Second charge
Second-charge mortgages: volumes, pricing and what the figures mean for intermediaries.
Training · ExplainedHow the main CeMAP study options compare on price, mocks and supportThe exam fee is fixed at £735. On top of it, candidates spend anything from nothing to more than £1,000 on preparation.Lending Intelligence · 17 October 2026Second charge · ExplainedWhat arrears figures do and don't tell you about second-charge mortgagesSecond charges sit inside the FCA's mortgage statistics but are never shown on their own. No official source publishes their arrears today.Lending Intelligence · 17 October 2026Training · ExplainedWhat qualifications you need to advise on second-charge and later-life mortgagesSecond charges sit under the same competence rules as first charges. Equity release adds a qualification of its own, and bridging a gap.Lending Intelligence · 17 October 2026Technology · NewsArchway lets brokers run their own introducer portals in its CRMIntroducers get invited access, structured referral forms and case tracking. The product is in private beta and open to brokerages by invitation.Lending Intelligence · 16 October 2026Complaints · DataSecond-charge complaints upheld more often than any other mortgageOnly 124 new complaints reached the ombudsman in the quarter, so the rate can swing sharply from one quarter to the next.Lending Intelligence · 16 October 2026Technology · AnalysisWhat the FCA found in second charge — and what your systems aren't capturingThe regulator's March review flagged weak debt-consolidation rationale, missed living costs, unclear fees and patchy records. Most of those are data problems, and data problems can be fixed.The Editor · 16 October 2026Rates · AnalysisThe remortgage gap is widening as second-charge lending growsFixed-rate pricing has pulled away from Bank Rate this year while second-charge volumes kept climbing. Brokers should be setting the options side by side.The Editor · 12 October 2026Second charge · ExplainedWhat clients need to understand before consolidating debts with a second chargeLower monthly payments usually come with a longer term and a higher total cost, and unsecured debts become secured on the home.Lending Intelligence · 12 October 2026Regulation · ExplainedWhat MCOB conduct rules mean for introducers of second-charge mortgagesSecond charges moved from consumer credit rules to the mortgage rulebook in 2016. The adviser now carries suitability; the introducer's job is a fair hand-off.Lending Intelligence · 12 October 2026Rates · News2-year fixes up 21bp as Bank Rate holds at 3.75%Five-year fixes rose almost as fast. Both are at or near their April highs, with Bank Rate unchanged since January.Lending Intelligence · 7 October 2026Second charge · DataAverage second-charge loan falls to £52,300, its lowest this yearIt is still 0.5% higher than a year earlier. Agreements reached their highest since March while the value lent held flat.Lending Intelligence · 24 September 2026Second charge · DataSecond-charge lending holds at £205.0m in July as 2026 runs 21% aheadThe FLA says growth has slowed since the spring. The three months to July were up 9%, against 25% over the past 12 months.Lending Intelligence · 23 September 2026
The Brief
Every Thursday, free: the numbers, rate moves, lender changes and one explainer — in five minutes.