1. Leeds BS launches two interest-only mortgages
Leeds Building Society has introduced two and five year fixed-rate deals aimed at the interest-only market.
2. TMPE2014: Pensions not a committed expense, says FCA
Brokers challenged the Financial Conduct Regulation’s (FCA) Lynda Blackwell over her statement that she hoped ‘common sense will prevail’ among lenders choosing to use pension contributions in affordability assessments.
3. ASA censures estate agency for misrepresentation
Website ‘We Buy Any House’ has been censured by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) for misrepresenting itself as an alternative to an estate agent while acting in a similar way.
4. TMPE2014: Barclays – ignoring pensions ‘not prudent lending’
Barclays’ director of mortgages Craig Calder has challenged the regulator’s view that pensions are a flexible expense when calculating mortgage affordability, stating it was ‘not prudent lending’.
5. TMPE2014: FCA warns brokers not to cut corners as advice demand grows
Brokers were warned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) not to cut corners as demand for advice services have grown in the post-Mortgage Market Review (MMR) market.
6. Plenty of buy-to-let lender launches to come in next 12 months – Wyles
There will be a lot of new specialist lenders coming into the market in the next 12 months, said Castle Trust.
7. House prices fall 1.7% – Rightmove
The price of property coming onto the market fell by 1.7% to mid-November according to today’s report from the Rightmove House Price Index.
8. FCA to consult on complaints handling
As a result of a thematic review, the FCA will be consulting on possible changes to its dispute resolution rules later this year.
9. Northern Irish mortgage fraud ring sentenced over £1.5m scam
A fraud ring of seven people obtained £1.5m of mortgages by inflating property prices of business and residential properties in the Coleraine area of Northern Ireland.
10. Skill-up or refer on? Marketwatch
At last week’s Legal & General Mortgage Club conference Martin Noone, managing director of the network, told members they needed to look beyond the sole advice model.
Have a great weekend from all the Mortgage Solutions team
