Atom bank has announced a series of improvements to its new prime criteria to deliver greater support to an “underserved” area of the market. Unsatisfied registered defaults are now accepted up to £2,500, up from the previous cap of £1,000 and the limit for registered defaults for communication and utility bills has also increased from £250 to £500. The app-based bank has also reduced the timeframe in which defaults will be taken into account. The changes follow a number of recent improvements to ensure the near prime range is "better value and more accessible", after the bank widened its near prime range with the addition of a suite of three-year fixed rate deals in April.

Pepper Money has appointed Nicola Culshaw to its second charge sales team. The appointment sees Pepper Money’s national sales team expand to five, with Culshaw strengthening support in the North of England. She brings over 10 years’ experience in second charge mortgage broking to the role, joining from Primis Mortgage Network, where she was area supervision manager. Prior to this, Culshaw worked at Fluent Money, where she was a case manager and then skills and excellence officer.

Hampden & Co has appointed Tracey Davidson as its new chief executive officer (CEO). She will join the bank in the autumn, replacing Graeme Hartop, who is retiring after 11 years in the role. Davidson joins from Handelsbanken UK, where she is deputy CEO, having joined from Barclays in 2003 to expand banking operations in the UK. She is also chair of Handelsbanken Wealth and Asset Management and is a board member at the Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice Association (PIMFA).

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