Letters: Mind your credit score October 4, 2022 [Re: Don’t penalise cash-strapped Brits, FCA warns insurers, 29 September] As interest rates soar, the FCA’s call to lenders to offer borrowers solutions is a stark reminder that consumers’ needs must remain front and centre. Against skyrocketing living costs and a mortgage industry in turmoil, our research shows half of lenders are still using outdated [...]
Explain decision to pull mortgage products, FCA warns lenders October 2, 2022 The chief of the City watchdog has fired a warning shot at lenders after banks pulled mortgage products from the market in droves this week amid extreme market volatility.
Banks and housebuilders bear brunt of market chaos September 29, 2022 Wild swings in UK debt markets and concern over borrowers’ capacity to pay costlier mortgages have whacked London-listed housebuilders and banks this week. Britain’s biggest property developers have been among the hardest hit listed companies during this week’s market sell-off. FTSE 100-listed construction firms Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Developments have shed more than 20 per [...]
Ex Bank of England governor Mark Carney: Government ‘undermining’ financial institutions September 29, 2022 Sir Mark Carney, the former Bank of England Governor, has said the government’s mini-budget tax cuts are “working at some cross-purposes” with monetary policy. The economic accused Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng of “undercutting” financial institutions, after last week’s mini-budget sent markets into turmoil, and the pound plummeting. Speaking to the BBC, his comments came [...]
House prices may tumble a fifth if Bank of England hikes rates steeply, economists warn September 27, 2022 House prices could tumble as much as 21 per cent if the Bank of England is forced to hike interest rates steeply in response to the government’s tax and borrowing splurge fuelling inflation, City economists have warned. Mortgage affordability – the ratio of a home purchase loan to the size of the borrower’s income – [...]
Mortgage lenders withdraw some products after mini-budget market turmoil September 27, 2022 By PA Banks and building societies are withdrawing some of their mortgages from sale after the Government’s mini-budget on Friday sparked massive market turmoil. Three lenders have so far withdrawn some of their products amid the uncertainty. Virgin Money said: “Given market conditions we have temporarily withdrawn Virgin Money mortgage products for new business customers. [...]
Pound slides after Bank of England bats away emergency rate hike pressure September 26, 2022 Sterling collapsed to an all time low this morning as investor confidence evaporated in the wake of the government’s plans to slash taxes and ramp up borrowing in a ‘mini-budget’ last week.
TSB not for sale, chief of Spanish owner insists September 19, 2022 The chief of Spanish bank Banco Sabadell has dismissed speculation the firm is mulling ditching UK lender TSB. Cesar Gonzalez-Bueno, chief executive of Banco Sabadell, told reporters at an event today “there is no intention to sell” TSB. The push back comes after Edi Truell, a veteran City investor, is reportedly considering setting up an [...]
1,000 fewer mortgage deals to pick from as hundreds of offers are pulled in just one month September 18, 2022 House hunters and other borrowers across borrowers have close to 1,000 fewer mortgage deals to choose from than they did a year ago, as more than 500 deals have simply vanished since last month. The number of available fixed and variable rate home loans has shrunk to 3,890 – marking the lowest level since April [...]
Most UK homebuyers and owners are locking in mortgage rates as rises loom September 13, 2022 The majority of homebuyers and owners are locking in their mortgage rates to escape looming rate rises later this year, according to the latest data. Most new buyers – some 95.5 per cent – are taking out fixed rate mortgages, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found, while the proportion of mortgaged homeowners fixing their rates [...]