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Remortgage applications surge in Q1


By Michael Griffiths

The volume of remortgage applications in Q1 surged by 45.8%, new analysis from Stonebridge has shown, prompting overall mortgage activity to jump by a quarter (24.6%).

The mortgage and protection network reported that rafts of borrowers continued to come off ultra-low pandemic era mortgage products from 2021 in the opening quarter of 2026


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First Mortgage acquires Home Loan Services (Glasgow)

First Mortgage has further enhanced its presence in the Scottish housing market by acquiring Home Loan Services (Glasgow)

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New Homes Mortgage Services acquires Clark Marshall Associates

New Homes Mortgage Services has completed the acquisition of Clark Marshall Associates (CMA) for an undisclosed amount

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Lenders not adapting for changing borrower behaviours, brokers state

Over four in five (83%) brokers believe that lenders are not moving quickly enough to cater for changing borrower needs, marking an increase from 52% six months ago, Nottingham Building Society has found

Standard Life acquires Aegon UK in £2bn deal

Standard Life has agreed a deal to acquire Aegon UK for £2bn to create the UK’s largest retirement savings and income business

UK GDP ‘bounces back’ in February but caution remains

UK gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.5% month-on-month in February, which is the biggest monthly increase in over two years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed
220k households to leave PRS in England in 2026 – Pepper Money

An estimated 220,000 households are expected to leave the private rental sector (PRS) in England by the end of the year, Pepper Money has revealed

Remortgage activity provides boost to BTL market

Buy-to-let (BTL) lending registered a sharp increase at the end of 2025, driven by a boost in remortgage activity, according to new figures released by UK Finance

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Treasury rejects call to extend payment deadline for IHT on pensions

The Treasury has responded to the House of Lords’ report on bringing unused pensions into the scope of inheritance tax (IHT), accepting some recommendations while dismissing others, including extending the initial payment deadline and introducing a “safe harbour”

IHT receipts total £7.7bn in tax year to February

Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts totalled £7.7bn in the 11 months to February, increasing by £132m compared to the same time last year, HMRC has revealed

IHT reforms drive demand for gifting – Utmost

Rising inheritance tax (IHT) reforms are resulting in high-net-worth families increasingly turning to "gifting with control" strategies as they reassess how wealth is passed between generations, Utmost has found

Advice firms adjusting planning approaches amid CGT threshold changes

Financial advice firms are overhauling their planning approaches following continued reductions to capital gains tax (CGT) thresholds over the past three years, analysis from Financial Software Limited (FSL) has shown

FCA publishes vision for open finance

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out its vision for open finance, with the aim of empowering consumers and businesses by giving them greater control over their financial data to help secure better deals

Quilter granted Targeted Support permissions

Quilter has received permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to deliver Targeted Support

Royal London receives approval to deliver Targeted Support

Royal London has received regulatory approval to deliver Targeted Support, the new form of regulated financial help being introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

FCA consulting on plans to simplify financial advice market

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed it is consulting on a simplified advice regime and laid out plans to help more people get financial advice for important decisions

Consumer finance new business volumes grow 5% in February – FLA

New business volumes in the consumer finance market grew by 5% in February compared with the same month last year, totalling £9.16bn, figures published by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) have shown. In the first two months of 2026, new consumer finance business agreed by FLA members was 4% higher compared to the same period in 2025

Savers could earn £14bn in higher interest accounts – Skipton BS

Savers could earn an extra £14bn by putting their cash into a higher paying ISA, Skipton Building Society has revealed

Aldermore Bank put up for sale

The owner of Aldermore Bank has put the UK challenger bank up for sale after calling the motor finance redress scheme proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) “deeply flawed”

Three million fixed rate savings accounts set to mature in Q2

There is an estimated £90.7bn being held in adult fixed term savings accounts that are due to mature during Q2 this year, according to new analysis by Paragon Bank

Adviser study reveals clients uncertain about IHT pension change

More than half of advisers (57%) have said their clients are uncertain about pensions being subject to inheritance tax (IHT) from April 2027, according to a new study by Scottish Widows

Immediate pension withdrawals hit five-year high amid IHT concerns

The number of people accessing their pension savings as soon as they are able to has reached a five-year high, amid growing concerns about upcoming inheritance tax (IHT) changes, research from Lubbock Fine has shown

One in seven parents financially support adult children tempering retirement plans

One in seven (15%) parents with children aged over 18 are planning to delay or have a more modest retirement to provide them with financial support, research from Standard Life has found

Majority of UK adults lack confidence in Govt directing pension investments

More than seven in 10 UK adults have little or no confidence in the Government to make decisions about how their pensions are invested, according to research from the Association of British Insurers (ABI)

UK GDP ‘bounces back’ in February but caution remains

UK gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.5% month-on-month in February, which is the biggest monthly increase in over two years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed

Standard Life acquires Aegon UK in £2bn deal

Standard Life has agreed a deal to acquire Aegon UK for £2bn to create the UK’s largest retirement savings and income business

Three IFAs join Absolute Financial Group

Absolute Financial Group has announced the addition of three new independent financial adviser (IFA) firms to the group

Advised platform gross sales reach record high in 2025

Advised platforms hit record-high gross sales last year, rising from £80bn in 2024 to £92.8bn in 2025, a report from The Lang Cat has shown

Nivo launches AI agents for lenders and brokers

Nivo has announced the launch of a new market proposition that features AI agents which gather information for lenders and brokers to get a packaged case right on the first attempt

TRM launches new business support hub

The Right Mortgage (TRM) has announced the launch of a new business support hub, designed to help appointed representative (AR) firms and their advisers grow their businesses

OMS completes API integration with UTB on residential mortgage range

One Mortgage System (OMS) has completed a full API integration with United Trust Bank (UTB) across its first charge residential mortgage range

L&G Mortgage Club announces onboarding partnership with Keychain

Legal & General (L&G) Mortgage Club has partnered with Keychain to give its members access to the AI-powered platform

Ecology Building Society goes live on Monument Technology platform

Banking platform provider, Monument Technology, has announced that Ecology Building Society is now fully live on its platform

News in brief - 17 April 2026

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Hampshire Trust Bank, Atom bank and Paragon Bank

United Trust Bank achieves OPDA accreditation

United Trust Bank (UTB) has achieved accreditation from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) in recognition of its commitment to improving the speed, cost and efficiency of the UK property transaction process

News in brief - 16 April 2026

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Foundation, West One Loans and Paradigm

BLOG: Are added-value services the key to engaging clients in protection?

Scottish Widows Protection Director, Rose St Louis, discusses how reframing protection conversations can help to engage clients

BLOG: Award-winning lending, built brick by brick

Saffron for Intermediaries discusses its latest lending offering on the MoneyAge blog

BLOG: Doing Good is Good Business

MoneyAge Awards winner Bespoke Advice discusses the key fundamentals of good financial planning in our latest blog piece

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.

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Later Life Lending: It’s more than just equity release or retirement interest only (RIO)

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