Mortgages

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has suggested around 900,000 home-owners are currently in negative equity, though it highlighted the majority - around two-thirds - face only modest shortfalls of less than 10%.

The FSA has banned a South London mortgage broker and fined him £100,000 for his knowing involvement in the submission of false mortgage applications.

Lending by the equity release sector has fallen by almost a quarter over the first quarter of 2009, according to Key Retirement Solutions.

The number of new mortgages approved by lenders rose slightly in February, although activity in the market remains low, according to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

Sesame is embarking on Mortgage Extra Live, its latest round of regional mortgage events for advisers, which will focus on business development and diversifying into new product areas.

The Bank of England has kept interest rates at 0.5% today after six months of consecutive cuts.

HSBC is set to launch a range of mortgage deals with up to 90% loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, backed by £1bn of funding.

Mortgage sourcing provider Trigold has upgraded its Prospector sourcing system to display direct products offered by lenders to enhance advisers' research capabilities.

The FSA has banned two mortgage brokers for failing to prevent their firm being used to perpetrate financial crime and for other 'serious regulatory failures'.

The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) has unveiled its Spring Sales Development Workshop programme to help mortgage intermediaries develop their sales skills and better meet customer demand.