Leeds Building Society has made rate reductions on products across its mortgage range with the aim of helping members save on their monthly mortgage payments. As part of the changes, the lender’s hero two-year fixed rates are available at 4.60% and 5.59% at up to 75% and 95% LTV respectively. The products come with a completion fee of £999 and a free standard valuation of up to £999. Leeds Building Society’s shared ownership five-year fixed rate starts at 5.59% and is available up to 95% borrower share. It comes with no completion fee and a free standard valuation. The lender’s buy-to-let two-year fix starts at 5.55% and is available up to 60% LTV, with a free valuation and no completion fee.

SunLife has announced a brand refresh, including the launch of a new logo, in the latest evolution of its 214-year history. The new logo, which was designed in-house, prioritises simplicity and accessibility, and the change can be seen across its range of digital and printed media. The firm has said that the simplification has been made to modernise the brand and improve digital accessibility, in line with their company ethos ‘simple, certain, SunLife’.

StepChange Debt Charity has appointed Janet Pope as a trustee, joining the board effective from 1 January. The appointment follows a search process to find new expertise to support the future direction and strategy of the charity and completes the process of recruiting four new trustees for the charity throughout 2023. Pope is an economist and retail banking expert with extensive non-executive experience in Government departments, charities and the private sector. She joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2008 to run the savings business and between 2022 and 2023, she was chief of staff and latterly chief sustainability officer, which is a group executive committee role. Pope is also chair of the Charities Aid Foundation Bank, trustee of the Charities Aid Foundation and is a trustee of Camden School for Girls.

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