United Trust Bank (UTB) has announced a range of enhancements and rate reductions across its residential, buy-to-let (BTL) and second charge product range. The lender has launched new BoE lifetime trackers with rates from base 2.64% on its purchase, remortgage, interest only, mortgage prisoner and unencumbered products. Furthermore, UTB has expanded its range of BTL plans, including 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% product fee variants and reduced the interest rates on its BTL standard range by 30bps. The lender has also reduced its second charge BoE lifetime tracker rates by up to 75bps with rates now available from base plus 3.14%.

Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has entered its specialist mortgages division into the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) investment lending market. The entry not only comes from the current shortage of student housing across the UK, but also the existing experience in the sector in the bank’s development finance team, which has led to a healthy pipeline in PBSA deals. The market entry comes off the back of a report by Savills that states that for both investors and operators, rising demand has resulted in record occupancy for PBSA, with both Empiric and Unite forecasting growth of around 7% and markets facing even more acute supply and demand pressures.

Andrew Davies has been appointed to Standard Life’s independent governance committee, whilst retaining board position with the Standard Life master trust company (SLMTC). He will replace Jo Hill, who is stepping back to take up a role at the Bank of England. The committee oversees the interests of almost three million workplace and investment pathways personal pension schemes members. Davies has over 35 years of experience in financial services, covering pensions, wealth management, life, healthcare and general insurance and has held a wide range of senior management positions at firms including AXA. He is also a qualified chartered insurer and financial planner and is a professional trustee by the PMI.

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