Articles by Simret Samra
Fraudster jailed for nine years over £13m property scam
One of the UK's most "prolific female fraudsters" has been jailed for nine years after conning banks out of £13m.
FSA slaps mortgage broker with prohibition order
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has prohibited mortgage adviser Anthony Gott from performing any regulated activity carried on by an authorised person, due to his "lack of honesty and integrity."
CML intervenes after BBC mortgage fees probe
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said it is important for borrowers to know the difference between the types of mortgage fees after BBC Watchdog examined lenders "squeezing" homebuyers with large arrangement charges.
SimplyBiz predicts swell in mortgage advisers due to RDR
There could be as many as 1,000 extra mortgage advisers operating in the industry within the next few years as intermediaries cancel their investment permissions as a result of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), according to Martin Reynolds, CEO of...
The Buy to Let Business launches mortgage club
The Buy to Let Business has today launched the industry's first buy-to-let mortgage club.
Name and shame worst offending claims firms, says BSA
The Building Societies Association (BSA) has backed the decision to bring claims management companies (CMCs) under the umbrella of the Legal Services Ombudsman, but wants it to publish complaints data like the financial Ombudsman.
Post Office branches to use 'mortgage specialists'
The Post Office is introducing specially trained mortgage specialists in five of its UK branches today.
July house prices fell at fastest rate since 2009 - Nationwide
UK house prices declined for the fourth time in five months in July, with prices falling by 0.7%, reported Nationwide.
HSBC promises to lend extra £2bn in mortgages this year
HSBC will make an additional £2bn of mortgage funding available to UK borrowers, with £1bn allocated to first-time buyers this year.
FSA bans broker for inappropriately recommending interest-only mortgages
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has publicly censured Principal Mortgage Services Limited (PMSL), a mortgage broker based in Worcester, for failing to give suitable advice on interest-only mortgages.
SHIP relaunches as the Equity Release Council
Safe Home Income Providers (SHIP) will relaunch as the Equity Release Council later this month.
Avelo buys TrigoldCrystal
Avelo, provider of technology solutions to the Financial Services industry, has acquired sourcing system TrigoldCrystal.
Co-op withdraws interest-only mortgages
The Co-operative Bank is to withdraw its interest-only mortgage range, it has announced.
Halifax launches NewBuy 95% LTV deals
Halifax has become the fourth lender to launch a product range to support its participation in the NewBuy scheme.
Santander drops interest-only LTV to 50%
Santander is reducing the maximum loan to value on its interest-only residential deals to 50%, in a move it hopes will encourage some borrowers to select a capital repayment mortgage.
Osborne threatens to cap mortgage LTVs
Limits on loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages were back on the agenda last night after George Osborne told MPs the Bank of England could intervene to prevent another housing crisis.
Lenders warned over unfair terms in interest-only contracts
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published guidelines to push lenders to simplify wording on mortgage contracts that permit switching consumers from interest-only to repayment mortgages.
MMR: Interest-only applications must be assessed on capital basis
An interest-only mortgage application should be assessed as though it is a capital-and-interest deal, unless there is a "believable" strategy for repaying the loan that does not rely on house price inflation, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has...
Protection refocus will bring rewards - MAB
Advisers have relied too much on mortgages and should be exploiting the opportunities in protection, said a top mortgage boss.
Young Britons' debt burden leaves assets in hands of older generation
More than one million under-40s are struggling to cope with debt, leaving them unable to build up assets in the same way as previous generations,according to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS).
Fake 'Lord' jailed for multi-million pound fraud
An entrepreneur, whose mansion was used in the movie The King's Speech, has been jailed for committing fraud totaling £4m.
Nationwide: UK house prices 'treading water'
House prices continued to "tread water" in September with prices only rising 0.1% during the month, said Nationwide.
Coventry pensioners targeted for thefts outside branches
Pensioners have been warned by police to keep a lookout when using cash point machines, following a number of "distraction thefts" outside banks and building societies in Coventry.
OFT shuts down 62 debt advice firms
At least 62 debt management advice firms have had their licences cancelled in the past year after an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) review into the industry.
Film spoofing "obnoxious" estate agents becomes internet hit
A spoof documentary showing estate agents as obnoxious, arrogant and sleazy workers has quickly become an internet sensation.
CML: Gross mortgage lending up 10%
Gross mortgage lending reached an estimated £13.4bn in August, a 10% rise from £12.1bn in August 2010, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
OFT consults on legal guidance for estate agents
Estate agents and property developers who handle sales of property and land in the UK are to be issued with draft guidance on how to comply with the law.
RICS: House sales hit 26-month low
Only fourteen homes were sold per UK estate agent in the three months to August - the lowest total for more than two years, said the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Barclays bank manager jailed for 23k pension fraud
A Barclays bank manager investigated a colleague's £20,000 theft from a customer aged 95 - then stole £23,000 from the same pensioner by copying the crime.
Should clients save a 10% deposit or go guarantor?
A look at whether Aldermore's 100% mortgage could help revive the FTB market
Aldermore launches 100% LTV mortgage
Specialist lender Aldermore has launched a 100% LTV Guarantor mortgage to help "disenfranchised" first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.
'Most wanted' mortgage broker arrested
A former mortgage broker named by Crimestoppers as one of the UK's ten most wanted fraudsters has been arrested.
How one trainee became an award-winning broker
We talk to BMA Young Achiever of the Year, Countrywide's Carrie Cotter
FSA bans and fines mortgage broker £106k
A mortgage broker has been banned and fined £106,499 for inflating incomes and providing false employment details for his clients on mortgage applications.
Surveyor jailed for 6 years for £10m mortgage fraud
A senior surveyor who took gifts worth £1m for her part in a £10m mortgage scam for London properties has been jailed for six years.
Santander UK gross mortgage lending drops 21%
Santander UK has reported a 21% drop in gross mortgage lending for the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.
Demand for equity release strengthens in H1
Sales of equity release plans during the first half of the year rose 5.24% while the amount released by homeowners increased by 3%, Key Retirement Solutions has found.
Four Bradford mortgage fraudsters jailed for money laundering
Four men have been jailed for a total of nine years for fraudulently obtaining mortgages on three properties in Bradford.
Yorkshire Building Society to acquire Egg mortgage and savings books
Yorkshire Building Society is to acquire the mortgage and savings business of Egg Banking, a subsidiary of Citigroup.
Mortgage lending jump dubbed 'flash in the pan'
A near-£2bn increase in mortgage lending last month may be no more than a "flash in the pan" reflecting concerted efforts from lenders to meet their mid-year targets, according to chartered surveyor e.surv.
House prices 'won't recover until 2020', says PwC
Average UK house prices are unlikely to recover to their previous peak levels until around 2020, according to analysis by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC).
Halifax: Housing market faces 'significant headwinds'
The UK housing market faces "significant headwinds" in the coming months, according to the Halifax.
Surveyor found guilty of £10m mortgage scam
A senior surveyor who took gifts worth £1m for her part in a £10m mortgage scam for London properties has been convicted of fraud at the Old Bailey.
Brokers a main source of fraud risk, say lenders
Mortgage lenders have identified third parties such as solicitors, brokers and valuers as being among the main sources of fraud risk.
RICS: May housing activity stalls
The hoped-for spring bounce in the housing market failed to occur during May, as fears over the economy and lack of mortgage finance continued to depress activity levels, according to RICS.
Couple on trial for £10m BoS mortgage scam
A policeman's wife took part in a £10m mortgage scam in exchange for lavish gifts worth £1m, the Old Bailey heard.
Nine charged in mortgage fraud trial
Nine people have been charged with fraud after providing false information about their earnings and occupations to try and obtain mortgages.
Cap mortgage limit at 3.5 times income: IPPR
Lenders should restrict mortgages to 3.5 times income and loans should be capped at 90% LTV, according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).