Regulator lays out orientation plans ahead of MMR

A mortgage adviser is to spend nine months in prison for removing an entire kitchen from a Sleaford couple's home days before it was due to be repossessed.

Total lending to individuals increased by £1.4bn last month, according to Bank of England (BoE) data, against an average monthly increase of £1bn over the previous six months.

The UK's biggest mutual Nationwide drove residential mortgage lending up 17% in the financial year to 2013, making it the most aggressive mortgage lender in growth terms this year.

An ex-mortgage broker from Rainham in Kent appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court in relation to criminal offences brought against him by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The regulatory review into the residential interest-only mortgage market found no evidence of systemic mis-selling, the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) has said.

In March, gross mortgage lending by building societies and other mutual lenders was £2.9 bn, a rise of 8% against 2012.

Halifax's mortgage adviser arm, Halifax Intermediaries, is set to pay the full Stamp Duty bill for first time buyers purchasing homes worth up to £250,000.

Adviser firm Positive Solutions has linked up with LifeQuote aiming to support advisers post-Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

An internal review of advised mortgage cases at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) showed just two out of 91 customers received mortgage conduct of business (MCOB)-compliant advice.