RJ Mortgage Finance

10/06/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, Overall product choice of residential mortgages has risen above 7,000 options for the first time since March 2026, Moneyfacts data reveals.
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report shows that mortgage product choice has seen almost 350 more options returning in the space of a month, since the start of May 2026.
Choice has now climbed back to over 7,000 options for the first time since the start of March 2026.
Data found that mortgage product churn continued throughout May, with the average shelf-life of a deal now at 15 days, one day fewer than the month prior.
It also reveals fixed mortgage rates dropped for a consecutive month, with the average two-year fixed rate seeing its biggest monthly fall in over a year.
Since the start of May, the average two-year fixed rate fell by 0.10%, and the average five-year fell by 0.05%, to 5.68% and 5.63%.

The next MPC meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Market Harborough Building Society will now consider Live/Work units where the LTV is below 50%, please refer to the lender for further details.
Gatehouse Bank will now consider applications involving gifted equity without the need for an additional customer deposit, subject to certain criteria.
Foundation has increased its maximum residential lending age from 75 to 80 and cut rates across its mortgage range. Product fees have been removed from 2- and 5-year fixed-rate 90% loan-to-value (LTV) products, including for key workers.

In wider news, in the landlord sector, a report from the Resolution Foundation suggests It is unlikely that incoming energy-efficiency requirements in the private rented sector (PRS) will lead to an exodus of landlords.
The Foundation’s latest housing outlook found that private rented homes were the worst-performing when it came to the cost, size of properties and quality. It said the Renters’ Rights Act could lead to the improvement of the quality of private rented homes, noting the requirement for homes to be energy efficient by 2030 and meet a new Decent Homes Standard in the mid-to-late 2030s.

The organisation said the target was ambitious, as 47% of homes in England did not currently meet the proposed standard. It said the typical cost of improving a home to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C was £9,000, equivalent to around 75% of the median annual rental income for landlords with one property.
It added that it was possible some landlords operating at narrow margins could exit the market, but, similar to the introduction of other energy-efficiency regulations, “large-scale exits seem unlikely”.

In Insurance news, bad news comes in a report from Cancer Research states Critical illness is changing. It is no longer associated with older people and the protection insurance industry is working to face evolving health challenges.
Cancer, for example, is on the rise among 24-to-49-year-olds. Incidence of the disease in this group jumped by a quarter (24%) between 1995 and 2019, Cancer Research UK says.
The stats for stroke are more severe. There was a 67% rise in the condition in those aged under 55 between 2002 and 2018, according to the Medical Research Foundation.

And by way of balance, improvements come from Guardian who have added two new ‘core’ covers – Critical Illness Essentials and Combined Life and Critical Illness Essentials – to its Essentials range.
The provider said these additional covers will give advisers more opportunities to recommend Guardian where clients need value and quality and will sit alongside Guardian’s current enhanced protection product range.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

02/06/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, average fixed rate mortgages fell again this week, despite lenders having a slow start to the week, according to Moneyfacts.
The average two-year fix fell 5bps to 5.68% compared to last week, with the typical five-year deal falling 3bps to 5.63%, the latest Moneyfacts rate watch shows.
At higher loan-to-value tiers, the average two-year fixed rate at 95% LTV dropped from 6.3% to 6.22% week-on-week, while at 90% LTV the rate fell from 6% to 5.94%.
The largest falls were seen in 10-year fixes to 100% LTV, which fell 25bps to a typical 6.65%, and two-year fixes to 70% LTV, which dropped by 19bps to an average of 5.29%.

The next MPC meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Bath BS will accept a BTL application on a block with cladding.
Ecology BS will accept a residential application on a British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) constructed property.

In wider news, UK annual house price growth slowed to 1.7% in May, from 3.0% in April, which represents the first monthly decline so far this year, Nationwide’s latest house price index reveals.
The index shows that house prices were down 0.6% month on month.
The average property price in May was £278,024.
Nationwide chief economist Robert Gardner says: “Given the uncertainty caused by developments in the Middle East and the subsequent rise in energy prices and market interest rates, some loss of momentum was to be expected.”

And….in first time buyer news, Zoopla’s latest House Price Index reveals that first-time buyers are targeting homes worth £10,000 more than a year ago. First-time buyers are seeking to buy homes with average prices of £254,750, 4.3% higher than last year.
This is nearly three times the headline rate of wider UK house price growth of 1.5% with an average UK house price of £271,900. There are 6% fewer first time buyers in the market than this time last year, but according to Zoopla those that remain are not compromising on what they want to buy.

In Insurance news, another improvement comes from employee benefits and protection provider MetLife UK has enhanced its individual protection offering by adding a virtual physiotherapy service.

Designed to support customers recovering from injury or illness, the service includes an initial assessment followed by tailored treatment on a case-by-case basis.

Customers may receive up to six virtual physiotherapy sessions per year with an experienced physiotherapist, alongside personalised exercise plans and rehabilitation guides.
MetLife said: “When it comes to injuries or illnesses, people’s first priority is getting the right help and care from professionals. But recovery is just as important.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

19/05/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, Demand for variable and tracker deals has doubled compared to last September, driven by the economic impact of the war in Iran, new analysis from Moneyfacts shows. Average two-year fixes have risen by 94 basis points to 5.79% since early February, before the war began. Average five-year fixes have risen by 75bps to 5.69% over the same period, but while the increase is slightly less severe it is still significant and borrowers appear wary of being stuck on these rates for longer than necessary. The average two-year tracker rate has risen by a lower margin, up by 20bps to 4.61%.

The next MPC meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, NatWest will now lend high earners( over £150000 ) up to 6.5 times their income in its latest affordability boost to a maximum 75% LTV.
Chorley BS confirm that for a residential applicant the minimum number months remaining on visa is 12 months.
Hinkley & Rugby have increased the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) for lending into retirement from 75% to 80% for residential borrowers.

In wider news, The average price of a home rose by £4,333 in May, with market confidence “surprisingly strong”, according to online property expert Rightmove.
The online property portal said the average price of a property coming to market is now £378,304, but prices have fallen by 0.3% since May 2025.
“Activity in the market is staying fairly steady, even with ongoing cost of living pressures and wider global uncertainty,” said Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove.

In Insurance news, customers are concerned about being diagnosed with a serious illness, but many remain uninsured, according to research by Vitality.
The provider surveyed 2,000 UK adults, it found that 61% of UK adults are concerned about being diagnosed with cancer.
Other conditions those quizzed were concerned about included stroke (53%) and heart attacks (52%).

In 2025, VitalityHealth released insights for cancer claims it received in 2024, revealing that rates for skin cancer claims have increased by nearly 25% between 2019-2024.
Claims rates for breast cancer and prostate cancer have declined by 9% and 7%, respectively, during this period.
Vitality said that whilst there were concerns about being diagnosed with serious health conditions among respondents, 11% of those asked had a policy which would cover them in this instance.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

13/05/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, despite mortgage turmoil easing in April, first-time buyers remain under pressure from reduced choice and stretched affordability, Moneyfacts data reveals.
Data shows that mortgage product choice has contracted by around 10% since the start of March, with higher loan-to-value (LTV) deals (10% or less deposit or equity) falling by 14%, which Moneyfacts says is a blow to first-time buyers in particular.
Overall product choice rose month-on-month, up by 583 options, but this represents less than half of the deals (1,238) lost the month prior.
Lenders pulled products from sale due to uncertainty over the future path of interest rates.

The next MPC meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Zephyr Homeloans confirm they will accept a Grade 1 listed building on a BTL application.
Beverley BS announce they will consider a joint income multiple of up to 5.5 on a residential application.
Suffolk BS will consider a Non Simultaneous Sale and Purchase on a residential application.

In wider news, following last week’s Nationwide report, Halifax revealed the same with house prices remained broadly stable in April as the average price fell by 0.1% month-on-month to £299,313.
This follows a 0.5% drop in March.

Year-on-year, house prices in the UK jumped by 0.4%, following an increase of 0.8% in March.
Northern Ireland remained as the region with the highest annual house price growth, as prices increased by 7.6% year-on-year to £224,851.

Wales (£239,952) and Scotland (£222,448) also recorded increases of 0.7% and 4% respectively.
In England, the Northern regions saw stronger house price growth, with the North East recording an increase of 4.5% year-on-year to £183,445, while the average house price in the North West totalled £248,945, marking a 3.4% increase.

In Insurance news, provider, The Exeter, has made a series of updates to its income protection product, Income First, to increase the financial protection available to claimants facing illness or injury.
As part of the updates, the maximum benefit through Income First has increased to 65% of a member's income, which enables policyholders to protect a larger proportion of their earnings.
There will also be reduced evidence requirements for the product's fixed benefit option, as well as greater clarity for members who have been on parental leave for less than 12 months and need to make a claim by assessing their earnings prior to their leave.
Elsewhere, its rehabilitation support will offer extended access, with the previous 24-month limit now removed to allow members to receive assistance for as long as they need it.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

13/05/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, despite mortgage turmoil easing in April, first-time buyers remain under pressure from reduced choice and stretched affordability, Moneyfacts data reveals.
Data shows that mortgage product choice has contracted by around 10% since the start of March, with higher loan-to-value (LTV) deals (10% or less deposit or equity) falling by 14%, which Moneyfacts says is a blow to first-time buyers in particular.
Overall product choice rose month-on-month, up by 583 options, but this represents less than half of the deals (1,238) lost the month prior.
Lenders pulled products from sale due to uncertainty over the future path of interest rates.

The next MPC meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Zephyr Homeloans confirm they will accept a Grade 1 listed building on a BTL application.
Beverley BS announce they will consider a joint income multiple of up to 5.5 on a residential application.
Suffolk BS will consider a Non Simultaneous Sale and Purchase on a residential application.

In wider news, following last week’s Nationwide report, Halifax revealed the same with house prices remained broadly stable in April as the average price fell by 0.1% month-on-month to £299,313.
This follows a 0.5% drop in March.

Year-on-year, house prices in the UK jumped by 0.4%, following an increase of 0.8% in March.
Northern Ireland remained as the region with the highest annual house price growth, as prices increased by 7.6% year-on-year to £224,851.

Wales (£239,952) and Scotland (£222,448) also recorded increases of 0.7% and 4% respectively.
In England, the Northern regions saw stronger house price growth, with the North East recording an increase of 4.5% year-on-year to £183,445, while the average house price in the North West totalled £248,945, marking a 3.4% increase.

In Insurance news, provider, The Exeter, has made a series of updates to its income protection product, Income First, to increase the financial protection available to claimants facing illness or injury.
As part of the updates, the maximum benefit through Income First has increased to 65% of a member's income, which enables policyholders to protect a larger proportion of their earnings.
There will also be reduced evidence requirements for the product's fixed benefit option, as well as greater clarity for members who have been on parental leave for less than 12 months and need to make a claim by assessing their earnings prior to their leave.
Elsewhere, its rehabilitation support will offer extended access, with the previous 24-month limit now removed to allow members to receive assistance for as long as they need it.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

Call now to connect with business.

06/05/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, as the UK starts to feel the effects of the conflict in the Middle East, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced last week that it had voted 8 to 1 in favour of maintaining the base rate at 3.75%….Expectations that the base rate will remain higher for longer prompted mortgage lenders to hike rates in the weeks following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the Moneyfacts Average Mortgage Rate rose from 4.90% to 5.72% between the start of March and the start of April, its largest monthly rise since July 2023.
While the pace of increases has eased, with several major lenders even reducing rates over the past couple of weeks, the market remains volatile.

The next meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Family BS will not accept a pending new job salary for a residential purchase.
Norton Home Loans will accept a residential application where previous mortgage arrears date over 12 months passed.

In wider news, UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March, and house prices were up 0.4% month on month, according to the latest data from the Nationwide House Price Index. Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said:
“Despite the uncertainty caused by developments in the Middle East and the subsequent rise in energy prices, the UK housing market has continued to regain momentum following the slowdown recorded around the turn of the year.

And..

Britain’s larger buy-to-let (BTL) landlords are feeling confident about the next 12 months, with 84% expecting rental yields to increase.
The BTL Barometer from Kensington Mortgages, which surveys landlords who hold a portfolio of properties in a limited company, shows renewed confidence, with 77% thinking property prices will increase and 80% expecting rental demand to rise. Nearly nine in 10 – 89% – of all landlords said they felt confident about the outlook for the year ahead.

In Insurance news, when we look at organising cover for clients one of the areas we look at is income protection, to replace a lost income following an illness or accident. Some plans can start immediately and others can start after a deferred period…but the reason for the cover remains the same..

Data from NHS England has revealed that 11.17 million sick notes were issued in 2025, coupled with data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing 148.8m working days were lost because of sickness or injury.
Of the notes issued, 59% were to women and 41% to men. Just over 10m, or 93% of applicants, were classed as "not fit for work", whilst 8% of the notes issued advised a phased return to work, altered hours and amended duties.
The top diagnosed causes for sick notes were mental and behavioural disorders (36%) and musculoskeletal conditions (18%).
However, most sicknotes (8.28m) issued in 2025 were not related to any diagnosis.

Even if you have cover not organised by us, you should check what additional services your provider offers – as any offerings are there for you to use them.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

30/04/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, The Bank of England has held Bank Rate at 3.75% as policymakers assess the inflationary impact of higher energy prices caused by war in the Middle East.
The decision follows six cuts since August 2024 and comes after inflation rose to 3.3%, with the Bank warning that disruption to energy transportation and supply would push up fuel, utility and business costs.
The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain the Bank Rate at 3.75%, while one member voted for a 25 basis points increase to 4%.

The next meeting is 18th June.

In criteria news, Together can now accept an Active IVA with 3+ years of payment history by referral, where our funds are to repay the IVA directly.
The Family BS announce a couple of BTL policy changes with a 6-bed HMO option open to personal or Limited Company applicants. And they now offer Expat LTD Co BTL, in addition to BTL’s available in personal names.

In wider news, the 1stst of May sees the new Renters Right Act come into force – with more changes later in the year. The initial points to consider are -
No fault evictions are ending. Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without reason.
Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) are ending. All tenancies will move to Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs) with no fixed end date. Any current ASTs will switch automatically on 1 May 2026.
Selling rules are changing. Landlords now need to give four months’ notice to end a tenancy if they plan to sell a property without tenants or move back in themselves. If the tenancy ends for either of these reasons, the property can’t be re let for 12 months, even if a sale falls through.
Rent increases are limited. Rent review clauses will no longer apply. From 1 May, rent can only go up once per year

In Insurance news, when we look at organising cover for clients one of the areas we look at is the “add on” services. And information from Aviva shows that they are very much in use.

Provider, Aviva, has reported increased demand for its digital health services during 2025.
The insurer said that 172,800 customers with individual or group protection cover registered with DigiCare+ during 2025, bringing the total number who access digital health services to 673,000.
The number of digital GP appointments booked in 2025 rose by 36% to 61,300, compared to 45,100 in 2024.
Mental health consultation bookings also rose by 3.5% to 23,100 sessions in 2025. Aviva said that 98% of appointments took place within three hours of booking.
The top conditions for consultation were anxiety (31%), depression or low mood (27%) and stress (20%).
Earlier this year, Aviva announced the expansion of its menopause support services via Aviva Digital GP to individuals and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who are private medical insurance (PMI) policyholders with the insurer.

In 2025, 10,600 nutrition service consultations were made, 68% of which were made by women. Fingerprint health checks saw 46,300 checks completed, the provider said 67% of customers identified a cholesterol level outside a normal range and 59% had an abnormal liver reading.

Even if you have cover not organised by us, you should check what additional services your provider offers – as any offerings are there for you to use them.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]

15/04/2026

Hello again readers,

I hope you find the following post informative and please do get in touch if you need any assistance with your mortgage finance or insurance needs, please feel free to email or call and I will be happy to help.

In interest rate news, the base rate remains at 3.75% following the recent MPC meeting in March with a 9-0 vote following the start of the conflict in the Middle East and the possible impact that will have on inflation. The next meeting is 30th April.

The pace of mortgage rate changes has slowed in the last few days, a sign that pricing may be stabilising. After reporting the first fall in average rates since March.

Moneyfacts revealed that the average two-year fix was 5.9% and the average five-year fix was 5.78%, both up by just 0.01% since the previous working day.

There were more residential mortgages available compared to the previous day, up from 6,302 to 6,510.

On the buy-to-let (BTL) side, the average two-year fixed rate was unchanged at 5.46% and the average five-year fixed rate fell slightly from 5.77% to 5.76%.
There were 4,845 BTL deals available as of 10 April, up from 4,815 the day before.

In criteria news, Principality Building Society has widened eligibility for 5.5 times loan-to-income (LTI) lending to include first-time buyers. The mutual has also reduced the minimum loan size from £150,000 to £180,000, and the minimum income threshold has been lowered from £40,000 to £30,000.

Nottingham Building Society has announced a series of updates to its buy-to-let lending criteria – including an increase in its maximum mortgage term to 40 years, up from the previous 35 year limit. Alongside the extended mortgage term, the Society has refreshed its buy-to-let criteria to provide brokers with greater flexibility across borrower type, portfolio structure, and property profile.

In wider news, for those existing borrowers with Nationwide, the lender wants to increase the number of households using its interest-free loans to fund energy-efficient home improvements to 10,000.

Nationwide launched its 0% Green Additional Borrowing products in June 2023, aiming to support 5,000 households who had a mortgage with the mutual to make their homes greener. The mutual has now committed to doubling that number to support more households.

The 0% Green Additional Borrowing mortgage allows existing mortgage holders to borrow between £5,000 and £20,000 up to 90% loan to value (LTV) across a two- or five-year term. Borrowers can apply for additional borrowing as soon as their first mortgage payment has been taken.

In Insurance news, a positive move by Royal London who announced it has refreshed its income protection (IP) occupation classes. The insurer said its update reflects the reality of modern working lives, it has included freelancing, gig work and multiple jobs under its changes.

The updated terms apply to more than 700 occupations, with 545 occupations having terms opened and lowered pricing for 162 further occupations.

Fi Wynn, head of protection proposition, Royal London, said: "As the world of work continues to change, the products designed to support it must too.

"These enhancements to our Income Protection occupation classes highlight our commitment to providing relevant, robust, and adaptable protection for today's policyholders."
Royal London said that the update means a wider range of professionals can get cover, it did also increase the risk profile for 70 roles and applied price adjustments for these jobs.

It is important that you consider protection, both for your home and contents, yourself and for any family that relies on your income. If you need help looking into arranging new cover and are unsure about what each plan covers, or perhaps you need help understanding the wordings and definitions of an existing plan, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

All the very best,

Richard Johnson
Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance
Cert CII (MP), CeCM, AdvCemap, CeRGI
Mortgage and Insurance Consultant

Mobile Phone ; 07881802962
Office : 0208 245 8464 direct dial
Email : [email protected]