15%, data from the Bank of England reveals.

  • Only 18 ARs join PTFS

    27 Oct 2008

    Just 18 Prestbury Financial appointed representatives have transferred to Personal Touch Financial Services thus far.

  • Out of the shadows

    1 Nov 2008

    On October 7, John Murray met Mark Hoban, Conservative shadow Treasury secretary, to talk about the credit crisis and the role of the opposition when party interests have to play second fiddle

  • Pain is temporary and quitting is not an option

    27 Oct 2008

    As I sunned myself in Greece on a much-needed holiday in August 2007, I had no idea how the my BlackBerry signalled massive changes in my life, the mortgage industry, the UK and ultimately the world economy.

  • Paradigm offers members investment plan

    30 Oct 2008

    Paradigm Group is offering its members an investment product linked to the stock market performance of four high street banks.

  • Parallels with the past offer future comfort

    27 Oct 2008

    The UK economy is a different creature now compared with 18 years ago, though all this talk of recession can't help but inspire recollections of the early 1990s. John Major was Prime Minister, Nigel Lawson had just resigned as chancellor and Norman Lamont succeeded him.

  • People, property and fairness

    1 Nov 2008

    Paul Duckworth, director of the Charlbury Group, takes a look at arrears management in conjunction with the regulator's concern that lenders treat their customers fairly

  • Persimmon posts write-downs of £600m

    27 Oct 2008

    Persimmon has revealed write-downs of £600m in light of continued uncertainty and deteriorating trading conditions in the housing market.

  • Pink boosts GI panel

    27 Oct 2008

    Pink Home Loans has expanded its general insurance panel to include Abbey, Halifax and Higos.

  • Positive Lending calls cops over mystery hoaxer

    29 Oct 2008

    Positive Lending has called in police to investigate after a mystery hoaxer claimed the firm has gone bust.

  • Possessions soar by 71%

    28 Oct 2008

    Possessions have risen by 71% since Q2 2007, data from the Financial Services Authority reveals.

  • Possessions up 71% year-on-year

    28 Oct 2008

    Possessions have risen by 71% since Q2 2007, data from the Financial Services Authority reveals.

  • Pound could fall to $1.40 says currency specialist

    28 Oct 2008

    Currency specialist Caxton FX is warning the pound could fall as low as $1.40 as the downturn continues.

  • Promise guide to secured loans

    27 Oct 2008

    Secured loan master broker Promise Solutions has launched a beginner's guide to secured loans to help boost the income of mortgage brokers.

  • Promise launches the loan recycler

    27 Oct 2008

    Promise Solutions has launched the loan recycler, a system which automatically re-underwrites previously rejected loan enquiries when better products come to the market.

  • Protection leads for a tenner

    27 Oct 2008

    Leadpoint is offering insurance leads from £10. Products include buildings and contents, tenant contents and landlord buildings insurance.

  • Prudential heads list for lifetime completions

    27 Oct 2008

    Prudential has emerged as the leading provider of lifetime mortgage completions with over 25% of market share.

  • RBS feels the pain as it declares write-downs of £206m for Q3

    1 Nov 2008

    Royal Bank of Scotland, which is seeking to recapitalise, has revealed write-downs of £206m for Q3 2008, and warned that its full-year figures will be hit by rising bad debts and write-downs.

  • Reckless borrowers could feel OFT wrath

    31 Oct 2008

    The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries is calling on the Office of Fair Trading to take action against irresponsible borrowers as part of its irresponsible lending project.

  • Rubber soul

    27 Oct 2008

    Mole received this joke emblem from none other than John Charcol's Ray Boulger. "The government is changing its branding to a condom because it more accurately reflects its political stance," Boulger says.

  • Scarborough demise shows mutuals' vulnerability

    1 Nov 2008

    Evidence that building societies as well as mortgage banks are vulnerable in the current economic turmoil surfaced last month, with the news that Barnsley is to merge with the Yorkshire Building Society and Scarborough is to be subsumed within Skipton.

  • Section 166 Report propaganda gives compliance bad name

    27 Oct 2008

    Kevin Paterson's look at self-appointed experts on radio and television struck a chord (Mortgage Strategy October 20). When it comes to self-interested scaremongering there's little interest in the truth.

  • Sesame's Ivan Martin takes up AIFA role

    28 Oct 2008

    The Association of Independent Financial Advisers has appointed Sesame’s executive chairman Ivan Martin to the role of deputy chairman.

  • Sex, financial capability and corporate social responsibility

    1 Nov 2008

    Financial capability is a bit like sex education, I ventured to the charming lady from Citizens Advice - there is a danger of focusing too much on the mechanics and not enough on the context of the transaction.

  • Signature silliness

    27 Oct 2008

    Mole has stumbled across this petition posted on the Number 10 website by Mortgages.co.uk calling for the government to effectively nationalise not banks but anyone with a mortgage.

  • Single premium PPI may die natural death

    27 Oct 2008

    An insurance provider has predicted that the negative publicity surrounding payment protection insurance could see single premium PPI disappear of its own accord without legislative changes.

  • Sipping down Raki, and reading Maynard Keynes

    29 Oct 2008

    For many people of a certain age John Maynard Keynes is a bizarre mention in the classic Deacon Blue song Dignity, but this most unfashionable of economic theorists is making a comeback.

  • Small firms in line for £4bn in European loans

    30 Oct 2008

    Alistair Darling has announced that small and medium-sized businesses could receive £4bn in loans from the European Investment Bank.

  • Solent Mortgage Services finds buyer

    28 Oct 2008

    Solent Mortgage Services has been bought by the Phoenix Group.

  • Solent snapped up by Phoenix Group

    29 Oct 2008

    Solent Mortgage Services has been bought by the Phoenix Group.

  • Specialist deals will return with housing market, says conveyancer

    31 Oct 2008

    Barnetts Solicitors is bucking the trend of doom and gloom and predicting a boom in specialist mortgage lending when the housing market returns.

  • Spectre of dual pricing raises its head again

    27 Oct 2008

    The dual pricing debate is alive and kicking with lenders offering higher LTVs to direct clients than those available to brokers.

  • Stricter lending controls would have sparked outrage, says Lib Dem MP

    27 Oct 2008

    A Liberal Democrat MP says stricter mortgage regulation wasn't possible in the lead up to the credit crunch.

  • Student and holiday rentals shine through market gloom, says Assetz

    27 Oct 2008

    Student accommodation, hotel rooms and UK holiday homes are proving increasingly popular with buy-to-let investors in light of falling rental incomes, says Assetz.

  • Sub-prime lender sees volumes rise in Q3

    27 Oct 2008

    Cattles has seen volumes rise nearly 300m in Q3 2008 and has been approved by the regulator to accept retail deposits.

  • Suddenly, sovereigns are sexy

    1 Nov 2008

    Barclays is to recapitalise to the tune of £7.3bn by tapping into the sovereign wealth funds of Abu Dhabi and Qatar rather than sacrifice its freedom to pay dividends under the government's scheme.

  • Talking outside the box

    1 Nov 2008

    Just three weeks into his appointment as Vertex's MD Mortgages Mark Charlesworth dropped by to talk about his new job and give us his take on what's happening in third-party administration and the industry generally

  • The ghost of BMC returns to haunt us

    28 Oct 2008

    Gordon Brown hasn’t got a mandate from the people but if he had gone ahead with a general election during his honeymoon period as the new Prime Minister, would he have been elected on a manifesto that promised the virtual nationalisation of HBOS, Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland?

  • The Yorkshire absorbs Barnsley

    27 Oct 2008

    The Yorkshire has merged with Barnsley after the smaller mutual was left with a gaping hole in its finances following the collapse of two Icelandic banks.

  • Time to expand

    27 Oct 2008

    "Don't worry about business volumes going down," says Peter Sprung, chief executive of Park Row. "Just revisit past clients and review their current protection provision."

  • TMA hosts business forums

    28 Oct 2008

    The Mortgage Alliance is hosting a series of business forums for directly authorised firms this November.

  • TMA to host business forums

    28 Oct 2008

    The Mortgage Alliance is hosting a series of business forums for directly authorised firms this November.

  • TMC slapped with three-week HBOS ban

    27 Oct 2008

    HBOS suspended The Money Centre from placing business with it for three weeks following irregularities in some of its applications.

  • Today is a good day to sell protection

    27 Oct 2008

    Another day, another change in the financial landscape. Borrow and spend has become scrimp clients with money to invest are hard to find and the number of home owners with enough equity to warrant remortgages are dwindling.

  • Too hot to handle

    27 Oct 2008

    With Lending Strategy editor John Murray safely back in Blighty from his "fact-finding" trip to India with Kent Reliance chief executive Mike Lazenby, Mole braced himself for a deluge of Delhi Belly tales.

  • Total net lending rises by £2.4bn

    29 Oct 2008

    Total net lending to individuals rose by £2.4bn in September compared to August but is still below the six-month average, reveals the Bank of England.

  • Trackers at 2007 levels, reveals Moneyfacts

    28 Oct 2008

    Tracker rates are being offered at the same levels as last year despite cuts to the base rate, reveals Moneyfacts.co.uk.

  • Trigold integrates with Leadreporter.com

    27 Oct 2008

    Trigold is integrating with online lead reporting tool Leadreporter.com to help brokers convert leads into income.

  • UCB demise seen as inevitable

    27 Oct 2008

    UCB Home Loans' termination by parent brand Nationwide last week has been viewed as inevitable by brokers.

  • UK bailout trumps Euro plans

    27 Oct 2008

    Standard & Poor's has praised the UK's approach to recapitalising its major banks, comparing it favourably with the action taken by its European peers.

  • UKFI to manage government's bank shareholdings

    1 Nov 2008

    The government's shareholdings in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB/HBOS are to be managed on a commercial basis by a new arm's length firm, UK Financial Investments.

  • US mortgage banking, 2012

    1 Nov 2008

    With everyone wondering what's going to happen next, Craig Focardi continues his quarterly analysis of the US mortgage scene with a bold look into the future

  • Vision offers brokers free Leadbay leads

    27 Oct 2008

    Vision Network is offering £50 worth of free Leadbay leads to brokers who attend its wealth check forums and spend £100 on leads.

  • Vultures complain that hyenas are eating all the food

    27 Oct 2008

    Regarding last week's news story 'Repossession better than rent-back deals', this is not a case of poacher-turned-gamekeeper - it's more akin to vultures complaining there are hyenas around devouring the same victims.

  • What customers really want

    1 Nov 2008

    Capital Blue, our partner in the Lending Excellence Awards, is excited about a breakthrough in its analysis that dramatically changes the way lenders extract key customer satisfaction information. Capital Blue director Steve Miell explains

  • Whitehall told to push shared equity schemes

    27 Oct 2008

    The Liberal Democrats have attacked the government over its failure to raise awareness of shared equity schemes.

  • Your Case Signed launches instruction platform

    27 Oct 2008

    Specialist repping company YCS has launched a web portal for brokers instructing appointments.

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