Accord Mortgages has reduced rates on its buy-to-let range by up to 0.10%. Changes from the intermediary lender apply to two-year fixes, with rates on remortgage products up to 75% LTV. As a result, its two-year fix for remortgaging starts from 4.08% at 75% LTV, with a £995 fee. Furthermore, its two-year fix at 75% LTV starts from 3.93% for remortgaging, with a £1,995 fee. Both products come with free standard valuation and remortgage legal service.

Hanley Economic Building Society has introduced a two-year interest-only self-build variable discount mortgage with an initial pay rate of 5.84%. Available exclusively through BuildLoan, the product allows lending up to 80% of build costs at each stage, subject to a maximum final LTV of 80%. This new product introduces greater flexibility to both borrowers and advisers by allowing earned income to be considered for affordability up to the age of 75. The advanced stage payment structure is designed to release funds at the beginning of each stage of construction, providing borrowers with upfront cash flow to keep projects on track and reduce reliance on personal funds or short-term borrowing.

Angela Byrne has been appointed as chief executive officer of pensions and savings at Standard Life, starting in January. She is joining from NatWest, where she spent two decades, most recently as interim CEO of the retail bank. In her new role, Byrne will build on the work of Colin Williams, who recently announced his intention to step down from the position.

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