lending

Building societies have seen record levels of cash inflows, with around £1.8bn of savings deposited during April 2008, according to the Building Societies Association (BSA).

Paragon Group, a specialist buy-to-let and consumer finance provider, has seen pre-tax profits fall by 39% over the last six months.

Mortgage lending for house purchase remained low in March, reaching half the levels seen last year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP), the equity release industry body, says people need to be reassured that they can still use equity release plans despite falling house prices.

Eight out of ten mortgage intermediaries believe conditions in the mortgage market are getting worse, according to a survey by the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA).

The number of mortgages approved for house purchase fell by 11% in March, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England.

Net mortgage lending in 2008 could reach half the level achieved last year, according to Steven Crawshaw, chairman of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

Brokers may need to consider charging fees to advise on direct mortgages available on the high street as more lenders pull their ranges sold through intermediaries, Defaqto principal consultant on banking says.

The Government is to appoint a working group of mortgage industry experts to advise on options for improving the functioning of mortgage finance markets.

Mortgage lending for house purchase has fallen by almost a third over the past year, according to figures from the British Bankers Association (BBA).