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FTB mortgage applications fall 3.5% in Q3


By Goran Nastic

Mortgage applications from first-time buyers (FTBs) fell by 3.5% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, but proved more resilient than demand from existing homeowners, the latest figures have suggested.

Yorkshire Building Society analysis of data from CACI showed that a total of 118,881 FTBs applied for a mortgage between 29 June and 27 September, down from 123,149 a year earlier


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UK GDP beats forecasts with rise in August

UK gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.1% in August 2026, beating economists’ expectations of a 0.1% contraction, as stronger production output offset weakness in construction and flat services activity, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

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One in three wealthy investors plan to sell to avoid CGT

Over one in three (35%) wealthy investors have sold investments or will do ahead of the Budget due to worries about increases to capital gains tax (CGT), Wealth Club has revealed

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Three in five borrowers who commit to paying equity release interest are under 70

Over three in five (63.6%) equity release borrowers who commit to paying some or all of their interest on their loans to avoid it rolling up are under 70, more2life has revealed

Letting agent use reaches two-year high

The proportion of rental properties using letting agents has reached a two-year high, with 66% now employing an agent for some or all aspects of the letting process in Q2.

The latest Landlords Trends research from Pegasus Insight found this figure has risen from 61% in Q1 and 62% a year earlier, following a growth in demand for full property management services

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Three in 10 wealthy Britons mull UK exit amid confidence slump

Almost a third of UK high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are considering moving abroad, up from 25% a year ago, as confidence in the economy weakens and concerns over tax policy grow, according to research from wealth manager Saltus
Semi-commercial mortgage lending grows in Q3 as new lenders enter market

Semi-commercial mortgage lending rose 14% year on year to £250m in the third quarter, as new lenders entered the market and refinancing from bridging loans supported activity, the latest figures from TAB have revealed

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Majority of IFA firms set sights on ‘ambitious’ growth targets

Almost two thirds (65%) of ValidPath Member IFA firms are targeting revenue growth of 20% or more in the next 12 months, ValidPath has revealed

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Seven in 10 fear Budget will leave them worse off

Seven in 10 (71%) clients of a North East financial planning firm expect the upcoming Budget to leave them financially worse off

Tories pledge to remove IHT from primary residence and increase NRB

The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, has announced plans to cut inheritance tax (IHT) if the Conservatives win the next general election by removing family homes from the tax and increasing the nil-rate band (NRB). At the Conservative Party Conference, Badenoch committed to excluding primary residences from IHT while increasing the NRB to £500,000 per person, enabling a couple to pass on £1m of assets as well as their home without paying IHT

Half of Brits want to abolish IHT

Over half (56%) of the British public now want a complete abolition of inheritance tax (IHT), compared to 54% last year and 49% two years ago, Kingsley Napley has found

HNWIs confidence falls amid new Govt tax policies

Confidence among UK high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) is continuing to weaken as fears over government tax and wealth policy is increasingly shaping how families protect and pass on their assets, Saltus has stated

Half of UK young adults facing housing insecurity highlight lack of financial education

Almost half (48%) of young adults facing housing insecurity say that a lack of financial education is the primary cause of these problems, Money Ready has found

FCA joins industry and consumer groups to boost protection insurance uptake

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is teaming with industry, government and consumer groups to encourage more people to consider protection insurance, after finding that around 58% of UK adults have no life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection

Restore Britain unveils plan to abolish FCA/PRA in their current form

Restore Britain has unveiled a plan to abolish the FCA and the PRA in their current form

More than one in 20 financial services complaints take over eight weeks to resolve

More than a fifth of complaints made to financial services firms take at least eight weeks to resolve, according to analysis by Huntswood of the latest FCA complaints data

LISA savers hit with multiple withdrawal penalties in 2024/25

Around 45,000 lifetime ISA (LISA) savers were penalised with unauthorised withdrawal charges more than once in 2024/25, Plum has revealed

Savings accounts earning 1.5% or less reach £327bn

UK savings accounts earning 1.5% or less in interest currently hold a collective £327bn, Spring has revealed

Britons feel unprepared for financial shocks, study finds

Almost half of Britons feel financially unprepared for major life events, despite recognising the importance of long-term financial planning, according to new research

Building societies pay £2.1bn extra in interest in 2025

Building societies paid savers an extra £2.1bn in interest in 2025 compared with average rates offered by the UK’s largest banks, Moneyfacts has found

More than half of Gen Z cutting pension contributions amid cost-of-living pressures

A looming retirement crisis is facing the youngest generation of workers as rising living costs force younger workers to prioritise immediate financial pressures over retirement savings, new research has warned

More than three million pension pots remain lost

More than three million UK pension pots remain lost, holding an estimated £18.7bn in assets, according to research from the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI)

Members opposed to AI making pension decisions without human review

Pension scheme members are uncomfortable with artificial intelligence (AI) making pension-related decisions without human review, research from Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) and Burges Salmon has found

Just 9% of Brits on track for comfortable retirement

Fewer than one in ten of the UK working population are on track for a comfortable retirement, according to Pensions UK figures cited by PensionBee

One in three wealthy investors plan to sell to avoid CGT

Over one in three (35%) wealthy investors have sold investments or will do ahead of the Budget due to worries about increases to capital gains tax (CGT), Wealth Club has revealed

Majority of IFA firms set sights on ‘ambitious’ growth targets

Almost two thirds (65%) of ValidPath Member IFA firms are targeting revenue growth of 20% or more in the next 12 months, ValidPath has revealed

Three in 10 wealthy Britons mull UK exit amid confidence slump

Almost a third of UK high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are considering moving abroad, up from 25% a year ago, as confidence in the economy weakens and concerns over tax policy grow, according to research from wealth manager Saltus

Retired savers increase cash holdings to prepare for care costs

More than one in five retired people have increased the proportion of their wealth held in cash since leaving work, with potential long-term care and health costs the main motivation for saving, research by Investec Save has found

Nivo launches AI assistant to streamline specialist lending cases

Nivo has launched Lender Collect, an AI assistant designed to help manage specialist lending cases from initial broker enquiries through to post-decision conditions

AI poised to reshape workplace pensions

Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape the UK defined contribution (DC) pensions market, with employers increasingly looking to use the technology to improve member communications, engagement and retirement outcomes, according to a new WTW survey

AI will raise speed expectations for letting agents

Artificial intelligence is more likely to replace individual tasks than letting agents themselves, but the technology will raise expectations for faster service, smarter decision-making and greater efficiency across the lettings sector, Propoly has argued

Almost half of Gen Z say AI has changed their mind about a decision

Almost half of Gen Z adults say AI has influenced a decision they made, and a majority trust the technology, with AI playing a growing role in shaping personal and financial choices, according to research commissioned by Aegon

News in brief - 15 October 2026

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Foundation, GB Bank, Chetwood Bank and LendInvest

UK GDP beats forecasts with rise in August

UK gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.1% in August 2026, beating economists’ expectations of a 0.1% contraction, as stronger production output offset weakness in construction and flat services activity, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

News in brief - 14 October 2026

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring ModaMortgages, One Mortgage System and RAW Capital Partners

News in brief - 13 October 2026

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Aspen, Lendlord, and LHV Bank

Alan Ritchie: Looking to the future for Equity Release

Royal London Equity Release's CEO explores property wealth’s role in retirement planning

BLOG: Are added-value services the key to engaging clients in protection?

Scottish Widows Protection Director, Rose St Louis, discusses how reframing protection conversations can help to engage clients

BLOG: Award-winning lending, built brick by brick

Saffron for Intermediaries discusses its latest lending offering on the MoneyAge blog

BLOG: Doing Good is Good Business

MoneyAge Awards winner Bespoke Advice discusses the key fundamentals of good financial planning in our latest blog piece

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Delivering A Consumer-Focused Later Life Lending Sector for 2026 and Beyond

Later Life Lending: It’s more than just equity release or retirement interest only (RIO)

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