This week’s top five stories:
1) MPs slam ‘horrendous’ mortgage guarantee scheme
The government’s Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme could leave it open to high loan-to-value mortgage lending risk for years to come, MPs have warned.
2) Help to Buy – the road to hell
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, says Vicky Hartley, after the government’s half-formed budgetary rabbit out of the hat was savaged at the weekend
3) L&G launches mortgage advice brand LGMS
Legal & General announces the launch of its Mortgage Service, called the Legal and General Mortgage Service, aimed at encouraging buyers to seek expert advice.
4) EU mortgage directive contents agreed
A provisional agreement on the contents of the EU mortgage directive, expected to be implemented by 2015.
5) Help to Buy plus MMR crippling lenders’ resources – CML
Lenders are struggling to prepare for Help to Buy on top of meeting new regulatory requirements, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has warned.
Here are some stories you may have missed:
Ask the Experts: How can I cross-sell more insurance?
Our Ask the Experts column is your chance to put industry figures on the spot. In this edition James Watson, sales director at Paymentshield, answers your burning question.
Barclays puts 686 ex-ING staff under threat
Barclays has entered the 686 ex-ING Direct staff into a formal consultation period ahead of the planned integration of the former lender.
How to solve a problem like a client shortage
With mortgage brokers across the country desperate to find new clients, Adam Williams takes a look at one broker who has turned his business around.
Over 600 apply for £1 houses
Hundreds of residents of Stoke-on-Trent are expected to seek the chance to buy a house for just £1 after applications opened yesterday.
Can resi brokers make the jump to commercial? – Marketwatch
Interested in commercial mortgages? You’re not alone. So what does a broker need to know before crossing over into commercial? Our Marketwatch asks three industry experts.
Pedal power
Legal & General’s Ben Thompson and a team of other cyclists are preparing to travel 1,800 miles from London to Africa by bike to raise money for charity.
The challenge begins on June 16 and will see the group travel across five countries and four mountain ranges for the mental health charity Rethink.
Thompson said: “I want to raise as much money as I can to really make a difference to those that suffer from mental illness and depression.”
“I have personally seen how tragic and lonely life can be for those that suffer in this way, and this experience has made me want to do something to support this cause as best I can. People who suffer with mental illness often do so in silence – it’s time to change this, and I really would like to make a difference.”
Donations are welcomed at the group’s Just Giving page, click HERE to donate.
