1. Buy-to-let gaming: Advisers have more to lose than consumers – Copland
David Copland, director of TMA, discusses why the regulator should clamp down further on buy-to-let gaming and the risks such activity poses to the adviser community.
2. Nationwide to launch lowest 10-year fixed rate on market
In a rate-cutting drive Nationwide launched the lowest 10-year fixed rate mortgage on the market, starting from 2.89% for new customers and 2.79% for existing customers.
3. A million retirees have outstanding mortgages
A report from LV published a month before the pension freedoms are due to come in reveals as many as one million retirees have an outstanding mortgage balance.
4. Towergate sells John Charcol in £8.64m deal
Towergate’s advice business – which includes mortgage broker John Charcol – has been sold to Palatine Private Equity for £8.64m.
5. Santander drops general insurance through brokers
Santander’s general insurance range will no longer be available through brokers as the bank said it was looking to focus on its mortgage proposition through intermediary partners.
Here’s some more stories you might have missed:
Mortgage rates will not fall further, warns Virgin
Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia says borrowers should take advantage of low mortgage rates warning that they were unlikely to fall further.
Help to Buy 2 needs replacement, say mortgage lenders
Lenders say that failing to replace the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee with a permanent mortgage indemnity scheme will lead the first-time buyer market to suffer as a result.
Labour housing policy trashed by industry panel – BTL debate
Labour’s proposals to restrict private rental costs and introduce three-year tenancy agreements as standard were shunned by panellists at the Paragon Great Buy-to-Let debate in Westminster.
Starter Home scheme will fail without 95% LTV mortgage – MAB
The Mortgage Advice Bureau says mortgages with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 95% must be made available under the government’s new Starter Homes initiative if it is to succeed.
Silver pound appeal could draw lenders off first-time buyers
First-time buyers should act soon, with the new pension rules expected to “essentially bankroll a generation”, Scottish Friendly warns.