Mortgage Strategy
30 March 2009

  • 60 seconds with...Paul Broadhead

    30 Mar 2009

    What made you jump ship from AHIPP to the BSA? My move from the Association of Home Information Pack Providers in November 2008 was because there was an opportunity for myself and the Building Societies Association to get back into mortgages and set up a team from scratch.

  • A view from xit2

    1 Apr 2009

    One of the great benefits of having a wild-fire rage through forests is that it cleans out the dead wood and undergrowth. There is a lot of destruction that goes on, botanically speaking, in the fire

  • Abbey axes 6,000 solicitors from its residential mortgage panel

    30 Mar 2009

    Abbey has trimmed just over 6,000 solicitors and conveyancers from its residential mortgage panel.

  • Abbey launches four-year fixed for first-time buyers

    2 Apr 2009

    Abbey for Intermediaries is launching a four-year fixed rate deal for first-time buyers at 5.84%.

  • Abbey to offer bundled mortgages

    31 Mar 2009

    Speaking at the Abbey Key Accounts Conference in Sunningdale today, Ricky Okey, managing director of intermediary distribution for Abbey and A&L, says it plans to offer current accounts and other products alongside mortgages.

  • AfI launches new website for brokers

    30 Mar 2009

    Abbey for Intermediaries is launching an updated version of its website which offers brokers quick access to product criteria and pre-sales research tools.

  • AMI predicts broker market could shrink 50%

    31 Mar 2009

    Speaking at the Abbey Key Accounts Conference in Sunningdale today, Chris Cummings, director general of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, says the number of mortgage brokers could drop to 15,000 by the end of 2009.

  • Angry ARs petition Network Data in bid to win payment

    30 Mar 2009

    Aggrieved Network Data appointed representatives descended on Botleys Mansion last week in a bid to retrieve money they allege is owed to them.

  • Average UK house price rises £3,000 in March

    2 Apr 2009

    The latest figures from Nationwide shows that the average house price actually rose by £3,000 last month, from £147,000 in February to £150,000 in March.

  • Barclays turns down application based on income

    30 Mar 2009

    If there is a psychiatric doctor out there, then could they please confirm if it is me that is going mad or the rest of the world?

  • BDS staff face doubt on future

    30 Mar 2009

    Staff at Skipton subsidiary BDS Mortgage Group have been placed into consultation over their jobs while the firm considers its options.

  • Beat Tesco to the punch on legals

    30 Mar 2009

    If you've ever fancied the idea of wearing a wig (a curly one, to be precise) then your big moment has come, because with effect from March 31 it's possible for non-lawyers to become partners in law firms.

  • Boulger calls for suspension of Stamp Duty

    1 Apr 2009

    Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at John Charcol is calling for Chancellor Alistair Darling to suspend residential Stamp Duty in the April Budget.

  • Broker co-operative offers advisers chance to take a stake in collective

    30 Mar 2009

    A new broker co-operative is looking to recruit brokers that want to run their own business while taking a stake in an overarching company.

  • Broker cull will restore natural order

    30 Mar 2009

    A recent poll carried out by Mortgage Strategy reveals that 32% of brokers are unlikely to renew their Financial Services Authority permissions this year. This should not come as a surprise - it's simply the natural order of things.

  • Brokers can be confident of their future role

    30 Mar 2009

    In February, the FSA warned that standards for mortgage advice were still disappointingly low and claimed that consumers had low levels of trust in advisers, driven by their concerns over the quality of advice and standards of service. I believe the situation is far more complicated than this.

  • Brokers committed to DA status says TMA

    1 Apr 2009

    TMA's directly authorised broker survey shows almost two thirds of DA brokers think recent stories regarding some networks withholding proc fees has led them to reaffirm their commitment to DA status.

  • Brokers urged to place clients on long-term fixed rate deals

    30 Mar 2009

    Brokers are being urged to take advantage of historically low interest rates and place their clients onto long-term fixed rate mortgages.

  • Builders appeal for stimulus package as Celtic Tiger turns tail

    1 Apr 2009

    The once booming construction sector in Ireland has issued a 'save our industry' appeal to the government as the property crash and the credit crunch drive an increasing number of companies in the sector towards bankruptcy.

  • C&G borrowers pay 1p a month

    30 Mar 2009

    Some 1,400 Cheltenham & Gloucester borrowers are paying just 1p a month on their mortgages as the Bank of England base rate continues to plummet towards zero.

  • Call for guarantees on high LTV home loans

    1 Apr 2009

    Tony Ward, chief executive of Home Funding, has called on the government to attach guarantees to all mortgage lending between 75% LTV and 95% LTV.

  • Calls for Stamp Duty to be abolished

    3 Apr 2009

    Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at John Charcol is calling for Chancellor Alistair Darling to suspend residential Stamp Duty in the April Budget.

  • Capping LTVs surely won't have the desired affect?

    30 Mar 2009

    I was intrigued by the rumours last week that the Financial Services Authority could limit LTVs.

  • Cattles sees write downs of up to £700m

    1 Apr 2009

    Cattles has warned its shareholders that it will have to write down up to £700m to cover bad debts.

  • Checkmate appoints finance and risk director

    31 Mar 2009

    Checkmate Mortgages has appointed John Hunt as managing director of finance and risk.

  • Cluttons warns agents against overpricing

    31 Mar 2009

    The tentative recovery of London's fragile property market is in danger of being wiped out if agents give in to the temptation to overprice properties in order to win much-needed instructions, warns Cluttons.

  • CML bid to help tenants facing repossession

    30 Mar 2009

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has put its weight behind a campaign to offer better protection for tenants whose landlords face repossession.

  • Consumers not cutting insurance

    30 Mar 2009

    Consumers cutting back on spending as a result of the downturn have revealed they consider protection products and mortgage payments too important to cut back on.

  • Copy Obama and help small lenders

    30 Mar 2009

    Last week saw President Barack Obama's boldest move yet as he attempts to steer the US out of the storm.

  • Court of Appeal ruling ahead of Foxtons case

    2 Apr 2009

    The Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling concerning Foxtons' contract terms which the Office of Fair Trading deem to be unfair.

  • Cowboy brokers ruined self-cert

    30 Mar 2009

    As the Financial Services Authority censures a mortgage broking firm for exposing customers to the risk of self-cert mis-selling, I do wonder whether the self-cert bad news will ever end.

  • Curtailing what brokers offer is not the answer

    30 Mar 2009

    The Turner proposals to severely limit LTVs and income multiples could spell the death knell for mortgage brokers.

  • Diet hard

    30 Mar 2009

    In times of crisis it's tempting to comfort eat your way back to some sort of happiness.

  • Do your homework to predict needs

    30 Mar 2009

    Specialist research company BDRC has published some interesting findings that should give us cause for optimism.

  • Don't kill initiative just for expediency

    30 Mar 2009

    Lord Adair Turner's tone following the publication of his 122-page missive on how to save the UK banking system from a second financial Armageddon is reminiscent of a previous holder of his office at the Financial Service Authority.

  • Economy remains the biggest obstacle

    30 Mar 2009

    More than half the public believe now is a good time to buy, according to the latest Building Societies Association's Property Tracker survey.

  • eGateway opens for business

    1 Apr 2009

    eGateway, an access trading platform that offers financial and non financial products has launched.

  • Exclusive sets up packaging unit

    30 Mar 2009

    Exclusive Connections has set up a special unit at its Peterborough head office to provide packaging and other services to members that would like to outsource the packaging side of their business.

  • Faint signs of buyer interest

    1 Apr 2009

    An increasing number of individuals feel the time is right to consider buying property but they are realistic about the problems they will face, says Neil Johnson, mortgage policy manager at the Building Societies Association

  • Financial services jobs cut at fastest rate for 16 years

    30 Mar 2009

    The UK financial services sector has cut jobs at the fastest rate since 1993 in a bid to cut costs and protect profit margins, a business survey has revealed.

  • Financial services sector sheds jobs to protect profit margins

    30 Mar 2009

    The financial services sector is cutting jobs at the fastest rate since 1993 in a bid to cut costs and protect profit margins.

  • Firms need to act swiftly to meet SRB regulations

    30 Mar 2009

    Having published, in February 2009, a consultation paper on plans to regulate the sale-and-rent-back activity, the Financial Services Authority has clarified its intentions to regulate such transactions undertaken by sale-and-rent-back providers.

  • FOS to shame companies that attract multiple complaints

    1 Apr 2009

    The Financial Ombudsman Service plans to name and shame companies that receive a high number of complaints between now and September.

  • FSA bans another mortgage broker for fraud

    30 Mar 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has banned Walthamstow-based mortgage adviser Ashfaq Ahmed for submitting mortgage applications on his own behalf that were based on false and misleading information about his income.

  • FSA blitz on self-cert mis-selling will continue, says AMI

    30 Mar 2009

    The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries expects the stream of Financial Services Authority fines on brokers for mis-selling self-cert mortgages to continue into 2010.

  • FSA can revamp mortgage rules

    30 Mar 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has all the tools it needs to reshape mortgage regulation after the credit crunch, claims Telos Solutions.

  • FSA finds significant improvement in KFDs

    3 Apr 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has found a significant improvement in Key Features Documents since September 2007 when it challenged firms to improve.

  • FSA holds back on mortgage market move

    1 Apr 2009

    Lord Adair Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority, has granted the mortgage industry a reprieve in his report on global banking regulation.

  • FSA sees improvement in key features documents

    1 Apr 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has found a significant improvement in Key Features Documents since September 2007 when it challenged firms to improve.

  • FSCS may change levy system to favour building societies

    1 Apr 2009

    Speculation is mounting over whether the Financial Services Compensation Scheme will change the rules surrounding building societies' contributions.

  • GE Money Home Lending pulls First National range

    30 Mar 2009

    GE Money Home Lending has pulled its First National range from the mortgage market and cut its distribution from 150 brokers and packagers to 16-18.

  • GE Money steps back from secured market

    30 Mar 2009

    GE Money Home Lending is pulling away from the secured loan market and will only continue to do a small amount of lending through five to six brokers.

  • Ghiloni joins Evaluate as commercial director

    30 Mar 2009

    Evaluate Technologies has appointed Francis Ghiloni as commercial director. Ghiloni has more than 25 years' experience in financial services and co-founded direct-to-consumer mortgage website mform.co.uk in 2006.

  • Glimmer of hope for mortgage sector as approvals increase

    1 Apr 2009

    The British Bankers' Association has provided a ray of hope for the mortgage sector, revealing a rise in net mortgage approvals between January and February.

  • Golden nuggets of good news

    1 Apr 2009

    In a predominantly bleak mortgage landscape two lenders have released exclusive deals which should be welcomed, says Sally Laker, managing director of Mortgage Intelligence

  • Government must take a controlled approach to lending

    30 Mar 2009

    In the old days, insurance companies underwrote the loan that exceeded the basic lending limit - usually 75% LTV - and fees were on a sliding scale according to risk.

  • Government urged to guarantee high LTV loans to boost lending

    30 Mar 2009

    Tony Ward, chief executive of Home Funding, has approached key government figures with a plan to get lending going again.

  • Grub up

    30 Mar 2009

    On the subject of food, it seems the diets above may soon be the only option. Latest statistics show a basket of some of the most popular brands of food now costs a third more than it did three years ago.

  • Halifax joins Paradigm conveyancing panel

    30 Mar 2009

    Paradigm Mortgage Services has added Halifax Intermediary Conveyancing Service to its conveyancing panel.

  • HML to manage Scarborough Mortgage Services

    3 Apr 2009

    Scarborough Mortgage Services is to be managed by Homeloan Management following the merger of the Scarborough and Skipton building societies this week.

  • HML to manage Scarborough Mortgage Services

    3 Apr 2009

    Scarborough Mortgage Services is to be managed by Homeloan Management following the merger of the Scarborough and Skipton building societies this week.

  • House prices continued to fall in March

    3 Apr 2009

    The latest figures from the Halifax House Price Index show that house prices dropped 1.9% in March, representing an annual decline of 17.5%.

  • House prices to stabilise this year, says Assetz

    30 Mar 2009

    Assetz is predicting an end to house price falls as early as September this year, having detected signs of a slowdown in the rate of decline in its most recent House Price Watch index.

  • House purchase loans up on six month average

    30 Mar 2009

    The number of house purchase loans approved in February was higher than the previous six month average, data from the Bank of England has revealed.

  • HSBC increases LTV to 75% on trackers

    2 Apr 2009

    HSBC is increasing its loan-to-value maximum from 60% to 75% on its 2.95% tracker mortgage, from Monday.

  • HSBC to offer whole of market mortgage advice in branches

    31 Mar 2009

    HSBC has teamed up with John Charcol to launch a seven month trial mortgage intermediary service on a whole of market basis.

  • Income multiples don't show true affordability

    30 Mar 2009

    The news that Lord Turner is weighing up whether to cap LTVs and income multiples is a typical knee-jerk reaction by a government which clearly does not consider or understand the wider ramifications of such a move.

  • Increase in mortgage approvals

    31 Mar 2009

    The number of house purchase loans approved in February was higher than the previous six month average, data from the Bank of England has revealed.

  • Inflation target should include house prices, says top economist

    30 Mar 2009

    Economist Professor David Blanchflower says house prices should be factored into the Bank of England's inflation target.

  • Investors turning to property over savings

    31 Mar 2009

    The private rented sector is likely to gain as investors turn to property for the best return on their savings, claims Paragon Mortgages.

  • Just Retirement sees new equity release business increase by 10%

    30 Mar 2009

    Just Retirement lent £81.8m in equity release mortgage advances in the six months to the end of last year, its interim figures reveal.

  • Key Retirement Solutions unveils referral proposition

    31 Mar 2009

    Key Retirement Solutions has launched a new equity release referral proposition.

  • L&G blames loss on increased default reserves

    30 Mar 2009

    Legal & General last week revealed an operating loss of £189m in 2008, compared with a profit of £658m in 2007.

  • L&G launches lead service

    3 Apr 2009

    Legal & General has launched a lead generation service to members of its mortgage network, offering advisers access to prospective clients from external lead suppliers.

  • Landlords urged to snap up fixed rate deals

    1 Apr 2009

    Mortgages for Business is urging landlords to take advantage of low fixed rate deals before the base rate begins to climb again.

  • Legal & General launches HIP panel

    30 Mar 2009

    Legal & General has launched a Home Information Pack service for directly authorised users of its mortgage club.

  • Lenders must help first-time buyers

    30 Mar 2009

    The subject of first-time buyers and the part they play in the health (or frailty) of the housing market is a subject often discussed.

  • Lenders must look after their own borrowers

    30 Mar 2009

    I've heard much debate over recent weeks and months as to the virtues or otherwise of high LTV mortgages.

  • Lending off LIBOR or base rate

    1 Apr 2009

    When the Bank of England cut base rate to 0.5% on March 5, the spread against LIBOR stood at an eye watering 1.49%. Three weeks later three month LIBOR has only reduced to 1.70% and is moving very slowly downwards. The big hope is that quantitative easing will improve the money supply but in the short term it continues to be a dilemma for all lenders on how to fund their loan books

  • Light at the end of the tunnel

    1 Apr 2009

    Despite a discouraging start to the year there are faint signs of renewed buyer interest in the housing market, says David Aylmer, business development and marketing director at Trigold

  • Loans Warehouse unveils unsecured loans portal

    30 Mar 2009

    Loans Warehouse has launched a web portal for unsecured loans from £500 to £25,000 that can be accessed by all financial advisers.

  • Long run

    30 Mar 2009

    Long run Finally, Mole would like to congratulate Lloyds Banking Group's sales director of mortgages Nigel Stockton following his fantastic performance in the Tokyo Marathon.

  • Long-term hope for brokers

    30 Mar 2009

    Brokers have long prophesied that with the base rate at an all-time low the market would see an opportunity for long-term fixed deals at some point. It seems that time has arrived.

  • Look back in wisdom

    1 Apr 2009

    We should be guided by the experience of previous downturns rather than expect regulation to improve the lending market, says Gary Styles, strategy, risk and economics director at Hometrack

  • Low house price falls lead to growing agent optimism

    30 Mar 2009

    House prices fell by 0.6% in March marking the lowest monthly decline for ten months, the latest data from Hometrack shows.

  • LTV limit could mark return to the early 1960s

    30 Mar 2009

    Having read Lord Turner's review of regulation, my only comment is that he should wake up and smell the coffee.

  • Making sense out of the Dunfermline debacle

    31 Mar 2009

    The protracted termination of the Dunfermline and its ‘rescue’ by Nationwide raises some interesting questions, uncertainty about a building society’s future used to be kept under wraps until a suitable takeover partner had been found and the merger was a done deal.

  • Malone's on form

    30 Mar 2009

    The first time I interviewed John Malone, managing director of PMS, was in November 2000. Back then, PMS was part of Scottish Amicable and I went to his office in Glasgow and afterwards we went to Pizza Express, where he enjoyed a Caesar salad and I had my usual Margarita with a splash of pepperoni.

  • Many winners at MS Awards night

    1 Apr 2009

    Chatroom is delighted to confirm that a generous £2,980 was raised for children's charity CLAPA by attendees at the recent Mortgage Strategy Awards.

  • Marketwatch 30/03/2009

    30 Mar 2009

    Swaps had another mixed week, with short-term money falling and longer term money edging up.

  • More jobs to go at RBS

    3 Apr 2009

    The Royal Bank of Scotland has revealed there are more job losses yet to come ahead of the part-nationalised bank’s annual general meeting later today.

  • Mortgage lending figures rise

    30 Mar 2009

    Today saw some important figures released by the Bank of England with regards to Mortgage Lending to individuals.

  • Mortgages for Business unveils buy-to-let network

    30 Mar 2009

    Buy-to-let mortgage packager Mortgages for Business is launching a specialist buy-to-let network in an attempt to help unregulated mortgage brokers continue to operate in the market.

  • Movers and Shakers

    1 Apr 2009

    Stockton takes top mortgage job at Lloyds Banking GroupNigel Stockton has been named sales director of mortgages at Lloyds Banking Group.

  • MP calls for return of Dunfermline's FSCS levy

    1 Apr 2009

    A Scottish MP has called on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to repay the £7.2m levy it imposed on struggling Dunfermline Building Society.

  • Munford grabs remaining stake in Purely

    30 Mar 2009

    Paul Munford has snapped up the remaining 50% stake in Purely Mortgages and plans to deregulate Mortgage Centre IFA.

  • Munford grabs remaining stake in Purely and plans brand merger

    30 Mar 2009

    Paul Munford has snapped up the remaining 50% stake in Purely Mortgages and plans to deregulate Mortgage Centre IFA.

  • Mutuals must operator in the interest of their members

    30 Mar 2009

    So the Dunfermline has a few problems. It seems Scotland's biggest building society, which also happens to be practically in Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the chancellor Alistair Darling's backyard, is on the rocks.

  • Nationwide bails out Dunfermline

    30 Mar 2009

    Nationwide has taken on collapsed mutual Dunfermline's 34 branch retail network, its £1bn mortgage book and £2.3bn deposit book.

  • Nationwide comes to the rescue of Dunfermline

    30 Mar 2009

    Nationwide has taken on collapsed mutual Dunfermline's 34 branch retail network, its £1bn mortgage book and £2.3bn deposit book.

  • Nationwide launches two-year tracker

    3 Apr 2009

    Nationwide is launching a two-year tracker from 3.59% for remortgage customers at up to 60% LTV.

  • NfI celebrates successful year

    30 Mar 2009

    Nationwide for Intermediaries is celebrating the first anniversary of its broker salesforce being launched.

  • NLA warns over tenant arrears

    30 Mar 2009

    The National Landlords Association has warned that the number of tenants in arrears is becoming a serious problem for landlords.

  • No goody

    30 Mar 2009

    Mole was left with an unpleasant taste in his mouth last week after receiving a press release from a PR firm that shall remain nameless.

  • Non-executive director to join Sesame board

    30 Mar 2009

    Sesame has appointed John Cowan as a non-executive director, subject to approval by the Financial Services Authority.

  • Not pricing for risk was an accident waiting to happen

    30 Mar 2009

    There are a number of worrying parallels to the lending market developing in the accident, sickness and unemployment insurance industry and I wonder if it is destined to make similar mistakes.

  • OFT goes soft on the Rock

    1 Apr 2009

    The Office of Fair Trading is looking into whether competition will be hampered by banks that are propped up by the government.

  • Parents enquire about properties

    30 Mar 2009

    Parents looking to invest in properties for their children are generating a new wave of buyer enquiries, says estate agency Cluttons.

  • Payment date for Network Data ARs will not be met

    2 Apr 2009

    Network Data appointed representatives have been told that an upcoming payment date will not be met on time, with no word on when commission can be expected.

  • Paymentshield to offer standalone MPPI

    31 Mar 2009

    Paymentshield is to re-offer standalone mortgage payment protection to customers.

  • Pink launches Abbey’s 3.99% deal

    30 Mar 2009

    Pink Home Loans has teamed up with Abbey’s to offer a 3.99% deal, with no booking fee, free valuation and £250 cash back.

  • PIQ and HIP will be required from April 6

    3 Apr 2009

    A Property Information Questionnaire will be needed before a property can be placed on the market, in addition to a Home Information Pack.

  • PMS partners with London & European

    3 Apr 2009

    PMS members can now access London & European’s online conveyancing service and earn up to £100 commission for each completed case.

  • Preparing your clients for the future

    30 Mar 2009

    For some lucky borrowers out there the one-penny mortgage is really happening. In a bizarre twist of fortune the credit crunch has led to some lucky borrowers on tracker rates paying a nominal payment of 1p per month.

  • Product numbers rise for first time in eight months

    2 Apr 2009

    The number of live mortgage products has gone up for the first time in eight months, shows the latest data from Mortgage Brain.

  • RBSIP events to feature Countrywide speakers

    30 Mar 2009

    Royal Bank of Scotland Intermediary Partners is to host a series of roadshows featuring keynote speakers from Countrywide and Openwork.

  • RBSIP launches two five-year fixes at 90% LTV

    1 Apr 2009

    Royal Bank of Scotland Intermediary Partners has come out with two separate five-year fixed rate deals at up to 90% LTV.

  • Regulators should stop making knee-jerk reactions

    30 Mar 2009

    I am behind regulation, Treating Customers Fairly, in fact everything to protect clients, increase education of fellow professionals and providing the best advice possible.

  • Rental sector to benefit from poor savings return

    30 Mar 2009

    The private rented sector is likely to gain as investors turn to property for the best return on their savings, claims Paragon Mortgages.

  • Restrictive lending not on the horizon, says TCF Debt Solutions

    1 Apr 2009

    TCF Debt Solutions does not believe that Lord Turner's report into the future regulation of the financial services sector will lead to highly restrictive lending criteria.

  • RICS plans to raise global valuation standards

    31 Mar 2009

    RICS is to set in motion a global consultation to develop an enhanced regulatory framework for valuations, which it hopes will raise professional standards.

  • RICS set to raise global valuation standards

    31 Mar 2009

    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is to set in motion a global consultation to develop an enhanced regulatory framework for valuations.

  • Scots first in line for loan help from RBS

    30 Mar 2009

    Who would have thought there were so many benefits to being Scottish?

  • Secured loans industry loses its standards body after 30 years

    30 Mar 2009

    After 30 years as a self-regulatory and standards body in the secured loans market, the Finance Industry Standards Association is to close.

  • Secured loans standards body shuts up shop after 30 years

    1 Apr 2009

    The Finance Industry Standards Association, the self-regulatory and standards body for the secured loan sector is to close its doors after 30 years.

  • Shaping up for an age of uncertainty

    1 Apr 2009

    Matthew Wyles used to be in charge of commercial and specialist lending at Nationwide but now, as group distribution director, he's also responsible for branches, telephone and internet banking, retail support and intermediary sales across The Mortgage Works and Nationwide brands

  • Sharp practices will deter lenders

    30 Mar 2009

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders' disclosure-of-incentives form has gone a long way towards resolving issues around new-build pricing.

  • Sir Fred's heroes are in the firing line

    1 Apr 2009

    Corporate sponsorship is always a tough expenditure to justify and you'd have thought it would be even more difficult for nationalised banks such as Northern Rock and its sponsorship of Newcastle United FC or Lloyds Banking Group's planned £65m funding for the Olympics.

  • Societies see increase in savings, but lending still down

    31 Mar 2009

    Net receipts into societies were £1,595m in February 2009, the highest February net receipt on record and an increase of 18% over February 2008, but gross mortgage lending was down to £1,214m, compared to £3,861m in February 2008.

  • Society savings hit record high, but lending still down

    30 Mar 2009

    Net receipts into societies were £1,595m in February 2009, the highest February net receipt on record and an increase of 18% over February 2008, but gross mortgage lending was down to £1,214m, compared to £3,861m in February 2008.

  • Specialist lenders need special help

    30 Mar 2009

    I have a huge amount of respect for Tony Ward, chief executive of Home Funding. His clear understanding of the market changes that have taken place during this credit crisis is second to none.

  • Stand out from the crowd

    1 Apr 2009

    Don't be tempted to relax your marketing efforts in a recession as these will pay handsome dividends if they are targeted, relevant and intelligent, says Julian Wells, director of marketing at HML

  • Still good business in buy-to-let deals

    30 Mar 2009

    There has been a lot of talk about the buy-to-let market in the last couple of weeks.

  • Take a closer look

    1 Apr 2009

    With repossessions on the rise lenders need in-depth knowledge of their property assets if they are to maximise the value of their portfolios, says Paul Duckworth, director at The Charlbury Group

  • Talk about mutual interests

    1 Apr 2009

    With the chief executive of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme due to address angry attendees, John Murray reckons this year's BSA annual conference in Harrogate on May 20-21 could be one to remember

  • TBMC reinforces status with TMW

    30 Mar 2009

    The Business Mortgage Company has cemented its position as one of The Mortgage Works top buy-to-let introducers and will have its cases processed by the lender's prestige desk.

  • Tenant demand rose by 15% in February

    30 Mar 2009

    Figures from Your Move show tenant demand jumped 15% in February month-on-month, with demand almost doubling since 2008.

  • Tenet adviser enquiries go up 26%

    30 Mar 2009

    The number of brokers requesting information on Tenet’s non-investment and mortgage network Lime has shot up by over 26% in the last two months.

  • Tesco plans 30 bank branches

    30 Mar 2009

    Tesco is set to open bank branches in 30 of its stores by the end of this year, the supermarket giant has revealed.

  • The diary of Doobry Wotsit

    30 Mar 2009

    I've already started to get some fan mail from my first column in last Monday's Mortgage Strategy. Well, not so much fan mail, more someone ranting that I was missing a trick not offering protection.

  • The elephant in the boardroom

    1 Apr 2009

    The FSA’s decision to dump its principles-based approach may be celebrated by some but it also heralds a move towards the regulator playing hardball with senior management, says Philip Tebbatt

  • The month at a glance

    1 Apr 2009

    March kicked off with a fresh shock from across the pond as insurance giant

  • Tiuta launches direct online bridging facility

    30 Mar 2009

    Tiuta has launched Tiuta direct, an online facility that provides instant Approval-in-Principle which can be converted into a full on-line application.

  • Top Irish bankers' salaries capped at €500,000

    1 Apr 2009

    Top bankers' salaries in the Irish Republic have been capped by the government at €500,000, with all bonuses scrapped and pension payments to be reviewed.

  • Towards a buy-to-let alliance

    1 Apr 2009

    In this open letter to lenders, professional landlord Nick Gillingham argues that a closer business relationship between lenders and landlords would benefit both parties, especially in the present climate

  • Trying times

    30 Mar 2009

    We all know the old saying "if at first you don't succeed try, try, try again" but it seems that for one determined job seeker it was more a case of try another 999 times.

  • Vultures are gathering

    1 Apr 2009

    Beware - vultures in international investment funds sense there are rich pickings to be found in the UK commercial property sector, says Julien Holmes, managing director of Crown Mortgage Management

  • We ain't seen nothing yet...

    30 Mar 2009

    Lord Adair Turner's recent review, a regulatory response to the global banking crisis, was according to the Conservatives, both a "devastating critique of the last 10 years of economic policy and financial regulation" and a "withering critique of its failings".

  • We insure pets, so don't forget families

    30 Mar 2009

    Not many of us take the time to stop to consider how much we're worth. But if we did we might be surprised by the result.

  • We need a unified response to calm the global storm

    1 Apr 2009

    March was an eventful month but with the G20 summit meeting of the leaders of the world's largest economies scheduled for London on April 2 and all the fun of the Budget on April 22, this one is shaping up to be no less exciting.

  • We need action, not government hot air

    30 Mar 2009

    Sometimes I have little doubt why the country is in recession and that's because we waste money on civil servants who come up with pointless ideas.

  • Whitechurch approves Orbiter for its ARs

    30 Mar 2009

    Sourcing system and compliance services provider Orbiter has been approved for use by appointed representatives of The Whitechurch Network.

  • Why politicians confuse citizens with consumers

    1 Apr 2009

    If you have ever wondered why politicians tend to refer to us ordinary folk as consumers rather than citizens you'll find the answer in the UK edition of Robert Reich's book Supercapitalism: the Battle of Democracy in an Age of Big Business.

  • Woolwich boosts daily tranche level

    3 Apr 2009

    Woolwich has increased the level of tranche funding available through its fund booking line to an estimated daily tranche of £65m.

  • Woolwich cuts its fixed rates by up to 0.5%

    30 Mar 2009

    Woolwich has cut up to 0.5% off of its fixed rate mortgage range.

  • Xit2 links up with law firm and brokerage

    30 Mar 2009

    Xit2 has entered into a business partnership with brokerage Alexander Hall and solicitor Optima Legal.

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