Open Finance Could Ease SME Lending
The FCA says SME access to finance is constrained less by regulation than by market friction, including complex applications, duplicated checks and limited awareness of suitable options. It has identified SME lending as a priority use case for open finance and is monitoring work on digital verification that could reduce repeated customer checks while maintaining […]
FCA Protection Push Creates AI Opportunity
The FCA has joined industry, government and consumer groups to tackle the UK protection gap, reporting that around 58% of adults have no life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection. The regulator expects meaningful progress over the next 18 months, with AMI leading work to help advisers improve protection conversations and a TechSprint planned […]
First-Time Buyers Drive Mortgage Demand
First-time buyers represented 52.8% of UK mortgage sales in 2025, according to ONS figures, compared with 33.8% two decades ago. At the same time, Gable has introduced a 100% LTV range, while first-time-buyer LTV has reportedly reached 85.6%, its highest level since before the financial crisis. These trends underline both the importance of the segment […]
Rate Repricing Raises Remortgage Urgency
Mortgage pricing is moving in both directions, but the broader picture remains uncertain. Barclays, Halifax, BM Solutions and TSB have announced rises of up to 30 basis points on selected products, while Santander has reduced some residential fixed rates and withdrawn several deals. Bank Rate remains at 3.75%, while inflation has risen to 3.1%, sustaining […]
AI Mortgage CRM: Efficiency Needs Oversight
Monicio has launched an AI-powered CRM aimed at bringing more of the mortgage process into one environment and reducing adviser administration. The development comes as brokers continue to debate whether digital transformation is delivering better client outcomes or simply adding another layer of technology. For advice firms, the opportunity is to use AI for workflow […]