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Net mortgage approvals rebound in September – BoE


By Michael Griffiths

Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 1,000 in September to total 65,900, new Bank of England (BoE) data has revealed.

This follows the decline of 500 mortgage approvals which the central bank reported in August


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Mortgage affordability failing to reflect modern careers

Over one in five mortgage brokers (22%) are reporting that their clients are having to take extra steps to prove affordability because of their career choice or working pattern, new findings from Nottingham Building Society have revealed

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Adviser study reveals clients cutting pension payments for IHT purposes

Forty-seven per cent of advisers have reported that their clients are cutting pension contributions to invest in inheritance tax (IHT) solutions, new research by Downing has indicated

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One in five potential homebuyers unaware of available support

One in five (20%) would-be homebuyers are unaware of support available to them, including schemes such as the lifetime ISA and right to buy, research by Shawbrook has revealed

LendInvest completes £310.6m securitisation

LendInvest has announced the completion of its latest securitisation which includes a £310.6m pool of UK prime mortgages

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HSBC UK profits fall 6% in Q3

HSBC UK has seen its profit before tax fall by 6% to $4.92bn in the nine months to 30 September
HMRC overpaid tax repayments pass £1.5bn milestone

HMRC repaid more than £48m to people who overpaid tax when they flexibly accessed their pensions in Q3 2025, the latest Government Pension Schemes Newsletter has revealed

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Three in five landlords don’t trust Govt to deliver leasehold reform

Over three in five (64%) landlords do not think the Government will deliver leasehold reform by the end of the Parliament, research by Landbay has revealed

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Over a third of HNWIs believe Govt will raise IHT again

More than a third (36%) of high net worth individuals (HNWI) believe that the Government will raise inheritance tax (IHT) again at the Autumn Budget, research from Saltus has found

IHT receipts total £4.39bn in six months to September

Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts reached £4.39bn in the first half of the current financial year, HMRC has reported

One in five people giving away money to beat IHT, study finds

Twenty-three per cent of people are aiming to give money away as part of an effort to manage their inheritance tax (IHT) bills, new research by Hargreaves Lansdown has indicated

Advisers report surge in IHT enquiries ahead of Budget

Advisers are experiencing a surge in enquiries about inheritance tax (IHT) ahead of the Budget, according to investment manager Downing, as demand for support on estate planning continues to expand

FCA calls on banks to improve romance fraud prevention

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has called on banks and other payment firms to improve their measures to protect consumers against romance fraud

Ponzi scheme creator sentenced to over seven years in prison

The creator of a £1.3m Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, following a prosecution by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Regulators urged to improve policy communications to advice sector

Trade body PIMFA has called on policymakers to provide greater “clarity, consistency and proportionality” in their communications to the financial advice sector. The group suggested that while the sector recognises the importance of proportionate regulation, the volume of reforms and lack of clarity in communications are having a significant impact on day-to-day operations

Air publishes suitability report for later life lending advice

Air has launched a new suitability report ahead of any potential regulatory change as a result of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Future of the Mortgage Market Discussion Paper

HSBC UK profits fall 6% in Q3

HSBC UK has seen its profit before tax fall by 6% to $4.92bn in the nine months to 30 September

Adviser study reveals clients cutting pension payments for IHT purposes

Forty-seven per cent of advisers have reported that their clients are cutting pension contributions to invest in inheritance tax (IHT) solutions, new research by Downing has indicated

Savers keeping cash in low interest accounts, study shows

Over one in three people (36%) are keeping their savings with an account provided by their main current account provider, new research by Spring has shown

NatWest Q3 profits increase 35%

NatWest has recorded a year-on-year profit increase of 35%, totalling £1.68bn in the third quarter

HMRC overpaid tax repayments pass £1.5bn milestone

HMRC repaid more than £48m to people who overpaid tax when they flexibly accessed their pensions in Q3 2025, the latest Government Pension Schemes Newsletter has revealed

Fifth of HNWIs unaware of private pension IHT changes

Almost a fifth (19%) of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) aged 55 and over are unaware that unused private pensions will be liable for inheritance tax (IHT), Charles Stanley research has found. From 6 April 2027, changes to IHT rules will affect how pension pots are treated upon death, with unused private pensions being included as part of an individual’s estate

Three in five concerned about pension rule changes in upcoming Budget

Almost three in five (59%) people are concerned about rumoured changes to pension tax-free cash rules in the upcoming Autumn Budget, Nucleus Financial Platforms has found

UK retail pension schemes complete dual £130m full-scheme buy-ins with Aviva

Two pension schemes sponsored by the UK subsidiary of a US-based retail group have completed two full-scheme buy-in transactions worth around £130m with Aviva, securing the benefits of approximately 600 deferred members and 1,200 pensioners and dependants

Plannr integrates with ZeroKey

Plannr has announced an integration with connectivity tool, ZeroKey

SmartSearch launches partnership with T-Tech

SmartSearch has partnered with technology consultancy and accountancy automation provider, T-Tech, to simplify anti-money laundering (AML) compliance

Quilter reports third successive quarter of £2bn+ inflows

Quilter has recorded a 48% year-on-year increase in its net inflows, which totalled £2.2bn in the third quarter

Inflation remains unchanged at 3.8% in September

UK inflation grew by 3.8% in the year to September, after increasing by the same amount in July and August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed

MorganAsh enhances MARS with customisations to vulnerability assessments

MorganAsh has made enhancements to the MorganAsh Resilience System (MARS) by adding greater customisation to customers’ vulnerability assessments and flexibility across the platform to support firms across different sectors

Lloyds scales AI tools across group

Lloyds Bank has announced the successful scaling of its adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot to accelerate the bank’s AI transformation

Defaqto launches MPS performance comparators

Defaqto has launched MPS Comparator performance averages for passive and active portfolios

L&G partners with Microsoft to launch AI platform

Legal & General (L&G) has partnered with Microsoft to deliver an AI-powered customer service platform designed to enhance interactions for both customers and employees

News in brief - 30 October 2025

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring United Trust Bank, Vida Homeloans and The Mortgage Works

News in brief - 29 October 2025

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Black & White Bridging, Paragon Bank and Key Group

Win £100 M&S voucher by completing our latest survey

MoneyAge has launched its latest survey on the mortgage and bridging market, with respondents being entered into a draw to win a £100 M&S voucher

News in brief - 28 October 2025

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Keystone Property Finance, Hampshire Trust Bank and Just Wealth

Lending with a difference: A conversation with Family Building Society’s Nathan Waller

With demand growing for more flexible mortgage solutions, Family Building Society is carving out a strong reputation in later life, family-assisted, and buy to let lending. We speak to Nathan Waller, Business Development Manager at Family Building Society, to discuss how they’re supporting brokers, addressing complex borrower needs, and adapting to an evolving market.

BLOG: Expand the holistic solutions you can offer with Royal London Equity Release

Royal London Equity Release discusses the importance of holistic support for clients when it comes to later life lending

BLOG: The younger generation have spotted an alternative route into the housing market – and we should embrace it

Head of business development at Saffron for Intermediaries, Tony Hall, discusses how the younger generation can find their way onto the housing ladder

BLOG: Introducing eConveyancer+ | Raising the bar on communication

The latest MoneyAge blog explores eConveyancer+, a new standard in conveyancing designed to support brokers in delivering exceptional service with complete confidence

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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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Divorce and the importance of financial advice

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NEW BUILD IN FOCUS - NEW EPISODE OF THE MORTGAGE INSIDER PODCAST, OUT NOW
Figures from the National House-Building Council saw Q1 2025 register a 36% increase in new homes built across the UK compared with the same period last year, representing a striking development for the first-time buyer market. But with the higher cost of building, ongoing planning challenges and new and changing regulations, how sustainable is this growth? And what does it mean for brokers?

The role of the bridging market and technology usage in the industry
Content editor, Dan McGrath, sat down with chief operating officer at Black & White Bridging, Damien Druce, and head of development finance at Empire Global Finance, Pete Williams, to explore the role of the bridging sector, the role of AI across the industry and how the property market has fared in the Labour Government’s first year in office.

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Does the North-South divide still exist in the UK housing market?
What do the most expensive parts of the country reveal about shifting demand? And why is the Manchester housing market now outperforming many southern counterparts?



In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, to explore how regional trends are redefining the UK housing, mortgage and buy-to-let markets.

The new episode of The Mortgage Insider podcast, out now
Regional housing markets now matter more than ever. While London and the Southeast still tend to dominate the headlines from a house price and affordability perspective, much of the growth in rental yields and buyer demand is coming from other parts of the UK.

In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance.

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