This week's stories:

Loss of income named as main reason consumers need debt help
Friday 5th March 2010
New figures from the debt solutions provider, EuroDebt, have shown that the main reason people are seeking help with their financial situations is “loss of income”.  From

Valuations climb 61% in February
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
The latest research by Connells Survey and Valulation has revealed that the number of valuations on residential housing grew 61% in February, compared to the previous

TV property tycoon blames HBOS for bankruptcy
Thursday 4th March 2010
The famous buy to let entrepreneur Grant Bovey has revealed that state-backed bank HBOS is partly to blame for his financial misfortunes, which will see him

Older stories:

OFT study uncovers issues with estate agent fees
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
A shake-up in how homes are sold, including updating legislation to allow new entrants into the market, could lead to a better deal for house buyers

Santander raises LTVs to 90% on new builds
Thursday 25th February 2010
Santander has announced good news for those looking to make it onto the property ladder this year, as it raises its LTVs for first time buyers

Consumer lending dips in 2009
Wednesday 24th February 2010
The latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association have shown that new consumer lending fell by 15% during 2009, compared with the previous year.   The

£285m Mortgage Rescue Scheme helps 276 households
Monday 22nd February 2010
It has been just over a year since the Government introduced its Mortgage Rescue Scheme to provide much-needed help to the hundreds of thousands of Britons

BSA: Buy to let regulation makes no sense at all
Tuesday 16th February 2010
Plans to regulate buy to let mortgages could see the Government’s objectives to increase investment in the UK private rental sector fail, according to the Building

Spiralling debt hits renters hard
Monday 15th February 2010
A survey from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has revealed that the number of tenants who are unable to meet their rental payments is

FSA takes billion pound property firm to court
Tuesday 16th February 2010
The FSA is set to challenge a property fund in court this week, according to a report in the Financial Times newspaper. Later this week the FSA

BBC investigation finds claims management firm misleading customers
Monday 15th February 2010
An investigation by the BBC Radio 4’s Money Box has uncovered misleading and unacceptable behaviour by sales staff at a claims management firm.  Recorded conversations with the

Angry investors thought to be behind attack on failed property tycoon
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Lancashire Police have confirmed that they are looking at the business dealings of a property tycoon, after he was attacked in an armed robbery at his

44% of brokers want a change of regulator
Wednesday 10th February 2010
In a recent survey conducted by Marketing Innovating Forum, financial advisors were asked: “what’s the best thing the new year could bring to improve your working

Prime London commercial property sold for £40m
Thursday 11th February 2010
Iconic London address 52 Grosvenor Gardens has reportedly been sold for the eye watering sum of £40 million, in a sure sign that the capital’s commercial

Conservative candidate is latest victim of repossession
Monday 8th February 2010
A Conservative candidate described as part of the new generation of future MPs has seen her home repossessed over an unsettled debt of £324,000.  36 year-old Adeela

London’s largest home set to sell for record £100m
Thursday 4th February 2010
A property developer known for his grand-scale designs has won planning permission to convert seven office buildings in Regent’s Park into a 10 bedroom mansion. The

Broker-client conversations to be recorded as FSA steps up bid to treat borrowers in arrears fairly
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
As part of its ongoing plan to ensure that borrowers in arrears are treated fairly by lenders and brokers, the FSA has announced new proposals to

Half of landlords frustrated by lack of finance
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Half of landlords who want to expand their portfolios are being frustrated by the lack of mortgage finance, according to a survey conducted by LSL Property

Skipton apologises for revealing thousands of customer account details
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
Skipton Building Society has hit headlines for the second time in as many weeks, and yet again for all the wrong reasons.  The UK’s fourth largest building

Property investors pointed towards student buy to let sector
Tuesday 26th January 2010
While average buy-to-let rents across the UK may have fallen or remained stable over the past year, one sector that appears to be holding strong is

Warning sounded over rogue IVA company
Wednesday 27th January 2010
Debt experts have warned that a rogue firm is contacting people who have taken out an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) to suggest that they can stop

NACFB locks horns with the FSA over regulation
Thursday 28th January 2010
According to the latest publication by the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB), the trade body recently met with the financial services regulator in order

Concern as consumers can now pay bailiffs with credit cards
Wednesday 27th January 2010
In what is being seen as one of the most obvious examples of a vicious cycle, it has emerged that heavily indebted individuals will now be

Banks take control of estate agent in emergency refinancing move
Tuesday 12th January 2010
Banks have taken over the well-known London estate agent, Foxtons, in an emergency move to reduce its debts.  The estate agent, which has debts of around £300

1m Britons admit to using credit cards to pay their mortgage
Wednesday 13th January 2010
The worrying trend of Britons using credit to meet their monthly mortgage and rental payments looks to be continuing, according to a new survey.  Recent results from

Reported fraud to treble to £5bn over next two years
Tuesday 12th January 2010
The latest Fraudtrack survey from business advisers and accountants BDO has revealed that the amount of money lost by businesses and the public sector to fraud

Report: What the IVA protocol review means for your business
Wednesday 13th January 2010
At the end of last year the IVA Standing Committee issued its review of the IVA Protocol. Its objective was to establish the impact of the

Most competitive mortgage lender named
Thursday 7th January 2010
Competition returned to the mortgage market in the final quarter of 2009, according to research from Evaluate Technologies, which revealed a breakdown of the most competitive mortgage lenders.  In first...

Cattles investors call for company to close
Wednesday 6th January 2010
In the latest twist in the tale of troubled doorstep lender Cattles, shareholders have demanded that the company is wound up. A shareholder action group now has...

Six appear in court over alleged commercial mortgage fraud
Thursday 7th January 2010
Six people have appeared at Southwark Crown Court, in London, having been accused of being involved in a £50 million commercial mortgage fraud. Londoners Simon Lawrence, a former partner...

Record number of solicitors at risk of insolvency in 2010
Wednesday 6th January 2010
Most solicitors firms will be accustomed to dealing with insolvency; however an increasing number may be seeing it from the other side in the upcoming year,...

Former director of failed buy to let group sells £25m mansion
Tuesday 15th December 2009
According to reports from the Times newspaper, London’s biggest riverside private property has just gone on the market, with a staggering £25 million price tag. Selling the 300 year...

SFO makes 6 arrests in £12m commercial fraud
Tuesday 8th December 2009
The warnings that commercial fraud and advance fee fraud are on the rise have been repeated numerous times throughout the year, and now it looks like…

Report finds mortgage lenders flouting new repossession rules
Wednesday 16th December 2009
Mortgage lenders have been criticised by debt charities after a report revealed that they are still neglecting to help vulnerable homeowners avoid repossession. The report called…

OFT review reveals consumers living off high-cost credit
Wednesday 9th December 2009
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced that it has begun to publish evidence from its high-cost credit review. The summary of the review includes the…