Mutuals retain customer service crown

According to the Building Societies Association:

"Mutuals have consistently outperformed plc banks across various aspects of customer service, including treating customers fairly, value for money and being trusted to give good advice..."

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Housing sales up 9.6%

The latest Agency Express Property Activity Index shows:

"UK house sale growth stagnated in April in the run-up to the General Election. Nationally, the number of houses sold in April was 0.7% down on those sold in March but was still 9.6% up on April 2009..."

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Stamp-duty announcement fails to boost first-time buyer outlook

The latest Rightmove Consumer Confidence Survey reveals:

"The proportion of first-time buyers expecting to enter the market over the next 12 months is at a virtual standstill compared with last quarter..."

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Barclays profits rise 47%

Barclays Q1 Interim Management Statement reveals:

"Group profit before tax for the three months ended 31st March 2010 was £1,820m (2009: £1,239m), an increase year on year of 47% (£581m)..."

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Taylor Wimpey sees further housing recovery

Taylor Wimpey reveals:

"UK housing market conditions remain encouraging, with continued gradual improvements in mortgage availability and buyer confidence..."

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RICS: Commerical property upswing continues

The latest RICS Global Commercial Property Survey from RICS reveals:

"Recovery in real estate markets around the world continues to gain traction..."

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Nationwide: House price inflation reaches double digits

The latest Nationwide House Price Index reveals:

"House prices increased by 1.0% month-on-month in April, annual rate of price inflation moves into double digits for first time since June 2007, house prices are 10.0% below the October 2007 peak..."

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Abbey to reduce fixed rates again

Tomorrow, Abbey for Intermediaries are reducing the rate by up to 0.20% on select 70% LTV, Fixed rate products:

"Reductions as follows: 2 year Fixed rate, Homebuyer, Homebuyer Plus and Remortgage products, 3.44% with a £995 fee..."

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Purchase instructions and completions continue to rise

Conveyancing Alliance Ltd, the online conveyancing distributor, today revealed:

"Strong year-on-year increase in both purchase instructions and completions, however remortgage activity remains subdued..."

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60% of Britons waking up to housing crisis

According to the SmartNewHomes.com election poll:

"Around 60% of Britons believe that there is a shortage of new homes in the UK, , suggesting that the public is waking up to the housing crisis unfolding around the country..."

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Strict lending criteria hits 'High End' residential mortgage market

Investec Specialist Private Bank says:

"Increased lending restrictions from banks and building societies has resulted in a growing number of high net worth individuals finding it difficult to secure mortgages of £1million or more..."

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FSA charges ex-hedge fund trader

Today the Financial Services Authority charged:

"Anjam Ahmad, an ex-hedge fund trader, with one count of conspiracy to commit insider dealing contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977..."

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BBA: UK march mortgage approvals rise 4.6%

The British Banker's Association reveal:

"4.5% annual growth in the banks' net mortgage lending substantially exceeds annual growth of just 1% across the whole market in February, as banks continue to provide the majority of all mortgage finance..."

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Mortgage rates at lowest level in a year

Moneyfacts.co.uk reveal:

"When bank base rate dropped to 0.50% last year the mortgage market entered unchartered waters. Initial reductions in mortgage rates were soon wiped out as lenders took an increasing margin for risk..."

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Lloyds Banking Group returns to profit‎

Lloyds Banking Group revealed today:

"In the first quarter of 2010 Llloyds Banking Group returned to profitability on a combined businesses basis due mainly to a significant slowing of impairments in the wholesale business..."

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Country house prices continue to increase

According to the latest figures from the Knight Frank Prime Country House Index:

"Prime country house prices rose on average by 2.0% in the first quarter of the year and are now 4.3% higher than they were 12 months ago..."

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FSA to investigate Goldman Sachs

Following preliminary investigations:

"The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has decided to commence a formal enforcement investigation into Goldman Sachs International..."

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UK inflation rate rises to 3.4%

In the year to March:

"The consumer prices index (CPI) rose by 3.4 per cent, up from 3.0 per cent in February. Over the same period, the retail prices index (RPI) rose by 4.4 per cent, up from 3.7 per cent in February..."

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Ponzi schemer jailed for ten years

The Serious Fraud Office announce:

"Convicted fraudster Kevin Foster was jailed for ten years for running an unauthorised investment business and for stealing investors' funds through his £34 million KF Concept scheme..."

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CML: Gross mortgage lending up 24% in March

According to data published today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders:

"Gross mortgage lending was an estimated £11.5 billion in March, a 24% rise from £9.3 billion in February and a 3% rise from £11.2 billion in March 2009..."

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April house price growth picks up

The latest Rightmove House Price Index reveals:

"With the onset of the traditional moving season, new sellers coming to market ignored any pre-election jitters and economic woes and pushed up their average asking prices by 2.6% (£5,898) this month..."

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Goldman Sachs accused of subprime fraud

The Securities and Exchange Commission have charged Goldman, Sachs & Co. for:

"Defrauding investors by misstating and omitting key facts about a financial product tied to subprime mortgages as the U.S. housing market was beginning to falter..."

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FSA fines London IFA £24,500

The Financial Services Authority today fined:

"Robin Bradford (Life and Pension Consultants) Ltd (Robin Bradford), a London based IFA firm, £24,500 for exposing customers to unacceptable levels of risk of receiving poor pension switching advice..."

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Buy-to-let market delivers improving returns as rents rise

According to the latest Buy-to-Let Index from LSL Property Services plc:

"Landlords are celebrating an outstanding month in the buy-to-let market, with rising rents, rising house prices and falling arrears..."

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Housing stock on the increase, say NAEA ‎

According to research from the National Association of Estate Agents:

"March has been an ecouraging month for the property market with a postive number of buyers looking to sell their home..."

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UK facing severe housing shortage

According to Q1 research from the Association of Residential Lettings Agents:

"There is not enough rental property to meet consumer demand in the UK – and the situation is worsening. Insufficient supply of good quality property means that the private rented sector (PRS) is struggling to meet demand..."

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More green shoots in the housing market

Data from moneysupermarket.com has revealed that:

"Activity in the mortgage market is steadily increasing across a variety of borrower profiles, meaning the spring homebuying season has kicked off strongly and looks set to continue..."

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Equity release sales rise 18%

Independent equity release adviser, Key Retirement Solutions, say:

"Retired homeowners are increasingly using equity release to help family as the housing market recovery boosted cash released to £216.9 million in the first quarter of 2010..."

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General Election Manifestos and the property industry

The British Property Federation says:

"It's good to see that housing and planning have got a good airing, but the worry is that amid all the idealistic thinking around localism may take some more work before it can be implemented..."

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UK house prices up 7.4%

Latest UK house price index statistics, produced by Communities and Local Government, reveal that:

"The UK average house price rose by 7.4 per cent in the year to February 2010, compared with a rise of 6.2 per cent in the year to January..."

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CML: Mortgage market sees modest recovery

According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders:

"January was extremely weak due to one-off factors such as the effect of the end of the stamp-duty exemption in December 2009 and the severe winter weather..."

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Legal & General to offer ING Direct mortgages

Ben Thompson, Director, Mortgages at Legal & General said:

“We're really pleased to be in a position to bring another new lender to our panel, particularly one as innovative as ING Direct..."

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FSA fines and bans former Northern Rock deputy CEO

The Financial Services Authority today fined the following:

"David Baker, former deputy chief executive of Northern Rock Plc (NR), £504,000 and Richard Barclay, former managing credit director at NR, £140,000..."

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House prices rise for eleventh month in succession

Acadametrics estimate that:

"The average price of all residential property transactions completed in England & Wales in March 2010 was 1.1% higher than in February. This is the eleventh month in succession in which AcadHPI has increased on a monthly basis..."

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Prime Central London rents rise by 3.1%

According to the latest data from property consultants Cluttons:

"Rents in Prime Central London rose by an average 3.1% over the first quarter of 2010, with five-plus bedroom houses seeing the highest uplift in rents at 7%..."

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60% of intermediaries don't use lead generation

According to the results from the latest MyIntroducer.com poll:

"60.73% of intermediaries report that none of thier new business comes from purchasing leads..."

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Kensington Mortgage Company Limited fined £1.225m

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has today announced it has fined Kensington Mortgage Company Limited £1.225 million for poor treatment of some customers facing mortgage arrears:

"The firm has agreed to redress customers who were in arrears and charged specific unfair and/or excessive charges. It is estimated that the redress will cost the firm up to £1.066 million...."

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Northern Rock launches new fixed rate bond issue

Northern Rock is launching a new issue of its Fixed Rate Bond:

"Offering a competitive rate for a minimum deposit of £1. The new Fixed Rate Bond (Issue 389) will be available to open from today (Friday, 09 April 2010)..."

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Abbey launch new two-year fixed rate deals

Abbey for Intermediaries has today launched a range of new two year fixed rate mortgages:

"70% LTV, 2 year Fixed rate products from Abbey: Homebuyer and Homebuyer Plus products, 3.59% with a £995 fee. Remortgage product, 3.64% with a £995 fee..."

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TMA offers Abbey semi-exclusive three-year tracker deals

The Mortgage Alliance (TMA) has today announced:

"An offer of semi-exclusive three-year homebuyer and remortgage tracker deals from Abbey for Intermediaries (AfI)..."

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Godiva reduce Buy to Let base rate tracker by 0.50%

Godiva Mortgages announce that today they have:

"Reduced the pay rate on their 2 year Buy to Let base rate tracker by 0.50%. Previously this product was available at +3.85% above base for two years, and has now been slashed to +3.35%..."

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FSA issues £4.2m fines

The Financial Services Authority has fined three firms a total of £4.2m for failing to provide accurate and timely transaction reports to the FSA:

"The three firms are Credit Suisse (£1.75m fine), Getco Europe Limited (£1.4m) and Instinet Europe Limited (£1.05m)..."

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Tory Economic Plan has strength of a house of cards, say Labour

Gordon Brown issued a stark warning to voters that the Tories' economic plan has the strength of a house of cards which would risk the recovery:

“My aim is to secure the recovery and not put it at risk. Yesterday, the OECD reported that the UK is seeing one of the most robust returns to growth in the developed world..."

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Halifax: March house prices up 1.1%

According to the latest Halifax House Price Index:

"House prices increased by 1.1% in March. This rise partly reversed February's 1.6% fall and was the eighth increase in the last nine months..."

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IFA convicted of mortgage fraud after drug raid

According to a report by ThisIsGloucestershire.co.uk:

"Three people have been convicted of fraudulently taking out a mortgage on a house in the Forest of Dean following a lengthy and complex investigation..."

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Residential housing valuations increase 25%

According to the latest research by Connells Survey and Valuation:

"The recovery of the housing market continued to pick up pace in March, with the number of valuations on compared to February..."

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Halifax council tax offer returns for homebuyers

Halifax today announces the return of its offer available for homemovers and first time buyers:

"Designed to help with the costs of buying a new home, the offer means the lender will pay half of the first year's council tax bill, up to a maximum of £750..."

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Hung parliament could add £624 a year to mortgage

easyroommate.co.uk report:

"As all long-term lenders price their mortgages with reference to the price of gilts – or units of government debt – mortgage rates are now rising as the cost of gilts rise..."

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BCC: UK economy facing serious risks

According to a report from the British Chambers of Commerce:

"UK upturn is still on course, but the recovery is weak and the economy is facing serious risks..."

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Yorkshire and Chelsea building societies merger completed

The merger of the Yorkshire and Chelsea building societies completes today:

"The enlarged Society will be known as Yorkshire Building Society, with the Chelsea Building Society name being retained and operated as a separate and distinct brand within the Yorkshire Group..."

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