Press

“With Halifax and Scottish Widows now calling this, as well as Barclays yesterday, I am sure it will not be long before others to do the same.

Borrowers who take up the mortgage repayment holiday may be denied the chance to switch onto better rates until after their payment break ends, Mortgage Strategy has learned.

Most advisers have already begun working from home, but those still in the office have put in place social distancing measures to keep themselves and their clients safe. Brokers say their diaries have remained busy, as applicants push ahead with remortgages and house purchases. While some brokers are receiving a growing number of enquiries about mortgage protection insurance.

Mortgage lenders have also been urged to clarify whether borrowers who take a payment break will see a damaging impact on their credit scores. Rishi Sunak announced yesterday that borrowers who fall into financial difficulty because of the covid-19 outbreak will be able to defer their payments for three months.

What effect will coronavirus have long-term?

Calls for clarity on payment holidays and credit scores

Brokers trigger coronavirus contingency plans to stay on top of busy diaries

London’s property sector on Friday reacted with dismay to plans from Boris Johnson to slap a 3% “foreigner tax” on overseas buyers of property in the capital

The Conservative Party has pledged to raise stamp duty by 3% for overseas buyers.

Technology company, Thirdfort, enables clients to verify their identity documents and source of funds via a simple mobile app, streamlining a currently manual and time-consuming process for mortgage brokers and their clients.

VUCA. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity. Courtesy of a US Army think-tank, we have an acronym originally conceived as a way to describe the uncertainties of a post-Cold War world.

Black Swan Financial Planning is continually striving to improve and expand our range of client services. We are therefore delighted to announce a new partnership with Altura Mortgage Finance to provide mortgage advice to our clients.

Brokers have voiced support for stamp duty cuts that politician Boris Johnson is reportedly considering if he wins the Conservative Party leadership race to become prime minister.

>Economists don’t expect interest rates to rise until next year, despite hawkish comments coming from members of the Monetary Policy Committee.

A few weeks ago, I found myself presenting to a room full of property investors at the top of a skyscraper in Hong Kong. The event was organised by a major Hong Kong wealth management firm in conjunction with the British Chamber of Commerce.

The Financial Conduct Authority has accused brokers of failing to secure their customers the best deal possible. In its Mortgages Market Study Final Report, published this morning, the regulator said brokers