Mortgage Strategy
9 February 2009

  • 1st Stop Finance sheds 50 staff

    10 Feb 2009

    1st Stop Finance has made 50 of its 116 strong workforce redundant, following Cattle's decision to cut its lending.

  • Abbey and A&L scale back regional offices

    11 Feb 2009

    Abbey for Intermediaries and Alliance & Leicester have announced an intermediary brand restructure which will see its ten regional offices reduced down to just two.

  • Abbey took 28% of net mortgage lending in 2008

    9 Feb 2009

    Abbey revealed last week that it had a thumping 28% share of net mortgage lending in 2008.

  • AIFA calls for probe into FSA's spending

    9 Feb 2009

    The Association of Independent Financial Advisers is calling on the National Audit Office to look into whether the Financial Services Authority offers value for money.

  • AIFA hits out at FSA fee hike

    13 Feb 2009

    Chris Cummings, director general of the Association of Independent Financial Advisers has slated the Financial Services Authority for imposing fee hikes of up to 90% for some large firms.

  • Anglo Irish Bank Rocked as state moves in

    9 Feb 2009

    It typified the boom years of Ireland's so-called 'Celtic Tiger' economy, becoming the third largest bank in the Republic as business soared. Now Anglo Irish Bank is being dubbed the new Northern Rock, with the Irish government forced to adopt UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's formula of nationalisation to prevent its collapse into insolvency.

  • AR offers to pay to get out of Network Data

    9 Feb 2009

    An appointed representative of Network Data is so keen to leave that he is offering to pay off the network in a bid to overturn his three-month notice period.

  • Asset management sector well prepared says AMG

    10 Feb 2009

    The Asset Management Group believes that asset managers are far better prepared to deal with the level of repossessions thanks to advances in technology, processes and the current focus on Treating Customers Fairly. 2008 was an extremely challenging year for everyone associated with repossessions, with a dramatic increase in the numbers of possessions coupled with a depressed housing market and AMG believes that 2009 will be equally challenging with the Council of Mortgage Lenders ...

  • Athletes in the boardroom

    9 Feb 2009

    Jennifer Holloway talks to John Murray about honing the skills of senior managers and sharpening their corporate performance by employing the techniques of executive coaching

  • Barclays reports pre-tax profit of £6.08bn

    9 Feb 2009

    Barclays has posted an annual pre-tax profit for 2008 of £6.08bn, down 14% from the previous year.

  • Base rate slashed to a record low of 1%

    9 Feb 2009

    The Bank of England has cut the base rate for the fifth consecutive month to an all-time low of 1%.

  • Beware of Titanic efforts to avoid economic icebergs

    9 Feb 2009

    It's a curious fact but the top tier of the Labour hierarchy seems to have a close affinity for things nautical while Conservative leader David Cameron is more bicycle clips and urban windmills.

  • BM Solutions to charge £275 mortgage account fee

    13 Feb 2009

    BM Solutions is introducing a mortgage account fee of £275 to bring the brand into line with Halifax and Bank of Scotland.

  • BoI cuts back on mortgage business in the UK

    9 Feb 2009

    Bank of Ireland is cutting back on its UK mortgage business in a move aimed at saving £30m a year, but which could cost up to 600 jobs.

  • Bridgewater cautious over sale and rent back regulation

    11 Feb 2009

    Bridgewater Equity Release, the home reversion specialist, has given a cautious welcome to the Financial Service Authority’s forthcoming regulation of sale and rent back schemes.

  • Broker vows to fight FSA ruling

    9 Feb 2009

    Beleaguered brokerage Warwick Finance last week pledged to fight the Financial Services Authority's decision to remove its permissions to carry out regulated activities.

  • Brokers can give lenders fresh ideas

    9 Feb 2009

    Last week our Nationwide BDM came to see us. She is professional and keeps us up-to-date with what's happening with rates and criteria, as a good BDM should.

  • Brokers offered a piece of the online action

    9 Feb 2009

    Brokers can tap into the growing number of consumers shopping for mortgages online by using a free version of EvaluateConsumer software.

  • Brown could have a BO problem

    10 Feb 2009

    The Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to drop bank base rate again last week to just 1% might suggest that the former chancellor turned Prime Minister has only one trick in his brief case – the great base rate trick and on the current evidence it’s not really working, why else try it again and again?

  • Buyer interest not translating into sales, says RICS

    10 Feb 2009

    The average number of transactions per surveyor showed little fluctuation over the last three months despite buyer interest rising for the third successive month, shows the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors UK housing market survey.

  • Buyers offered incentives to live in luxury

    9 Feb 2009

    Spare a thought for the residential property developer. Like estate agents, making money for them is as easy as falling off a log when the market is flying high but as with estate agents, life is pretty bleak right know.

  • Callcredit expands its Over-Indebtedness Initiative

    11 Feb 2009

    Callcredit is expanding its Over- Indebtedness Initiative, designed to improve lenders’ understanding of their customers’ indebtedness and ability to repay.

  • Callcredit sees 73% sales increase

    12 Feb 2009

    Callcredit Information Group, formerly Skipton Information Group, has seen significant growth in 2008, with sales increasing by 73%.

  • Cattles withdraws banking licence application

    9 Feb 2009

    Troubled lender Cattles, the parent of Welcome Finance, has withdrawn its application to the Financial Services Authority to take retail deposits.

  • CEO of Standard Life Bank quits

    9 Feb 2009

    After seven years at the helm of Standard Life Bank, Anne Gunther last week revealed she is stepping down as chief executive officer.

  • Changes at the top in Intrinsic reshuffle

    9 Feb 2009

    Kevin Ronaldson, chief executive of Intrinsic Financial Services, has taken on the role of deputy chairman of the IFA network, with chairman Sandy Leitch promoted to the position of executive chairman.

  • CML confident repossessions will not exceed 45,000 in 2008

    11 Feb 2009

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders is due to publish its repossession figures for 2008 on February 20 and says it does not expect these to exceed its original forecast of 45,000.

  • CML warns government on law of unintended consequences

    9 Feb 2009

    Responding to the government's proposed Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says it will en-able some borrowers to defer a proportion of their interest payments for up to two years, with the government underwriting a proportion of lenders' risk of loss.

  • Conti offers remortgage deals from 2.49%

    9 Feb 2009

    Conti Financial Services is offering overseas property owners remortgage deals from 2.49%.

  • Cool guy

    9 Feb 2009

    With much of Britain brought to a standstill by what was widely described as "the worst weather for 20 years" - otherwise known as a couple of inches of snow and a chilly wind - Mole hears there was a North-South divide in how professionals coped.

  • Credit Issues launches specialist legal department

    12 Feb 2009

    Credit Issues has launched a specialist legal department for professional landlords and developers.

  • Curriculumvitae: Mark Blackwell

    9 Feb 2009

    Describe your current job

  • Debt firms could spoil client relationships

    9 Feb 2009

    Newtomorrow Broker Services is warning that some debt solutions firms could ruin brokers' relationships with their clients.

  • Demand for debt solutions set to rocket by 50%

    13 Feb 2009

    TDX Group, a provider of analytics-based debt management is anticipating a 50% increase in the number of people seeking formal debt solutions in 2009.

  • Don't rush back to the bad old days

    9 Feb 2009

    Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall I met the saddest man in the universe propping up a bar in a beer cellar on the east side of the city.

  • Email Mortgages teams up with Exclusively Surrey

    12 Feb 2009

    Email Mortgages has signed Surrey-based estate agents, Exclusively Surrey, to its estate agent proposition.

  • EuroDebt partners with insolvency specialists

    12 Feb 2009

    EuroDebt Financial Services, has partnered with Philip Gill & Co, specialist business recovery and insolvency service providers, to deliver an integrated IVA, Scottish trust deed and bankruptcy assistance service.

  • Evaluate offers free EvaluateConsumer demo

    9 Feb 2009

    Evaluate Technologies is offering brokers access to a free, updated demo version of the EvaluateConsumer online sourcing and application platform.

  • Exact and Morisons LLP join CML

    11 Feb 2009

    Exact Mortgage Experts and legal firm Morisons LLP, have become associate members of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

  • Exact hits £2.5bn due diligence milestone in risk assessment

    9 Feb 2009

    Exact has carried out due diligence on more than 20,000 borrowers and £2.5bn worth of mortgage assets since launching its Asset Quality Assessment service in April 2008 when the firm was still trading as edeus.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Batchelor completes Countrywide dream team

    9 Feb 2009

    Cammy Amaira, former director of sales at Intelligent Finance, and Richard Beardshaw, former head of sales at The Exchange Insurance Company, have been snapped up by Countrywide.

  • Experian and Rightmove team up to offer AVMs

    12 Feb 2009

    Experian, the global information services company, and Rightmove, have partnered to provide an upgraded Experian Automated Valuation Model, enhanced with Rightmove’s AVM data and technology.

  • Fathom calls on government to start printing more money

    10 Feb 2009

    Fathom is calling for the government to consider quantitative easing as it launches its Monetary Policy Forum.

  • FSA inefficiency is delaying our attempt to diversify

    9 Feb 2009

    I am studying for the Advanced CeMAP qualification, as are the two brokers who work for me. This is to add another string to our bow in these difficult times.

  • FSA report reveals risks of financial crisis

    9 Feb 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has published a report into what risks the economic downturn poses for firms, consumers, and the regulator itself.

  • FSA to cut fees of over 10,000 small firms

    12 Feb 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has published its Business Plan for 2009/10, which sets out its plans to hike fees for larger firms and cut fees for over 10,000 small firms.

  • FSA warned HBOS of risks in 2002

    12 Feb 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has revealed that it had concerns about HBOS as far back as 2002 and identified that it needed to ‘strengthen the control infrastructure within the group’.

  • FSA: 769 mortgage firms quit the market in 2008

    9 Feb 2009

    The Financial Services Authority says a whopping 769 mortgage firms threw in the towel last year - some 9% of the market.

  • FSA: Building society sector vulnerable to further shocks

    9 Feb 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has warned societies that they need to ensure their business models together with their supporting risk management systems and controls are sustainable.

  • Getting hot under the collar

    9 Feb 2009

    After all the excitement we have seen in the mortgage market of late Philip Tebbatt promises to be measured, but still gets excited about the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2007

  • Good riddance

    9 Feb 2009

    It hasn't had the best reputation and in many ways made itself an easy target but the banning of single premium payment protection insurance, while not surprising, is important for the industry.

  • Good time to get closer to clients

    9 Feb 2009

    Lenders have a duty to lend responsibly but in the current climate, as many exit the market, those that remain are being forced to amend criteria to ensure they hit capital targets.

  • Green shoots ahoy!

    9 Feb 2009

    Business minister Baroness Vadera did herself no favours recently when she said she could see green shoots of economic recovery. But Gary Styles, strategy, risk and economics director at Hometrack, says the green stuff could sprout in the remortgage business by the end of 2009

  • Guardian Financial Group hosts credit management seminar

    9 Feb 2009

    The Guardian Financial Group is to host a seminar on debt and claims management as part of a wider series of presentations on business opportunities for brokers.

  • Guess who got the right answer

    9 Feb 2009

    "When Rightmove invited attendees at a recent Council of Mortgage Lenders' conference to enter a competition to guess the value of a number of properties, it was pleased to announce the winner with the closest guess was Tom Parker, managing director of Quest.

  • Hamptons International closes mortgage arm

    9 Feb 2009

    Estate agency group Hamptons International is closing its mortgage division, fronted by managing director Jonathan Cornell.

  • Home of Choice deal should ensure a strong future

    9 Feb 2009

    I'd like to thank my network, Home of Choice, for the fantastic deal it has struck with Paymentshield and Towergate.

  • Home owners advised to use low rates to stave off negative equity

    10 Feb 2009

    Home owners who have borrowed at a high LTV should consider increasing their mortgage payments to avoid negative equity, advises Fairinvestment.co.uk.

  • Hometrack offers a safeguard against overvaluation risks

    9 Feb 2009

    Automated valuation model provider Hometrack has launched Failsafe - a product aimed at safeguarding mortgage lenders against the risk of residential property overvaluations.

  • House prices up 1.9% in January, says Halifax

    9 Feb 2009

    House prices rose by 1.9% in January, reversing December's 1.6% fall, the latest house price index from Halifax shows.

  • Housing charity faces legal action over US estate

    9 Feb 2009

    Habitat for Humanity, the Council of Mortgage Lenders' preferred charity and one that has been featured many times in the pages of this magazine, is facing a big legal action over shoddy workmanship and poor foundations at a Florida housing estate which former US President Jimmy Carter and 10,000 volunteers built in a 17-day burst of activity. One of the charity's projects is shown in the photograph above.

  • If you thought 2008 was bad...

    9 Feb 2009

    Last year was one of the most turbulent the mortgage market has seen for decades. Here, Building Societies Association economist Andrew Gall chronicles the key events and offers an insight into the gloom ahead

  • Industry cheers regulation of rent-back sector

    9 Feb 2009

    The mortgage industry has welcomed the Financial Services Authority's decision to regulate the sale-and-rent-back market.

  • Industry must regain its pioneering spirit

    9 Feb 2009

    What has happened to our industry? We used to be the adaptable face of financial services - the pioneers who didn't settle for simply not knowing how something could be achieved. We would find out how it could be done and who could make it happen.

  • It wasn't me

    9 Feb 2009

    The BBC's business guru Robert Peston faced the Treasury Select Committee about his role in the banking crisis last week.

  • January sees 15% decline in number of mortgage products

    9 Feb 2009

    Trigold's February Product Index shows the number of live mortgage products available to mortgage brokers dropped to 3,707 in January, a loss of 650 individual products compared with December 2008.

  • John Charcol embarks on recruitment drive

    12 Feb 2009

    London-based brokerage John Charcol has revealed that despite the market downturn resulting in many brokers shutting up shop, it actually wants to recruit more advisers.

  • Jonathan Pattinson joins HML as risk director

    11 Feb 2009

    Jonathan Pattinson is joining HML on 30 March as the company’s new risk director. Brian Brodie, managing director of HML, says: “I look forward to Jonathan Pattinson joining HML.  He has excellent credentials and brings the company considerable capability in the risk related aspects of the financial services industry.  He will be an important addition to our team, especially in the current challenging environment. 

  • Keep your head

    12 Feb 2009

    If - by Rudyard Kipling

  • LeadPoint revamps website

    12 Feb 2009

    LeadPoint has relaunched its website, which will include information about lead generation and the different services that LeadPoint offers.

  • Leeds launches 3.79% mortgage

    10 Feb 2009

    Leeds has launched a one-year fixed rate mortgage at 3.79% reverting to Bank Base Rate plus 2.50%, currently 3.50%, for a further two years.

  • Lenders are getting close to clients at brokers' expense

    9 Feb 2009

    Lenders are looking for quality rather than quantity, and with it more control of customers.

  • Lending in a brave new world

    9 Feb 2009

    Nigel Stockton, managing director of HBOS Intermediaries in Lloyds Banking Group, talks to John Murray about the future shape of mortgage lending at the newly created superbank

  • Lessons from Scandinavia

    9 Feb 2009

    Mikael Krohn, a vice-president at EDB Business Partners, examines the financial crises that hit the Nordic region in the 1980s and 1990s to determine if there is a tried and tested path to recovery

  • Let the Devil take tomorrow

    9 Feb 2009

    Drazen Jaksic, sales and marketing director at Assurant Solutions, explores the moral maze of consumer and product provider responsibility, and the confusion that reigns over state help for home buyers

  • Let's show faith in AAA-rated bonds

    9 Feb 2009

    Securitisation has been something of a loser in the fallout from the credit crunch, with much unfair criticism being heaped on anyone involved in it.

  • Lloyds reveals HBOS made underlying loss of £10bn in 2008

    13 Feb 2009

    Lloyds Banking Group’s shares plummeted by 32% today after it revealed it expects HBOS to report an underlying loss before tax of £8.5bn and further write-downs of £1.5bn for 2008.

  • Loanmakers re-emerges with new identity as chief executive buys it

    9 Feb 2009

    Loanmakers is the latest firm to re-emerge with a new identity after it was bought out of administration.

  • Lower rates are not the answer

    9 Feb 2009

    Sally Laker, managing director of Mortgage Intelligence, questions the accepted wisdom that lowering interest rates is the way out of our economic malaise

  • Mandelson's debt to Britannia

    9 Feb 2009

    About this time of year 10 years ago - on January 9 1999 to be precise - trade secretary Peter Mandelson got the all-clear from Britannia Building Society, confirming that it would not pursue him for mortgage fraud.

  • Market needs more high LTV products

    9 Feb 2009

    A number of estate agents have commented recently that they have seen small but nonetheless welcome increases in market activity since the start of the year.

  • Marketing Innovation Forum launches

    10 Feb 2009

    An online marketing service has been launched for advisers and marketing professionals in the financial services industry.

  • Marketwatch 09/02/2009

    9 Feb 2009

    Swaps continued to edge back up last week. Three-month LIBOR is now 2.16%.

  • Measure for measure

    9 Feb 2009

    Will last month's package of measures deliver what the government and lenders want? Although it took a long time to arrive, it did add up to concerted action on a scale reflecting the problems affecting lenders.

  • Mervyn King warns of deep recession

    11 Feb 2009

    Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England has warned the UK is facing a deep recession in 2009 and rate cutes may not be the cure.

  • Mform.co.uk goes into administration

    11 Feb 2009

    Consumer mortgage website mform.co.uk has gone into administration.

  • Money Partners suspends lending

    9 Feb 2009

    Packagers mourned the loss of another lender last week as Money Partners slammed the brakes on new lending.

  • More4loans withdraws from loan packaging

    11 Feb 2009

    More4loans is pulling the plug on loan packaging, but will continue to trade on an introducer-only basis.

  • Mortgage activity hits 34-year low, says CML

    12 Feb 2009

    Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show a sharp decline in house purchase loans in 2008, which were down by 49% compared with 2007.

  • Mortgage lending at 34-year low, reveals CML

    12 Feb 2009

    Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show a sharp decline in house purchases in 2008, which were down by 49% compared with 2007.

  • Mortgage: impossible

    9 Feb 2009

    There's been a lot of talk about the credit crunch and its effect on mortgage availability recently, but when we asked mystery shopping expert AMTI to find out what high street lenders are prepared to offer even we were surprised. Martin Reay reports

  • Movers and Shakers

    9 Feb 2009

    New order takes shape in the nationalised sector

  • MTE doubles market share

    12 Feb 2009

    The Mortgage Trading Exchange has doubled its market share of all mortgage transactions processed in the UK in the past 12 months.

  • NAEA questions government's stance on Stamp Duty

    10 Feb 2009

    The National Association of Estate Agents says a study by the Centre for Policy Studies is evidence of the government’s flawed stance on Stamp Duty.

  • Nationwide cuts fixed rates and launches tracker

    13 Feb 2009

    Nationwide is cutting its fixed rate mortgages by up to 0.20%.

  • Network Data isn't coughing up the money it owes us

    9 Feb 2009

    I am writing regarding my recent correspondence with Network Data addressed to Richard Griffiths, chief executive officer of Network Data Holdings, its board of directors and Alex Cotton, chief executive officer of Network Data.

  • Network fees could treble, warns AMI

    13 Feb 2009

    Robert Sinclair, director of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries has warned that some networks will see their Financial Services Authority fees treble and could be forced to hike member fees to meet the cost.

  • Networks told to steer clear of claims firms

    9 Feb 2009

    Networks say lenders are putting pressure on them to avoid claims management firms.

  • Nine Woolwich BDMs to lose jobs

    9 Feb 2009

    Barclays plans to cut its Woolwich BDM sales force by almost a fifth as part of cutbacks across the group.

  • Non-executive directors retire from RBS board

    9 Feb 2009

    Seven non-executive directors have retired from the board of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

  • Northern Rock offers three-year exclusive via PMS

    13 Feb 2009

    Northern Rock has launched an exclusive three-year fixed rate via PMS.

  • Northern Rock repossession losses hit £45.9m

    9 Feb 2009

    Northern Rock has suffered losses of £45.9m since 2001 as a result of having to repossess property on its books.

  • Obsessive Compulsive

    10 Feb 2009

    Having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is very much like having a physical form of Turettes, sudden outbursts of having to do things a certain amount of times. Where the hell is this going I hear you ask?

  • OFT consults on second charge lending guidance

    13 Feb 2009

    The Office of Fair Trading has launched a consultation on draft guidance for second charge lending.

  • OFT launches consultation into second charge lending

    13 Feb 2009

    The Office of Fair Trading is launching a consultation into setting up guidelines for second charge lenders.

  • Opportunity knocks for the canny brokers

    9 Feb 2009

    Market forces are giving brokers access to a wider variety of distribution channels, confirming that opportunity can be found in adversity.

  • Optima adds staff after winning lender clients

    9 Feb 2009

    Optima Legal, the legal recoveries and dispute resolution specialist for lenders and commercial businesses, has invested more than £6m in its business and is recruiting staff following several recent client wins.

  • Paradigm launches Keydata structured products

    9 Feb 2009

    Paradigm Group, the IFA and mortgage partnership proposition, has launched a range of structured investment products to its membership through the investment specialists, Keydata Investment Services Ltd.

  • Paul Hogarth launches investment company

    9 Feb 2009

    EPH Sverige plc, a newly incorporated Jersey closed-ended investment company has launched, aiming to provide the opportunity for investment in Swedish pre-let residential properties.

  • Personal loan link from eMoneyfacts

    9 Feb 2009

    eMoneyfacts last week launched a personal loan application system for its 15,500 users.

  • Pink Home Loans rewards top achievers

    9 Feb 2009

    Pink Home Loans is launching its Diamond Club to reward the top achievers within the company’s appointed representative network.

  • Pink Home Loans rolls out training schedule

    13 Feb 2009

    Over the next few weeks Pink Home Loans will be rolling out its new training schedule to its existing customers, as well as those thinking of joining the network.

  • Pink sees increase in leads success

    10 Feb 2009

    Pink Home Loans is seeing an increasing number of mortgage enquiries coming from its appointment generation scheme.

  • Positive Solutions teams up with Goldsmith Williams

    9 Feb 2009

    Direct conveyancing firm Goldsmith Williams has been appointed to provide conveyancing support to members of the UKs largest national IFA firm, Positive Solutions.

  • President Obama has 30 months to make his mark

    9 Feb 2009

    The new US President has just six months to make an impact on the US economy and housing market, and just 30 months to turn things around.

  • Promise launches new portal

    12 Feb 2009

    Promise Solutions has launched a new version of its portal, enabling brokers and estate agents to more effectively tap in to the income streams from its products

  • Quantitative easing should be good news for fixed rate mortgages

    12 Feb 2009

    We have seen mixed movements on fixed rate mortgages this month with some lenders.

  • RBS could axe up to 2,300 jobs

    10 Feb 2009

    Royal Bank of Scotland UK has put 2,300 staff on consultation, representing 2% of its 106,000 UK workforce.

  • Retention takes centre stage

    9 Feb 2009

    Phil Watts, business consultant at Target Group, says that when it comes to the crunch it's particularly important to know what is on your customers' minds

  • Richmond Group offers brokers new income streams

    10 Feb 2009

    The Ricmond Group, traditionally an unsecured lender, is expanding its offering to brokers to include its Payment Guard & Debt Line brands.

  • Run For Your Life

    11 Feb 2009

    Treadmills can be a great way of exercising, you can stay in one place for as long as you like, with the knowledge that you are being productive at the same time.

  • SAMs may get a rocket

    9 Feb 2009

    SAM is an acronym for both shared appreciation mortgage and surface-to-air missile, and with a group action legal case pending against HBOS and Barclays for selling supposedly unfair SAMs, the former could turn out to be as lethal as the latter

  • Signs of a recovery in buyer enquiries

    9 Feb 2009

    It seems that the minds of most commentators are focussed on when we will see an upturn in the housing market.

  • Sir James Crosby resigns from the FSA

    11 Feb 2009

    Sir James Crosby, the man at the heart of a HBOS whistleblower scandal and deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority, has resigned.

  • Sir James Crosby's statement in full

    11 Feb 2009

    In the light of recent media coverage I have decided to issue a short statement.

  • Sorry isn't the hardest word for banking bosses

    10 Feb 2009

    The banking bosses responsible for bringing Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS to their knees have each made a full and frank apology for their role in the financial crisis.

  • Stay alive to cash in when buyers return to market

    9 Feb 2009

    Is it just me or is the rest of the mortgage industry also fed up with reading that house prices are going to have to drop by 40% before the market recovers, and that mortgage lending for 2009 will be less than price of a plasma TV?

  • Stay cool on the high street

    9 Feb 2009

    Julien Holmes, managing director of Crown Mortgage Management, looks at what is happening on the high street and says the demise of some well known brands is no cause for general alarm

  • Stop cutting the base rate

    9 Feb 2009

    Adrian Coles, director-general of the Building Societies Association, argues that increasing mortgage availability rather than reducing interest rates will lead us out of the economic mire

  • Stylish gesture

    9 Feb 2009

    With the UK crumbling under the onslaught of a few snowflakes and the world's leaders apparently baffled by how to tackle the economic crisis, who can we turn to? Karl Lagerfeld of course.

  • Supermutual claims to be ethical alternative

    9 Feb 2009

    Britannia Building Society and Co-operative Financial Services are to merge and create a supermutual lender with £70bn worth of assets, some nine million customers, more than 12,000 employees, over 300 branches and some 20 corporate banking centres.

  • Surveyors slammed for paranoia

    9 Feb 2009

    Surveyors have been criticised for being paranoid when it comes to valuing new-build property.

  • The Blame Game

    11 Feb 2009

    There was something mildly ironic about four of the previously most powerful men in the banking industry being chastised on the naughty step by a group of MP's.

  • The Charlbury Group appoints David Ford as director

    9 Feb 2009

    The Charlbury Group has appointed David Ford to the position of director with specific responsibility for developing its national network of field agents. Ford has extensive experience of the mortgage market gained through an extensive career with Bank of Ireland and Bristol & West.

  • The end of price sensitivity

    9 Feb 2009

    Frank Rohde and Dr Robert L Phillips of Nomis Solutions argue that today's home buyers understand they will have to shop around for their mortgages, and that price sensitivity is a thing of the past

  • The month at a glance

    9 Feb 2009

    January started with gloomy predictions and tragic news but luckily for the

  • The net closes

    9 Feb 2009

    Mole was forced to entertain himself with a bit of internet snooping last week having been holed up by drifting snow, and he was particularly pleased with what he found on Facebook.

  • The UK mortgage massacre

    13 Feb 2009

    Statistics released yesterday by the Council of Mortgage Lenders showedthat mortgage lending in 2008 was at it's lowest ebb since 1974.

  • The weighty issue of cover charges.

    9 Feb 2009

    Many consumers make new year resolutions to combat those extra pounds in an effort to reach a healthy weight, which can be a great long-term goal.

  • Think twice before turning clients away

    9 Feb 2009

    Shoe shops are having a tough time as the economy wallows in recession but as retailers suffer, cobblers are experiencing a boom.

  • This is a rate cut too far

    9 Feb 2009

    Some lucky interest-only customers are now paying as little as 8p a month for their mortgages in the wake of the Bank of England's 0.5% base rate cut last week.

  • Time to treat lenders fairly is over in this dog eat dog world

    9 Feb 2009

    I am a hard-working broker and believe I offer my clients fair advice that is not misleading.

  • Timescale for new PPI regime is a cop-out

    9 Feb 2009

    Last month saw the publication of the final report and recommendations of the Competition Commission's inquiry into the payment protection insurance market, and it proved to be a missed opportunity.

  • Tiuta calls on government to help short-term market

    10 Feb 2009

    Bridging loan specialist Tiuta is calling for the government to compel one of its newly ‘nationalised’ lenders to provide increased funding to the short-term market or risk prices for distressed sale properties falling by up to 30%. Tiuta warns that without access to bridging finance many distressed sale properties would only be sold to cash buyers, massively reducing the number of buyers and having a serious impact on prices. The majority of distressed sales are unmortgagable ...

  • Tiuta launches bridging loan available within the hour

    11 Feb 2009

    Tiuta has launched a short-term bridging loan which allows professional investors to secure funds within an hour.

  • TMA and Abbey host 'better business' seminars

    10 Feb 2009

    The Mortgage Alliance has linked up with Abbey to co-host a series of ‘better business’ seminars available exclusively to TMA members.

  • Trigold's direct deals may boost broker fees

    9 Feb 2009

    Trigold's plan to list direct-only products could provide brokers with a justification to charge fees for their advice.

  • Twitter ye not - I am being followed

    9 Feb 2009

    In my lamentable race to keep up with technology this weekend I discovered Twitter.

  • We must beware the enemy within

    9 Feb 2009

    Mortgage fraud has come to the fore in the national press in the past couple of weeks, with a report by KPMG stating that £36m worth of fraud cases were brought before the courts in 2008 - up nearly 10-fold on 2007.

  • When Murray met Huggy

    9 Feb 2009

    US actor and TV star Antonio Fargas, pictured here with Lending Strategy editor John Murray, recently took a break from appearing in a pantomime near London to film a snipp- et for the magazine's slot at the Building Societies Association's conference in May.

  • Xit2 launches arrears management portal

    12 Feb 2009

    Xit2, the property and mortgage outsourcing specialist, is launching an arrears management product.

  • Xit2 launches arrears management portal

    12 Feb 2009

    Xit2, the property and mortgage outsourcing specialist, is launching an arrears management product.

  • Zurich returns premiums to buy-to-let borrowers

    9 Feb 2009

    Zurich has returned the premiums paid by borrowers who took out its Zurich Property Deposit Guarantee Bond with Instant Access, a buy-to-let firm that has gone into administration.

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