Maple Leaf Financial Services Ltd Logo

The Value of Financial Advice

Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 20th of July 2022

 

Financial advice isn’t just for the super-rich with complex tax situations and offshore bank accounts. It can be invaluable for anyone with financial goals.

 

Whether you're saving for your future, buying your first home, remortgaging or want to protect your home and income – speaking to an expert can make all the difference.

 

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/707843405?h=5c5349caad" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>the_value_of_financial_advi...


Get savvy against financial scammers

Posted by siteadmin on Friday 27th of May 2022

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/701990023?h=eff820c9c1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The power to change the world

Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 28th of April 2021

 

The power to change the world

Ethical and sustainable investing are both popular and it’s useful to understand the difference between the two approaches.

Investing in a responsible way is nothing new. It dates as far back as the 1700s, when religious groups such as the Quakers refused to support companies involved with the slave trade or other activities that conflicted with their values. Ethical funds started to appear in the UK in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which allowed people to invest in a way that reflected their person...


Omnis podcast

Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 14th of April 2021

Your blog post goes here!


Investment Update April 2021: Springing into action

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021

Springing into action

Successful vaccination programmes are rolling out on both sides of the Atlantic, pointing to a brighter economic outlook.

The US and UK continued their rapid vaccine programmes to combat the coronavirus pandemic, while Europe lagged in its rollout, resulting in a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in some parts of the EU. As a result, the US and UK are likely to be able to reopen their broader economies sooner, while much of Europe still faces strict lockdowns.

Budget brings some relief
In his March Budget, Chancellor...


Capital allowances

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021


Personal tax thresholds freeze

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021


Could you ‘nudge’ your way to a healthy retirement?

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021

 

Nudge theory was popularized in 2008 by behavioural economist Richard Thaler and legal scholar Cass Sunstein. In simple terms it is about making it easier for people to make a certain decision that is ultimately in their own self-interest.

Day-to-day
In the short term there are some financial nudges you can do to apply nudge theory to your own finances.

Put your decisions into context – During lockdown, local or national (or whatever COVID-19 throws at us next) do you really need to buy another plant, candle or pair of joggers.

Set si...


Do you know your State Pension age?

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021

Did you know that the State Pension age (SPA) increased to 66 for both men and women in October 2020 and it’s set to rise further? Knowing your SPA, together with how much you can expect to receive, is an important part of your retirement plan that is often overlooked.

Why do I have to wait longer?
In 1908, when the first State Pension was introduced in the UK, you would have to wait until the grand old age of 70 before being able to claim. This was at a time when life expectancy at birth was around 40 years for men and 43 for women, and w...


Plan for what is difficult while it is easy

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 8th of April 2021

 

We all know we need to save for retirement, don’t we? But we also know it’s not always that easy to find the spare cash required to do so, especially amid a global pandemic.

Research studies, though, typically show that many retirees wish they’d saved on a more consistent basis and managed to accumulate a larger nest egg. Mike is one of those people who entered retirement harbouring financial regrets.

Plan? What plan…?
Last January, after working for over 45 years, Mike decided it was finally time to retire. But he soon hit a snag; Mik...


Time running out for landlords to take advantage of stamp duty holiday

Posted by siteadmin on Monday 7th of September 2020

One of the largest buy-to-let advice firms urging landlords to move quickly to take advantage of the government stamp holiday may seem like an obvious message to send out into the market.

But delve a little deeper into the call from Mortgages for Business to landlords to do just this and you’ll see that there is plenty behind the headline to justify those investors getting their houses in order right now if they want to complete by 31 March 2021.

Not least of course is the process they will need to go through when they have found a propert...


Barclays ups high LTV rates as Accord restarts BTL for first-time landlords

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 13th of August 2020

Barclays ups high LTV rates as Accord restarts BTL for first-time landlords
Barclays has raised mortgage rates on select products up to 85 per cent loan to value (LTV) by as much as 0.2 per cent, as Accord is again accepting applications from first-time landlords.

Barclays has raised rates on its two-year fee-free purchase deal at 75 per cent LTV, as well as the five-year equivalent and the five-year deal at 85 per cent LTV.

It means the lender now offers a two-year fix of 1.85 per cent (up from 1.70 per cent) at 75 per cent LTV, and a five year fix of 2.79 per cent at 85 per cent LTV.

Rates have also been incr...


Nationwide, Santander and Accord raise rates on high LTV mortgages

Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 29th of July 2020

Nationwide, Santander and Accord raise rates on high LTV mortgages
A slew of high street lenders are hiking mortgage rates for borrowers with smaller deposits or equity, as appetite in this arena remains heated.

 

Analysis by Mortgage Solutions yesterday found average rates in this part of the market were already starting to creep up in the last two weeks and this appears to be continuing.

Nationwide is raising select tracker and fixed rates by up to 0.20 per cent on deals at 85 per cent loan to value (LTV) from Wednesday 29 July.

Santander is also upping costs on select 85 and 90 per cent LTV fixed a...


LendInvest launches limited edition buy-to-let range - Mortgage Solutions

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 25th of June 2020

LendInvest launches limited edition buy-to-let range

 

 

  
LendInvest launches limited edition buy-to-let range
 
LendInvest has launched a limited edition range of buy-to-let deals available up to 75 per cent loan to value (LTV), available until 31 August.

 

Borrowers looking to fix for two years can access a rate of 3.46 per cent with a maximum loan of size of £750,000.

A five-year fixed buy-to-let mortgage is priced at 3.59 per cent, or 3.69 per cent with a four per cent interest cover ratio (ICR).

The lender has reintroduced its 75 per cent LTV products for standard houses in...


HSBC re-enters buy to let and clears valuation backlog

Posted by siteadmin on Friday 12th of June 2020

HSBC re-enters buy to let and clears valuation backlog
HSBC has brought back buy-to-let mortgages after completing its physical valuation backlog in England and Scotland.

The lender said going forward valuations should be completed within four days of an application being received.

Physical valuations will restart in Northern Ireland on Monday and will be ready to go when lockdown restrictions ease in Wales.

Lending is available at up to 75 per cent loan to value (LTV).

The range includes a two-year fixed rate at 60 per cent LTV of 2.19 per cent and a five-year fixed rate of 3.09 per cent ...


Landlord purchases jump in Q1 as first-time buyer sales fall

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 4th of June 2020

 

Landlord purchases jump in Q1 as first-time buyer sales fall – UK Finance
Buy-to-let purchases jumped in the first quarter of 2020, but first-time buyer sales dropped, leaving overall mortgage lending flat, according to UK Finance.

 

The figures were largely unaffected by the coronavirus and lockdown, which hit in the final couple of weeks of the three months to the end of March.

During that period buy-to-let activity increased seven per cent, with 5,600 purchase mortgages in March compared to 5,300 in the same period a year earlier. Remortgage landlord deals were flat.

However, first-time buyer numbers c...


Support for Tenants and Landlords

Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 3rd of June 2020

SUPPORT FOR TENANTS AND LANDLORDS

1 JUNE 2020

Over the last couple of months there have been many conversations around the onus on students to pay rent for university accommodation during the coronavirus lockdown when they have returned home to live with their parents and are no longer using the property and facilities provided. It is a legitimite issue and most people can emphathise with students facing this dilemma. Jane Simpson, managing director at TBMC, the specialist Buy to Let and commercial broker shares her thoughts. 

For stu...


Furlough Scheme Changes

Posted by siteadmin on Friday 29th of May 2020

Furlough scheme changes expected this week as 8.4m claim

by: Emma Lunn
    • 27/05/2020
 
       
 
     
  •  0
Furlough scheme changes expected this week as 8.4m claim
The government is planning changes to the furlough scheme which could stop companies from furloughing any more staff, according to reports.

 

The reports came as latest figures from HM Treasury showed that 8.4 million workers were included in the government’s furlough scheme, with claims rising to £15bn.

Treasury data also showed that the scheme for self-employed workers has now seen 2.3 million claims worth £6.8...


Barclays restarts valuations and cuts rates

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 21st of May 2020

Barclays has restarted physical valuations and cut rates on selected residential mortgage deals.

 The bank said valuers will adhering to strict safety guidelines on all property visits.

It will prioritise carrying out valuations on applications that were paused over the lockdown period.

Barclays has made rate reductions of up to 0.10 per cent on a selection of its two, three, five and seven-year fixed rates across its residential and buy to let ranges and its existing customer range.

Highlights of the cuts include a 1.34 per cent two-yea...


HMO mortgages

Posted by siteadmin on Friday 15th of May 2020

A HMO mortgage is a specialist form of mortgage that is applicable to properties housing a certain number of tenants. They can be seen as a more complex form of mortgage and as a result, they are typically only offered by specialist mortgage lenders. 


What is a HMO property?

A HMO property or ‘house in multiple occupation’ is classed as a property with at least three unrelated tenants, who share facilities such as a bathroom or kitchen. It’s important to emphasise the fact that the tenants have to be unrelated, so if you are a family o...


Warnings re: scams and fraud

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 14th of May 2020

Warnings from a number of UK bodies, including the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority, National Crime Agency and Action Fraud have urged people to be vigilant about scams by fraudsters who are taking advantage of people’s fears and capitalising on the COVID-19 crisis.

Huge increase in cases
Action Fraud has released figures showing that reports of scams had increased by 400% in March. The majority of reports concerned online shopping scams, with victims purchasing protective products (such as hand sanitiser or face masks) that fail...


More than 85% of BTL lenders remain in market

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 14th of May 2020

More than 85 per cent of BTL lenders remain in market
by: Samantha Partington


• 27/04/2020


More than 85 per cent of buy-to-let lenders that were active at the beginning of March remain in the market but product choice is restricted, analysis from Mortgages for Business shows.

Of the 49 buy-to-let lenders operating in March, seven, or 14 per cent, have stopped lending.

HSBC was one of the latest banks to withdraw from the market. Earlier temporary departures came from Together and Vida Homeloans.

However, Santander, Clydesdale, Precise an...


Precise Mortgages relaunch bridging and second charge loans with AVMs

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 14th of May 2020

Precise Mortgages has relaunched bridging and second charge mortgage ranges supported by automated valuation models (AVMs).


Each range is available up to 50 per cent loan to value (LTV).


In a message posted on its website today, Precise said: “Following government restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we’ve been busy working on solutions for you and your customers while physical property inspections remain
unavailable.


“We’re pleased to launch a set of products using AVMs for bridging finance and second charge loan app...


Roma Finance

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 14th of May 2020

Roma Finance has relaunched its bridging proposition with the introduction of
desktop and automated valuation models (AVMs).


The lender is offering up to 60 per cent loan to value (LTV) with a maximum loan of
£500,000 and rates starting at 0.80 per cent a month.


Roma Finance temporarily stopped accepting new applications at the end of March 2020 in
response to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.


It said it had used the time to innovate and explore new technologies, which will allow the
business to lend while respecting social distancing regul...


Spring Budget 2020

Posted by centro on Thursday 14th of May 2020


Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first Budget on 11 March, against a backdrop of uncertainty following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent financial losses. It was the first of two Budgets to be delivered in 2020, with the second to follow in the autumn.

COVID-19 and the NHS


The Chancellor wasted no time in diving into the heart of the issue on the minds of so many across the nation: the COVID-19 crisis. Taking an empathetic tone, he reassured the British public that “we will get through this togethe...


Self-employed? Prioritise your pension

Posted by centro on Thursday 14th of May 2020

Since the introduction of automatic enrolment, over 10 million eligible employees have been signed up to a workplace pension scheme. But for self-employed people, no such scheme exists, meaning that many of those who work for themselves are struggling to prioritise their pension.

While there are many benefits to being your own boss, including the flexibility to work your preferred hours, better work-life balance and tax-deductible expenses, pension provision is unfortunately not among them. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLS...


Government announces three-month mortgage holiday in Covid-19 package

Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 26th of March 2020

You may be aware that on March 17, Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed that anyone struggling financially as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak will be able to take a three-month mortgage repayment holiday.

A number of lenders had already announced repayment holidays for those affected by Covid-19, but the Government's announcement means ALL lenders will now have to honour the three-month time frame.

A mortgage payment holiday is an agreement you will need make with your lender allowing you to temporarily stop or reduce your monthly mortgag...


Financial scams target the over 45s

Posted by centro on Friday 2nd of June 2017

The rise in technology has caused more than 1 million over-45 year olds to fall victim to online scams and left one in five feeling vulnerable.

Research by Aviva has shown that 70% of people aged 45-64 interviewed as part of this research are willing to embrace new technology, including devices, software and apps. But these ‘tech adopters’ are an increasing target for online scammers.

Even with this willingness to adopt new technology, only a quarter of 45s–65 year olds have no concerns when using technology, and falling to 18% for over-75...