This week’s top headlines: FCA sets out plan to widen mortgage access and Hodge updates criteria for large loan sizes. Explore these and other major industry updates below: Stamp duty must be reformed to help FTBs, MPs say A cross-party parliamentary committee has called… The post Mortgage Strategy’s Top 10 Stories: 08 June to 12 June appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Canadian novelist and playwright Robertson Davies wrote that, “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Pretty sure he wasn’t thinking about the UK protection market — but his words are apt, nonetheless. As irrational human beings, we are not always interested… The post Policy change: Protection roundtable appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (Ami) has launched a brand refresh, which goes live on 15 June. Ami says the refresh signals both the growing recognition of its work and its core mission, which is to advocate for the professionals who help consumers navigate some… The post Ami launches brand refresh focusing on advice, mortgage and insurance appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Average fixed mortgage rates inched downwards again this week, according to the latest Moneyfacts rate watch. The average two-year fix is now 5.62%, down 3bps from 5.65% last week. The typical five-year fix is now 2bps lower, at 5.59%. Moneyfacts head of consumer finance Adam… The post Fixed rates inch down again this week, says Moneyfacts appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Rising living costs are creating an affordability challenge for protection advisers, according to new research from LSL Financial Services. A survey of brokers at LSL’s inaugural Protection Forum in May found that income protection is now seen as the area of greatest customer need. Eighty-six… The post Cost of living causes headache for protection advisers, says LSL appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Principality is trimming prices tomorrow and Market Harborough has reduced its bridging rates today. At Principality, two and five-year fixed rates within its residential range at 65% loan-to-value are being lowered by up to 10 basis points. Several residential fixed rate deals at 90% LTV will… The post Principality and Market Harborough cut rates appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
LendInvest has launched a telephone-based business development manager (BDM) team and hired five business development associates to strengthen support for brokers. Josh Beattie and Callum McLaughlin are the lender’s new telephone BDMs, with a focus on engaging with brokers, managing leads and providing assistance. The… The post LendInvest adds telephone BDM team and five broker support roles appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Rents in more affordable parts of the UK are rising twice as fast as the national average, the latest index from Zoopla shows. While rent inflation for the UK as a whole slowed to 2.1%, growth in areas where rents are an average of £750… The post Rents in cheaper locations rising twice as fast as UK average: Zoopla appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
Over half (52%) of new first-time buyers will be 65 or older by the time their mortgage matures, Experian data reveals. Experian says figures reveal the UK’s widening ‘homebuying gap’, as the average age of a first-time buyer increases to 34.7 years, up from 33.7… The post Over half of new FTBs will be 65+ by the time their mortgage matures: Experian appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
MPs have called for sweeping reforms of the “painful” homebuying process to prevent estimated losses of almost £2bn each year from sales that fall through. Housing, Communities & Local Government select committee chair and Labour MP Florence Eshalomi is one of those pushing for change,… The post News Analysis: MPs seek homebuying reforms appeared first on Mortgage Strategy.
