- Shepherds Friendly has signed a partnership agreement with Simplybiz as it accelerates its strategy to grow its intermediary footprint.

Simplybiz, a subsidiary of fintech and support services provider Fintel, is a leading provider of regulatory and business support to thousands of advisers across the UK.

Under the terms of the agreement, Shepherds Friendly’s income protection products will now be available to all financial professionals who are members of Simplybiz.

This will give advisers access to niche income protection product features, with Shepherds Friendly’s Simply Income Protection plan underwritten on a moratorium basis and offering no loading of premiums for any reason, including occupation or smoker status.

- more2life has announced that from 7 July 2025, it will integrate the Horizon lifetime mortgage product range - previously offered by Standard Life Home Finance (SLHF) - into its proposition.

The Horizon lifetime mortgage range covers both Horizon plans (fee-free and fee-paid) and Horizon Interest Reward, with its 15-year repayment period, for those borrowers willing and able to commit to set monthly interest payments.

more2life said Horizon will now sit as a separate product offering within its proposition, expanding its range of lifetime mortgage solutions which includes Flexi, Flexi Interest Reward, Maxi Zero ERC, Tailored, Capital and Maxi, with further new products to be launched shortly.

- Pure Panel Management has partnered with Afin Bank, a new digital bank set to begin lending in 2025, to support its mortgage proposition.

Afin Bank was created to help underserved Africans and other diaspora communities living and working in the UK to access mortgages. The bank says its lending products may also be suitable for UK-resident customers, including high net worth borrowers and self-employed workers.

The new agreement will see Pure Panel Management deliver surveying and valuation services for Afin Bank’s residential and buy to let (BTL) mortgages, ensuring a streamlined process designed to enhance efficiency and reliability. The collaboration will aid brokers in placing cases for clients who may struggle to obtain traditional financing due to circumstances such as their nationality, visa status, or lack of UK credit history.

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