Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
New research from the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) explores whether policymakers’ regulatory approach in the wake of the financial crisis has created a market that prioritises stability over popular access to mortgage finance. IMLA’s report, ‘Is the mortgage market working for consumers?’, suggests that consumers’ number one priority when it comes to getting a…
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Gross mortgage lending held steady in October and was an estimated £20.6 billion, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This closely matches September’s gross lending total of £20.5 billion and is 5% lower than October last year (£21.8 billion). Commenting on market conditions in this month’s market commentary, CML senior economist Mohammad Jamei…
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Latest figures from Equifax Touchstone indicate that Northern Ireland and Scotland saw a big slump in mortgage sales at -8.7% and -5.2% respectively during October. The Home Counties and South Coast were the only regions to report mortgage sales growth in October (+2.5% and +1.0% respectively), according to Equifax Touchstone analysis of the intermediary marketplace. Northern…
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The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has published it’s latest research identifying underlying mortgage lending trends. Paul Smee, director general of the CML, said “House purchase activity appears to have steadied, we may not be seeing huge increases in activity on the scale of 2013-14 but there is a consistency in the levels in recent months. Mortgage…
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The latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show growth of 7% in consumer finance new business in September, compared with the same month last year. In Q3 2016, new business was also up by 7% compared with the same quarter in 2015. Credit card and personal loan new business together grew by 8%…
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New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the number of second-charge mortgage repossessions in Q3 2016 was 36, down 35.7% on the same quarter in 2015. Commenting on the figures, Fiona Hoyle, Head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the FLA, said “The third quarter of 2016 saw further…
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The overall mortgage arrears rate in the third quarter was the same as in the second quarter, with 0.84% of all mortgages recording arrears equivalent to more than 2.5% of the mortgage balance. This continues to represent the lowest arrears rate for over 20 years according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders latest statistics. The…
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Aberdeenshire Council is sending messages through Facebook and WhatsApp in a bid to recoup unpaid rent. The Council has been contacting people living in council homes who are in debt using methods other than just post. A total of 35 evictions were carried out by the local authority in 2015/16, with £104,830 owed to the council.…
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Perth and Kinross Council was forced to write-off nearly £300,000 of outstanding debts mainly due to rent arrears. In response to the problem the local authority launched its Rent 1st campaign to highlight the importance of making payments and offering extra support and advice for people who are struggling to pay. Now the housing and health…
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Central Trust has announced the appointment of a Regulatory Consultant to its board of directors. Jane McMahon has joined the second charge mortgage lender as a regulatory consultant. As well as Central Trust, McMahon has also been appointed as regulatory consultant for Central Trust Syndicate Number One Limited, Central Loans Limited, Commercial Trust Limited and…
Read moreThe London Institute of Banking & Finance has launched launched a CeMAP® Diploma. The new CeMAP® Diploma builds upon the success of The London Institute of Banking & Finance’s industry-leading level 3 qualification CeMAP®. To gain the advanced qualification, advisers will need to complete a new level 4 Advanced Mortgage Advice unit, building on CeMAP’s…
Read moreEquifax Touchstone analysis of the intermediary marketplace reveals significant growth in the mortgage market with sales up £1.2bn in September, a rise of 8.4% on August. Residential and buy-to-let sales for the month totalled £15.1billion. September buy-to-let figures jumped by 19.0% to £2.9billion, while residential sales increased by 6.2% to £12.2billion. Regional performance for the…
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The Money Charity has released statistics indicating that after years of steady falls, cases of mortgage arrears have risen for the second quarter in a row. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, at the end of Q2 2016 there were 218,279 mortgage loan accounts with arrears of more than 1.5% of the current loan balance. This…
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