Open Finance Could Aid SME Borrowers
The FCA has identified SME lending as a priority use case in the development of open finance. Its review found that microbusinesses in particular can face complex applications, repeated checks, limited awareness of finance options and difficulty accessing suitable products—issues relevant to self-employed mortgage clients and business owners seeking property or specialist finance. For advisers, […]
Conveyancing Delays Create AI Opportunity
Residential conveyancing capacity is under growing pressure: the number of practising conveyancing solicitors has fallen by more than 2,000 since the end of 2021, while average time to exchange has reached around 123 days. Delays can increase fallout risk, create stress for borrowers and leave mortgage offers exposed to expiry or changing lender terms. AI-enabled […]
AI Mortgage Administration Moves Forward
JammJar has expanded its broker platform with an enhanced AI assistant, AI document analysis, fact-find support and a communications hub spanning email, SMS and calls. The update reflects a practical direction of travel for mortgage AI: reducing administrative effort and bringing fragmented client interactions into a more usable workflow. For financial advisers, the opportunity is […]
First-Time Buyers Drive Mortgage Demand
ONS data shows first-time buyers accounted for 52.8% of mortgage sales in 2025, compared with 33.8% around two decades earlier. This represents a structural shift in the market, with first-time buyers now central to mortgage distribution even as stamp duty changes and affordability pressures weigh on transaction volumes. Advice firms should consider whether their proposition […]
Mortgage Rates Rise Despite Base-Rate Hold
The Bank of England has held Bank Rate at 3.75%, yet mortgage pricing is moving in the opposite direction. Moneyfacts reported weekly increases of 17 basis points for average two-year fixes and 16 basis points for five-year fixes, while the average five-year fixed rate reached its highest level since 2023. For advisers, the key message […]