What does the course entail?
The course follows a two-step format. First, participants receive pre-course materials designed to help them practice reviewing client interviews, assessing file reviews, and completing knowledge assessments based on their own governance arrangements (specifically, the firm’s Training & Competence plan). They will also test their understanding of SMCR in the context of their business activities.

The second part is the course itself. Conducted online via Microsoft Teams, the course spans two morning sessions (9:30 to 12:30). It includes a review of the pre-course work, discussions on key learning points, and an examination of a supervisor’s responsibilities to establish a competence and certification process for both the supervisors and the advisers they oversee.
 
These courses are appropriate for new supervisors as well as those who may have been in their roles for some time but have not refreshed their knowledge recently.

What does it cost?
The cost of each course, inclusive of pre-course work is £650+VAT. A second spot can be secured for an individual from the same firm at a reduced rate of £250+VAT. For firms needing a tailored course—especially those with multiple supervisors or wishing to conduct the training onsite—Paradigm is pleased to offer this for the cost of a Compliance Consultancy day.

We’d love to have you join us for one of these sessions. If you’re unsure whether the course is suitable for you or would like to talk to us about the wider compliance support available from Paradigm, please contact your dedicated Business Development Director (BDD). We provide extensive compliance and consultancy services to firms of all sizes and can tailor our support to a wide range of requirements. 


Please note that this course is now fully booked.

Join us for Paradigm's online Best Practice compliance events. These sessions will be held online, with presentations tailored specifically to meet your CPD requirements, and to provide crucial updates, regulatory guidance and fresh ideas. We will focus on compliance, with added commentary and insights being provided by selected Strategic Partners designed to further enhance your 2026 CPD journey.

In the days prior to each event, you will receive a NEW Training Needs Analysis (TNA) template for 2026. The template can be used to plan your CPD activities for the upcoming year.

The Best Practice events will offer you several hours of CPD across 2026 which will address many of your learning objectives and assist you in achieving your required annual CPD requirements. 

Joining us for this event will be Welesyan & Louise Weiss, Head of Sales at Paradigm.

More information about this event will be shared shortly.

Examining sequence-of-returns risk at the retirement transition: what adequately identifying, managing and evidencing it looks like under the FCA's Retirement Income Advice Review, and whether modelling it is the same as solving it.

Exploring the often-overlooked risks and benefits of model portfolio services, with practical insights for due diligence and selection.

A transparent look at how 8AM Global assesses fair value internally.

Preparing your firm for Consumer Duty board reporting requirements, including what to measure, how to present data, and demonstrating compliance.

In this short webinar, regulatory and compliance insiders Michael Lawrence and Christian Markwick deliver candid insights on the implications of the FCA’s focus on ongoing services for the retail investment sector.

You’ll learn the 5 crucial questions for measuring your ongoing services against the FCA’s requirements and get practical advice for financial advisers on:

• ensuring your charges meet the fair value test;
• checking clients are in the right service for their needs and objectives;
• measuring the quality, uptake, and delivery of ongoing services; and
• improving client experience and outcomes with simple, compliance-friendly methods

In this webinar for financial advisers, retirement income & vulnerability specialists, Jonathan Barret, Andrew Storey and Sian Davies Cole provide insights and practical guidance to help navigate the FCA's Thematic Review of Retirement Income & Client Vulnerability.

You'll learn:

• Key findings from the FCA's review and their implications for your advice process.
• Strategies to identify and address vulnerability in retirement clients.
• Practical tools and techniques to ensure your clients' retirement income plans are sustainable and meet their needs.
• How to leverage technology to enhance the client experience and deliver effective retirement income advice.

In this short webinar for financial advisers, you’ll hear from industry experts, Caroline Duff, Rohan Sivajoti, and Anthony Villis as they deliver candid insights on the applications, benefits, regulatory implications, and potential limitations of AI for financial advice firms.

You’ll Learn:

• The current and future trends of AI in the financial sector;
• Practical insights into improving client service and experience with AI-powered tools;
• How AI automation can boost efficiency and productivity in your firm, reduce administrative burdens, and improve compliant record-keeping;
• The real-world applications of AI technologies that advice firms are using today; and

-    Key tools and tips for successfully using AI in your firm.
 

Our expert panellists delve into the latest trends, tactics, and real-world examples of ransomware attacks targeting financial advisory firms.

You’ll Learn:
•    How ransomware works: Understand the various techniques used by cybercriminals to infiltrate networks and encrypt data.
•    The consequences of ransomware: Discover the financial, reputational, and operational risks associated with a successful attack.
•    Best practices for prevention: Learn practical strategies to strengthen your firm's cybersecurity posture and mitigate the risk of ransomware.
•    Incident response planning: Understand the importance of having a robust incident response plan in place to minimize damage and recover quickly.

Discover how Essentia Analytics is challenging traditional performance metrics and uncovering the true skill of fund managers. Learn about their innovative research tools, including the Behavioural Alpha Benchmark and Alpha Lifecycle, which provide actionable insights to improve decision-making.

You’ll Learn:

• Define and explain the concept of the behavioural alpha score and its significance in active fund management.
• Learn 7 key decision types that contribute to behavioural alpha scoring.
• Evaluate the impact of behavioural biases on investment decisions.
• Analyse the challenges faced by active fund managers in the current investment landscape.
• Assess the impact of technology on the future of active management.
• Evaluate the increasing importance of transparency and data-driven insights.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword - it’s a tool that’s completely transforming the mortgage industry.

But as the technology evolves at remarkable speed, many are wondering exactly what it is and what difference it can make to businesses. 

Accord’s Growth Series guide on AI takes a closer look at this revolutionary technology and what it could mean for you in the coming months and years.

Topics include
•    AI and what it can do
•    How mortgage brokers can use AI
•    Ethical considerations and compliance
•    What the future looks like

Accords recent Growth Series blog features Accord Group Economist Max Shepherd looking at the Spring Budget and what it means for the mortgage sector, the housing market and the wider economy.

How to target people who've not used a broker before

Essential resources for Mortgage Brokers

Joining the Growth Series means that you’ll have access to:

• Blogs dedicated to helping your business grow
• Podcasts with industry leaders
• Guides to help you tackle the issues facing the mortgage sector
• ...and much more!

Accord hosted another month of great Growth Series content in April, with blogs, guides and podcasts on a range of topics including:
•    First-Time Buyers
•    Marketing
•    Identifying your employees training needs

Accord Mortgages are committed to helping you grow your business, and that’s why we’ve put together a roundup of Accord’s Growth Series content from June so you don’t miss anything. We have blogs and podcasts on a range of topics including:
•    Navigating Artificial Intelligence
•    Helping mortgage brokers get started
•    BTL tax changes.

Accord Mortgages are committed to helping you grow your business, and that’s why we’ve put together a roundup of Accord’s Growth Series content from July so you don’t miss anything. We have blogs, guides and podcasts on a range of topics including:
•    The value of advice
•    Retention strategies
•    The UK economy and impacts of the recent election
•    Diversity and Inclusion
 

In case you missed anything, we’ve put together a roundup of Accord’s Growth Series content from August to help you get up to date. We have blogs, webinars and podcasts on a range of topics including:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Supporting vulnerable customers, and
• Social Media content creation

In case you missed anything, we’ve put together a roundup of Accord’s Growth Series content from October to help you get up to date. We have blogs and a podcast on a range of topics including:  
 
•    The value of face-to-face working in a remote world
•    Why emotional intelligence is fundamental to your business
•    Cyber security guidance to protect your business
•    Podcast #110 - Broker Talks: Apprenticeships
•    How employee wellbeing programmes can strengthen your business
•    How to promote your ESG Credentials


 You can view Accord’s Growth Series content for October here.

Unlock the psychology of money to build deeper client trust, elevate your advice and create stronger, bias‑aware relationships.

Dan Haylett, Financial Planner at TFP and Dr. Tom explore the human side of retirement - the psychology and identity shifts clients face - and how to guide a confident transition.

Learn how emotional intelligence transforms client conversations, improving communication and building stronger, trust‑led relationships.

In this Paraplanners Assembly webinar, Elaine Cruickshank, Tax and Trusts Manager looks at how recent tax changes are prompting advisers and paraplanners to revisit wrapper choice, and walk through the kind of comparative thinking that helps you work out when a bond might be preferable to a GIA - or when onshore makes more sense than offshore.

Read our Pensions contributions guide to learn about:

1. Pensions contributions
2. Claiming tax relief for personal pensions
3. Refunding excess personal contributions
4. Employer contributions
5. Pension contributions for overseas customers

In this webinar, Mauro Renna discusses what helps build trust, and what you can do about it.  He explores:

1. Trust in financial services.
2. The essential components of trust.
3. Strategies for building trust.

Client referrals can be a major source of growth to your business, but with several barriers and bottlenecks, is it as easy as it seems?

Our research goes beyond the basics to help you implement a strategy to increase your referability.
 

In this webinar, Elaine Cruickshank, Tax and Trust Manager, and Martin Haggart, Technical Manager (Pensions),  explore the evolving landscape of inheritance tax (IHT) and pensions following recent government announcements. 

Discover how to transform your client conversations with a human-centric approach to financial advice. This session explores the art of building trust, listening deeply, and structuring the perfect initial meeting - moving beyond products and transactions to connect with your clients’ real lives, values, and emotional needs.

In this session, Dr Thomas Mathar reflects on what it means to be human centric in your advice approach as opposed to client or product centric and how that translates to your client meetings.

In this webinar, Dr Tom introduces a human-centric approach to financial planning meetings, focusing on understanding clients’ values, emotions, and life goals - not just their finances. Discover practical ways advisers to build trust, ask meaningful questions, and help your clients balance present needs with future aspirations.

Dr Tom covers how to make long-term client review meetings more meaningful - by deepening trust, listening actively, and using the hopes and fears approach to connect financial planning with your client’s evolving goals.

Organic growth isn’t the easy route, but it is the most rewarding. It puts you in control of your business’s direction, deepens your client relationships, and creates long-term value that can’t be bought. 
In our new report, we've partnered with NextWealth to explore how financial advice firms can support more clients to achieve their financial goals by unlocking organic growth potential..

This guide covers pension sharing  orders and pension earmarking/attachment orders. Both pages have been updated to reflect the abolition of the lifetime allowance from 6 April 2024.

They now cover how the lump sum allowance and lump sum and death benefit allowance are impacted by divorce when the pension funds are shared or earmarked by the divorcing parties.

Read our Pensions and divorce guide to learn about:

• Pensions and divorce
• Pension Sharing
• Pension Earmarking

Registered pension schemes can pay a variety of benefits on the death of a member and on the subsequent death of a dependant, nominee or successor. The type of benefit that can be paid will depend on whether the payment is from uncrystallised or crystallised funds. It will also depend on the type of pension arrangement the member’s benefits are held in, the scheme rules or the product’s terms and conditions.

We spoke to first time buyers to find out more about their experience of taking that first step on the property ladder

Aldermore’s latest first time buyer index highlights significant gaps between what buyers expect & what actually happens during the home buying journey

Read the latest research from Aldermore into the first time buyer market

Aldermore’s property risk experts, explain how mortgage valuations work, why delays occur and what brokers can do to avoid issues and keep cases moving

Explore Aldermore’s 2026 Buy to Let market report for key insights on landlord

Specialist lending in 2026 is re-shaping Buy to Let: Changing landlord behaviour, tax pressures and complex portfolios are driving more strategic borrowing decisions

How brokers can support landlords in 2026, helping navigate regulation, rising costs and shifting confidence in a resilient but cautious rental market

Prepare your landlord for upcoming EPC changes and tighter energy efficiency rules

Ask not what first time buyers can do for your business, but what you can do for first time buyers, says Nicola Goldie Head of Partnerships & Growth

Do brokers need to be on social media & where should they start?

Don’t risk your reputation & business by failing to do due diligence on clients

Todays’ HMO’s target professionals as well as students & can offer attractive returns, says Jon Cooper, Director of Mortgages as Aldermore

As a broker, you may come across clients buying properties through less conventional routes, like discounted or concessionary sales. These purchases require specialist lending solutions, and that’s where the concessionary purchase mortgage comes in

Regulation never stands still, so you can support clients by helping them to stay up to date says Matt McCullough, Head of Sales & Development at Aldermore

Many landlords aren’t aware of multi-property mortgages, giving brokers the chance to introduce this useful product, says Matt McCullough, Head of Sales & Development at Aldermore

The rules are changing for landlords: it’s time to help them get ready, says Nicola Goldie, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Growth at Aldermore

With the new energy-efficiency rules on the horizon, brokers can help landlords plan early and protect their portfolio’s, says Matt McCullough, Head of Sales & Development at Aldermore

At Aldermore, we understand that brokers are on the front line, helping clients navigate a complex and fast-moving market. That’s why we’re committed to listening to your feedback and turning it into meaningful change.

Working together to understand & support Vulnerable Customers

How can Multi-Property Mortgages help landlords save money & time. We look into the benefits

On Wednesday 5th November, speakers from AMI, Royal London, The Exeter, and L&G shared their perspectives and insights drawn from this year’s findings, including, new for 2025, a lively panel debate.

Expand your knowledge, keep up to date with important health and wellbeing topics and add to your CPD hours

Our latest CPD articles and technical insight to boost your knowledge

Knowledge and insight articles for advisers

Discover how you can support your clients' inheritance tax and estate planning

• Review wealth, protection and retirement solutions for your clients
• Explore extensive CPD webinars and articles
• See how our tools and calculators can help support your client conversations

The Annual Allowance is the limit applied to tax relieved savings and/or benefits that can be made by or on behalf of an individual within a single tax year, anything in excess of this will receive a tax charge. It shouldn’t be confused with the amount of tax relief an individual can claim within that tax year, they are separate tests. The issue with the Annual Allowance and where the complexities can come about is because there are multiple different Annual Allowances depending on a client’s circumstances. The standard Annual Allowance is £60,000 but we will initially consider the variations to this.

 

Rejecting the traditional route of marriage in favour of cohabitation has become increasingly commonplace over the last two decades.

Our latest CPD articles and technical insight to boost your knowledge

This article discusses Lifetime Mortgages, IHT Planning and some of the key variables that will need to be factored into the decision-making process.

Tony Wickenden, Managing Director at Technical Connection, explains the role of Discounted Gift Trusts.

Tony Wickenden, Managing Director at Technical Connection, explains the role of Loan Trusts.

It’s a great time to speak with your clients about private healthcare cover. Since the COVID pandemic started, health and wellbeing have understandably become more of a focus for many people.

Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on Sales

Bank of Ireland with Paradigm: Podcast on Recruitment

Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on Marketing

 Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on Leadership and Management

Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on knowing your numbers

Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on Growth and Scaling a business

Bank of Ireland UK with Paradigm: Podcast on Exit Strategy

Jatin Patel, Head of Mortgages, Savings and Insurance at Barclays, analyses the key trends shaping the UK housing market.

The award-winning Mortgage Insider Podcast - brought to you by Barclays Bank – is back and it’s even bigger and better than ever. Hosted by renowned TV presenter and property expert Phil Spencer, Series 4 takes you beyond the headlines to explore the challenges, changes and opportunities on offer across the UK housing and mortgage markets.

UK unlocked

Our expert insights on the economic and business issues most critical to the UK's companies and policy leaders

What happens when £500k is placed into 3 differently constructed portfolios? Watch to see the financial impact over time, when alternative assets are introduced to three portfolios, with varying weightings.

If you want to understand more about Business Relief (BR) and how it could provide a swifter route to Inheritance Tax (IHT) exemption, than gifts and trusts, this video could be a great starting point. 

The world of Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) might seem complicated and confusing to some of your clients. That’s why we’ve created our ‘Unpacked’ video series – to demystify tax-efficient investments and talk about them in language your clients will understand. All with the goal of helping you have better conversations about tax-efficient investing with clients.

This video explores everything investors need to know about VCTs including why they were introduced, the tax reliefs available, and the type of UK companies that benefit from VCT funding. 

Capital at risk 
 

To reduce harmful emissions, we all need to be more aware of our energy
consumption and take positive action to cut our carbon footprint. That’s why
we’re doing all we can to educate ourselves and our customers on the benefits
of energy efficiency.

This training module is designed to help you boost your knowledge of Energy Performance
Certificates (EPCs specifically in the BTL Market). It’s an easy way you can continue to provide expert
support for your landlord customers, and help them make smarter, more informed decisions.
Using a

A season of insights, ideas and expertise designed to keep you informed, inspired and connected throughout June and July. We’ll be exploring key industry topics, sharing real-world knowledge and bringing you fresh perspectives all summer long.

Across September and October, we'll be hosting four 30-minute webinars covering Manual Underwriting, Short Term Lending, Credit Impaired and JBSP / Reverse JBSP.

Each session has been designed to focus on the questions brokers are really asking, with practical guidance from colleagues across Buckinghamshire Building Society.

Understanding Manual Underwriting - 17th September - 10am
When Could Short Term Lending Be the Answer? - 1st October - 10am
Supporting Clients with Credit Challenges - 15th October - 10am
JBSP: It's Not Just for First Time Buyers - 22nd October - 10am

An infographic demonstrating the rising age of a first time buyer over the last two decades.

CHL Mortgages, the intermediary-only specialist buy-to-let lender, has entered the short-term let marketplace with the introduction of a new five-year fixed rate product range, up to 75% LTV.

Welcome to our bite-size claims series! 5 x 2-3 Minute videos.

This blog discusses the growing trend of people holding multiple jobs, particularly among Generation Z workers, and what that means for income protection insurance.

This blog makes the case that financial protection (income protection, health insurance, etc.) builds "life resilience" — the ability to bounce back from unexpected setbacks like accidents or illness.

This blog argues that protection insurance (like income or life protection) gets treated as an afterthought in financial advice conversations, rather than getting the attention it deserves.

We’re committed to supporting our Members when they need us most. By publishing our claims statistics, our intentions are: to help you as Advisers, and your clients, make an informed choice when selecting income protection cover to help you and your clients ensure submitted claims are valid.

Interactive PDF guide you can share with your customers looking to buy their first home. Everything from understanding the different types of mortgages and what happens when you make an offer, to what to do at the end of your deal.

A short guide to packaging hints and tips that will help make the application process as smooth as possible with The Co-operative Bank for Intermediaries.

TikTok, Instagram and Facebook — as an advisor, you’ll no doubt be familiar with these social media platforms and may even use them in your personal life. But what if social media could actually be a way to demonstrate the value of advice to the next generation of homebuyers? Over a quarter (29%) of first time buyers now turn to social media for information about the mortgage market. As a broker, social media is fast becoming a marketing and communications tool you simply cannot ignore. So, how can you effectively use social media for lead generation, client engagement, and as a tool to showcase market expertise?

The FCA has reported over half of UK adults are said to have one or more characteristics of vulnerability. With cost of  living and other external factors increasing, having a vulnerability is now more commonplace.

Referrals are a powerful way to build a steady pipeline of new clients. Our guide is full of practical tips to help you unlock new leads and create a reliable growth engine.

EPC standards are changing. To help find out what this could mean for you and your landlords, we've put together a guide on the key changes and how to help your clients prepare.

AI won’t replace your expertise but it can help with the repetitive admin that fills your day. Our new guide is packed with practical examples and simple starting points to help you bring AI into your workflow with confidence.

A second charge loan, sometimes referred to as a second charge mortgage, is a type of secured borrowing that sits behind an existing first charge mortgage on a property. This article explains in detail what second charge loans are and when they may be useful. 

Large mortgage loans are becoming a more prominent part of the UK mortgage market, fuelled by rising property prices, more complex borrower profiles, and changing lender criteria. As a result, brokers are increasingly handling cases that require more details structuring and a specialist approach. 

Specialist finance is creating growing opportunities for brokers across bridging, development, second charge and specialist residential lending as more clients fall outside traditional lender criteria.  

Bridging loans have grown increasingly popular over the years and have emerged as a dynamic solution, providing speed and flexibility to individuals, or businesses. Read on as we address the question: Are bridging loans a good idea?  

Bridging finance is becoming a key tool for property investors who need fast, flexible funding for auction purchases, refurbishments, chain breaks and development exits. Strong preparation, a clear exit strategy and the right lender match are essential for placing bridging cases successfully. 

Non-regulated lending gives brokers more flexible options for property investors, developers, landlords and business clients whose cases may not fit mainstream lending criteria. Strong preparation, a clear exit strategy and the right lender match can improve placement success and reduce delays. 

Higher interest rates, tighter affordability testing and changing tax considerations are pushing landlords away from rapid portfolio growth and towards refinancing, restructuring and improve the sustainability of existing assets. Brokers now need a stronger portfolio-level understanding of cash flow, rental coverage, ownership structures and lender appetite to place increasingly complex buy to let cases successfully.  

Specialist lending should not be treated only as a fallback after a mainstream lender declines a case, particularly as a borrowers circumstances and income structures become more complex. Considering the right specialist lender from the outset can reduce delays, avoid unnecessary applications and improve placement outcomes for brokers and their clients.   

Explore our development finance broker guide to expand your knowledge. From how it works, to eligibility checks, pros & cons and how we as a specialist can help you place complex development cases. 

Explore our secured loans broker guide to expand your knowledge. From how they work, to eligibility checks, pros & cons and how we as a specialist can help you place complex secured loan cases. 

Explore our specialist residential mortgages broker guide to expand your knowledge. From how they work, to eligibility checks, pros & cons and how we as a specialist can help you place complex residential mortgage cases.

For many years, success in the mortgage market was built off efficiency. But the market has evolved. Rising interest rates, tighter affordability calculations and increasingly complex structures mean straightforward cases are becoming less common. Read on to discover why broker enablement has moved from a useful advantage to a fundamental requirement, and how Crystal Specialist Finance can support. 

In periods of economic uncertainty, decision-making naturally becomes more cautious. Yet within that caution lies opportunity. Bridging finance enables these buyers to move quickly and transact with confidence. In uncertain climates, the instinct may be to pause, but bridging finance can offer a way to act decisively while keeping future options open.  

In today’s mortgage landscape, many brokers and distributors are facing a frustrating reality: strong pipelines that simply aren’t converting. In a market where new business volumes are harder to generate, the real battleground has shifted. Success is no longer just about origination, it’s about conversion. 

The commercial property market is stabilising, creating opportunities for brokers who can structure and package complex commercial finance cases effectively. With lenders still assessing each case carefully, brokers who understand borrower needs, asset details and repayment routes can add real value.  

The buy to let market is not disappearing, but becoming more professional, selective and advice-led as landlords adapt to higher costs, regulation and changing lender criteria. This creates an opportunity for brokers to support landlords with portfolio strategy, ownership structure, refinancing, specialist BTL and wider funding options.   

Bridging finance is no longer just emergency funding, but a strategic tool for investors, landlords and business owners who need speed, certainty and flexibility. For brokers, the opportunity lies in understanding the client’s wider objective, packaging the case property and ensuring the exit strategy is realistic from day one.   

As the mortgage market becomes more complex, brokers are becoming more valuable because clients need advice that goes beyond rates and product choice. Strong intermediary advice helps borrowers understand their options, avoid unsuitable decisions and find the right route across mainstream and specialist finance.    

Bridging finance is becoming a more established and professional part of the specialist finance market, with lenders focusing more closely on security, borrower experience, exit strategy and overall case quality. For brokers, the opportunity is strong, but successful bridging depends on clear advice, strong packaging, the right lender match and a property structured exit route.

Commercial finance is becoming more valuable as businesses, landlords and investors face increasingly complex funding needs that cannot be solved by rate alone. Brokers who ask better questions, identify opportunities within their existing client base and involve specialist support early can place more cases, protect client relationships and create new income opportunities. 

It is estimated that more than one-sixth of regulated mortgage lending in 2023 fell into one or more specialist categories. The next five years are forecast to grow by a further £22bn. Diversifying your offerings and delving into the specialist lending market is a must in a world of unique demands from today’s borrowers. 

 EPC improvements are a key priority for the UK market due to the introduction of new minimum energy efficiency standards, requiring landlords to raise their energy rating to at least a C by 2030. See how Crystal can help your BTL clients make EPC improvements. 

Combining Eco Approach’s platform with our expertise at Crystal will enable a more seamless experience between guiding landlords through the home improvement process

The UK housing market is showing signs of recovery and despite a few challenges, there are many opportunities for brokers. Continue reading as we outline the opportunities you should look out for, and how Crystal can support.

Are you a broker experiencing frequent bridging declines? Read on to explore our useful guide, which walks you through how to recover them. 

The UK social housing market is expanding. With demand continuing to outperform supply, the sector has become an attractive option for property investors. Read on as we outline opportunities for brokers and landlords.

Property chain delays? Bridging Finance offers a fast, flexible solution to keep your clients’ cases moving. Continue reading to find out more on chain-break bridging.

Explore our bridging broker guide to expand your knowledge of bridging. From how it works, to pros & cons and how we as a specialist lender can help you place the deals you simply can’t.

Explore our buy-to-let mortgages broker guide. From how they work, to pros & cons and how we as a specialist can help you place the deals you’re struggling with.

Explore our commercial finance broker guide to boost your commercial knowledge. From how it works, to pros & cons and how we as a specialist can support you with your complex cases.

 Discover the latest trends in specialist lending, complex cases and how brokers like you can thrive by building the right partnerships. 

Broker support is required more than ever before, not just due to a rise in activity, but greater need for expertise in a market where uncertainties will remain. Crystal can help you and your clients navigate a shifting market.

Whether you’re a seasoned commercial broker facing capability challenges or new to the sector and unsure where to start, expert support is available, and Crystal is here to help.

Buy-to-let remains an attractive investment, despite pressure from the government over the pear year or so. Discover how Crystal can assist your landlord clients to navigate an ever-changing market. 

Specialist lending is set for continued growth, driven by borrowers with increasingly complex circumstances. While technology is evolving, it’s clear that advice has never been more important. Read more to discover why quality advice remains the sectors greatest asset, and how we can help you deliver the right outcomes for your clients.  

Our broker webinar series brings together industry experts to share practical insights, explore key market trends and help you navigate today’s lending landscape. Whether you’re joining us live or catching up on demand, our webinars are designed to support you with knowledge you can put into practice.

Holiday let mortgages are continuing to be a popular investment as we move through 2025. Despite tax changes from the government, the sector continues to thrive. With steady rental income and property appreciation, they offer lifestyle and financial benefits, making them an enticing proposition for UK-based investors.

In the mortgage market, we describe customers according to where they are in life: first-time buyers, mainstream borrowers, complex-income customers and later-life borrowers. Yet these are not necessarily different groups. One borrower may move through several during their mortgage journey.

Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgages are a versatile solution to tackle some of the biggest challenges in the housing market today.
Despite their potential, they remain underutilised by brokers because of the complexity they bring to a case.
This article will dive into the reasons why brokers should pay attention to this mortgage type and how it can help deliver solutions to a wide range of borrowers.

With a growing number of mortgage options available to borrowers, we’re seeing a rise in older homeowners choosing to gift their wealth to family members during their lifetimes, rather than waiting to distribute assets through their wills.

In the right circumstances, gifting a deposit is one of the most effective ways for relatives and friends to help younger generations step onto the property ladder. Find out more about broker issues and what can be done to remedy age-based restrictions.

Complex income’ was once an outlier but brokers regularly see cases involving it land on their desks. How do we continue to assess mortgage cases fairly when fewer borrowers meet the standard criteria?

This document aims to explain what stochastic modelling is and how it can be applied to financial planning. In particular, it highlights the differences between deterministic and stochastic modelling and what you should look for in selecting a robust stochastic model. Key elements include the use of a realistic stochastic model as well as how term and risk are used. More than ever, financial models are being used to assist individuals in making financial decisions and help them evaluate the potential outcomes from different financial strategies. Financial models enable comparisons of different choices before they are implemented to help investors understand the impact of different decisions made.

This document will be of interest to:

• advisory firms providing retirement income advice, including defined benefit transfer
• advice
• advisory firms offering broader investments advice
• regulatory compliance consultants.

The FCA reported that despite three-quarters of consumers indicating they would not be comfortable managing their investments without support from an expert or other guidance, only 8% of the population
took advice in 2022. This reinforces the need to modernise the financial advice process, to make meaningful financial advice accessible for more consumers.

The rapid development in technology over the last few decades has drastically changed how we interact with each other, how we communicate, how we spend and save money and how we engage with businesses.

Panel conversations about the FCA's 2024 retirement income advice thematic review.

Family Building Societies’ latest CII-accredited CPD article with Financial Reporter explores:

• The evolving role of family support in home ownership
• The key affordability challenges facing first-time buyers
• Alternative lending solutions, including Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor and family-assisted mortgages
• How building societies differ from high street lenders

A podcast series exploring the expat mortgage market, including common client scenarios, key lending considerations, and opportunities for advisers supporting UK nationals working overseas.

Industry discussion covering current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the Buy-to-Let and Later Life lending sectors, featuring insights relevant to advisers operating in both markets.

An article examining the changing Buy-to-Let landscape, including the increasing influence of professional landlords, portfolio growth strategies, and implications for mortgage advisers.

A discussion focused on the growing later life lending market, covering borrower needs, affordability considerations in retirement and how advisers can support older clients effectively.

A podcast series explaining Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgages, including suitability, affordability benefits, and real-life scenarios where family support can help clients onto or up the property ladder.

Family Building Society's Head of Intermediary Sales, Darren Deacon, and Business Development Manager, Nathan Waller, joined Nick Cheek, Managing Editor at Mortgage Solutions, to discuss the wealth of opportunity in the later life lending market and how education is key to unlocking this potential.

Family Building Society Senior Account Director Paul Roberts discusses specialist lending options for later life clients, focusing on interest only mortgages, retirement interest only solutions, buy to lets, and high net worth lending offered by Family Building Society, with Million Plus’ Paul Welch.

Family Building Society's Head of Intermediary Sales, Darren Deacon, joined Anna Sagar, Deputy Editor at Mortgage Solutions, Clifton Mortgages' Edward Payne, and Brilliant Solutions' Michael Craig, to discuss a variety of topics regarding the later life lending sector.

Darren Deacon, Head of Intermediary Sales at Family Building Society, explores current challenges in the later life market, what a lender needs to know to get a successful case through, and what questions intermediaries need to ask their clients.

Head of Intermediary Sales Darren Deacon and Senior Account Director Paul Roberts discuss how Family Building Society can help expat clients, and the specialist solutions that can be offered.

Thought Leadership piece for mortgage advisers - A vital opportunity to support landlords through the transition—helping them protect their income, stay compliant, and maintain confidence in their portfolios. One of the most effective ways to do that is by ensuring landlords have access to robust rent guarantee and legal expenses cover.

Another quarter on the rollercoaster in The Buy - to - Let Mortgage Market. The last three months have provided another reminder of just how quickly conditions can change.

In this guide, Fleet Mortgages breaks down the key measures of the Renters' Rights Bill in a straightforward way to explain what each of them means for your clients. Now updated with key phases and timelines, helping you and your clients stay ahead of the upcoming changes.

Fleet Mortgages analyses its own buy-to-let mortgage data as well as market data, to produce its quarterly Rental Barometer, covering rental yields across England and Wales. 

Fleet Mortgages analyses its own buy-to-let mortgage data as well as market data, to produce its quarterly Rental Barometer, covering rental yields across England and Wales. 

Landlords face a year of significant change - from tenancy reform and electrical safety deadlines to new digital tax rules and longer term EPC requirements. Fleet has created a clear, easy to follow checklist to help advisers guide their landlord clients through some of the key changes happening in 2026 covering the must do’s, the watch list items and the can-waits.

Fleet Mortgages analyses its own buy-to-let mortgage data as well as market data, to produce its quarterly Rental Barometer, covering rental yields across England and Wales. 

The Q1 2026 Pegasus Insight Landlord Trends report, produced in conjunction with Foundation, highlights how landlords are increasingly using company structures to balance tax efficiency, portfolio growth and future planning.

The idea of a ‘standard’ mortgage borrower is quickly becoming outdated. Today’s clients are more likely to have flexible working patterns, multiple income streams or non-traditional career paths, driven by lasting changes in how people live and work.

Awareness of the Renters’ Rights Act continues to grow across the private rented sector, with more than three quarters of landlords now familiar with the new legislation.

Rental increases remain widespread across the private rented sector, although the pace of growth now appears to be easing.

Landlord activity levels remain measured, but the latest Q1 2026 Pegasus Insight Landlord Trends report, produced in conjunction with Foundation, suggests a modest improvement in confidence around future portfolio growth.

Professional landlords remain the principal source of buy-to-let borrowing and advice demand, even as unease grows over the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act.
One in three landlords sought new finance, refinancing or a product transfer in the past 12 months, according to our Q4 2025 Landlord Trends research.
The research, conducted by Pegasus Insight on our behalf among 837 landlords during the final quarter of 2025, found that among those with buy-to-let borrowing in place, activity rises to six in 10.

Every year, January and September bring about a spike in divorce enquiries. Do you now how to support your clients as they navigate remortgaging, or selling, because of a seperation?

• A full introduction to the platform and its key features
• A live demonstration of how to build a client-ready suitability report in under 15 minutes
• How Paradigm-tailored content, including the full Tatton Managed Portfolio Service range, is already built in, saving you time on every Tatton recommendation

To support the July 2024 Webinar: What is a ‘Green mortgage’? Industry experts weigh in. 

View the Cheat Sheet here 
View the webinar here

New EPC regulations are being considered and targets
are being set, as part of the Government’s drive
to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The changes are being designed to improve the energy efficiency of
both commercial and private rented property, but an EPC is also a
legal requirement when buying and selling homes.

We have created two easy-to-use training modules to help you keep
up to date with the legislation, provide continued expert support for
customers, and add value to your service. Read on to find out how, and
when, you can help your clients and provide the answers they need.

When speaking to financial advisers, we quickly learnt that soft skills are a highly valued, yet underserved, area of education. Over 96% of advisers told us that soft skills are important in their roles, but only a quarter focus more than 10% of their CPD time to develop them.*

Together with world-renowned thought leaders, Emotional Intelligence encompasses a series of training modules covering the soft skills voted most useful by advisers like you, such as listening, connection and problem solving.

Explore the modules below to take the next step towards investing in yourself, and earn structured CPD, accredited by CII and CISI.

We recognise that a significant part of becoming a successful adviser requires the knowledge to grow your business.

Under Practice Intelligence we bring to you the work of Invesco Global Consulting, the industry's largest communication and consulting firm, who share the secrets behind maintaining a healthy, growing advisory business, backed by the research of Maslansky + Partners.

Explore the modules below and earn structured CPD, accredited by CII and CISI.

To explore the latest enhancements in SolutionBuilder and find out more about the NEW underwriting features. 
Friday 30th October
Friday 27th November
Friday 18th December
Friday 29th January

Keep up-to-date with the most recent webinars from iPipeline.

Let's Talk Income Protection is the official podcast of the Income Protection Task Force (IPTF), designed to educate, engage, and inspire financial professionals in the field of Income Protection. We tackle industry challenges, explore evolving trends, and provide practical insights to help advisers better serve their clients.

In this new webcast, you'll discover a new perspective on retirement planning with Just's Martin Lines, Jean-Paul Grenade, and Yannis Katsis. As clients transition from saving to spending, the shift from ‘accumulation’ to ‘decumulation’ introduces several challenges. It's crucial to navigate these effectively, ensuring risks are mitigated and actions are well-documented.

Join Martin Lines and special guest Andy Kirby from Money Alive for a practical session on guiding clients through every step of their retirement journey. Discover effective tools and techniques to evidence suitability and support your clients through changing circumstances.

Join Karl Steadman as he talks to Jacqueline Berry of MCC about the importance of regulated and non-regulated elements of long-term care and the growing need for advice in this area.

Want to support clients and work more effectively with care specialists? Join Karl Steadman and Jacqueline Berry from My Care Consultant on 12 June for a webinar designed to help advisers deepen their understanding of long-term care, with real-life examples and insights.

A guide to vulnerability as people transition into and through retirement.

We’ll be joined by FinCalc’s Gavin Shears to discuss stress-testing and scenario planning for clients approaching and in retirement. 

In In this session, we’ll explore how to align the client’s objectives and characteristics with a plan designed to achieve their retirement goals. We’ll consider various approaches, examine the advantages and disadvantages of each, and evaluate how a single or blended approach might be suitable.

For most advised clients, a secure income in retirement will be a vital consideration. This can be achieved effectively by using part of a pension pot to provide a guaranteed income for life, with the other part remaining invested to offer flexible withdrawals. In a post-Consumer Duty world, how can financial advisers demonstrate and evidence that their recommendations on these two components are suitable, both independently and together? Ensuring both that each investor has the guaranteed income that is right for their unique situation, and that the investible portfolio is appropriately adjusted to account for this guaranteed income.

Behavioural finance specialists Oxford Risk, and special guests JUST Group, apply a behavioural lens to this often overlooked, but complex retirement drawdown question in this webinar now available on-demand.
 

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the types of clients who might benefit from including a proportion of guaranteed income
• Understand how purchasing a proportion of guaranteed income can increase risk capacity
• Understand the advantages of using a behavioural approach to capture client suitability and guaranteed income needs, and how this can be actively applied to matching an investor to suitable solutions
• Discover what products and solutions could be suitable in meeting clients’ financial retirement objectives

In Retirecast episode two, we'll talk about personalising retirement advice by understanding client aspirations, behavioural drivers, and risk attitudes. Explore strategies for better outcomes in just 20 minutes.

The Consumer Vulnerability in Later Life online training, provided by Just with content created by SOLLA, is updated for 2025/2026. This latest version includes safeguarding considerations for clients who may not have someone they can trust. 

Kensington Mortgages launch their first episode of 'The Insiders' with James Burwood, explaining how they are evolving processes to help you place cases faster, with more confidence, including:

• Changes they've made to speed up the app to offer times
• The value of speaking directly to underwriters
• How they approach manual underwriting to support more complex cases
• Practical tips to help you package cases and avoid delays

Kensington’s Frances Cassidy and Alex Maddox take a look behind the scenes of the MPC as a part of our webinar series.  First aired in September 2023.

Helping your vulnerable customers

Topics covered include Gen Z and the Future of Mortgages and Approaching Complexity with Confidence

Homeownership has long been a common aspiration for Brits. For the vast majority, the ability to purchase a home is dependent on securing a mortgage — the largest and most impactful loan that most will take out in their lifetime.

Panel discussion with Clare Beardmore (Legal & General), Chris Targett (Social for Brokers), Vikki Jefferies (Primis) & Nicola McKenzie (Dunham McCarthy):

• How can AI benefit brokers
• Social Media tips, for both pros and beginners
• Tools for maximising opportunity through contact strategy
• What advances 2024 may bring

Later-life lending rarely starts with a direct question about equity release. More often, it emerges during wider financial conversations, particularly at times when clients are naturally reviewing their position.

Today, later life lending is moving from niche to norm – becoming an increasingly important and mainstream part of holistic financial planning.

We’re excited to introduce our industry-first AVM buy-to-let range, designed especially for brokers. Our AVM-powered mortgages deliver rapid decisions and cut costs, ensuring time and financial savings for your clients.

During this session, we’ll explore how these products can transform buy-to-let mortgages and set new standards in the market.

What you’ll learn:

• What is an AVM and how do they work for BTL
• Case studies highlighting speed and savings
• A quick application demo and Q&A​ session

List of all webinar's hosted by Landbay.

The Renters’ Rights Act presents the biggest changes to the private rented sector we've seen in decades and brokers need clarity.
Join Carrie Kus, independent housing sector consultant, for our Spotlight webinar on what the Act means for brokers and landlords, what’s confirmed for May, and what’s next.
 

61% of 18-30 yr olds trust a Mutual to look after their long-term interests, yet only 19% currently use a Mutual (BSA 'Finance for a fairer Future' report - July 2026)

Expand your expertise in Business Protection and diversify your services. Our Business Protection Bootcamp is back with 5 CII-accredited webinars taking place over 5 days. Find new ways to present simple, affordable solutions to your clients, whilst exploring growth opportunities in this market. All 5 webinars count towards structured CPD hours for professional development.

26 February - 1 March 2024 | 1:30pm daily

Collection of webinars ranging from 30 - 45 minutes.

Collection of 4 webinars 

Gain valuable insights and take your knowledge to the next level
Event Registrations and on-demand videos

Legal & General teamed up with Cover Magazine to produce an interactive digital guide to income protection for advisers.Inside you will find sales tips and tricks, expert opinion and plenty of visual takeaways you can incorporate into conversations with clients.

Earn structured CPD with our CII-accredited webinars and workshops. We host hundreds of workshops per year featuring expert insights on improving advice processes, including sales techniques, new markets and more.

Legal & General's Objection Handling Guide includes 12 of the most common protection objections, along with practical conversation prompts that can help advisers explore concerns and keep conversations moving forward.

Enhance your selling skills - this webinar occurs several times. Please register for the date and time that works best for you.

LendInvest Mortgages have published their latest brochure - discussing the importance of technology in the UK mortgage industry. 

Topics covered;
- The importance of mortgage technology
- Real-case scenarios of technological advancements
- The potential impact of AI on mortgages
- The future of mortgages, and, what to expect.
 

LBG has seen a significant increase in cyber-attacks, being exploited for very large sums of money by criminals; this is a direct threat to you, your Brokers and our customers.

Product video’s and tool demonstrations to help your protection conversations.

Fuel for Life is our protection newsletter for advisers, providing you with the latest news, industry insights and thought leadership.

We're committed to supporting you, and helping you deliver protection conversations to a high standard, with your clients at the heart. That's why we've made it easy for you to see a range of resources, tools, support and documents to help you with Consumer Duty requirements.

Reaching Resilience is LV’s protection focused research that explores financial resilience among consumers. The data used in this report comes from a survey of 4,000 nationally representative UK adults conducted for LV= by Opinium between 23 November – 3 December.

LV= offers a continuous programme of CPD accredited webinars. The sessions cover protection-oriented skills-based how-to's, product know-how and topical technical updates. To sign up, click on the link to the right, then select the specified webinar(s) you want to join and fill in your registration details. 

Having the conversation to make sure your client’s policy is tailored to them and encouraging them to read their policy documents will help them know what to expect when it comes to making a claim. 

Home Insurance - it’s not something a client can see, hold or touch. So what’s the best way to sell it? As an adviser, it’s up to you to explain the benefits of Home Insurance to your clients, and help them to see the importance of having a policy in place. So LV= GI have some top tips to help your sales pitch. 

There are some common client pushbacks that we all hear when having the insurance conversation. That’s why LV= GI wanted to bring together some useful tips and practical advice - so you can reassure your clients and prompt them to consider the right cover options.

From peace of mind for your client, to new opportunities for yourself, LV= GI have outlined the top reasons to talk Home Insurance with your clients.

A little extra cover goes a long way. Check out the LV = GI mini guide and see what additional cover they offer and the reasons why they’re so important.

Prices are going up everywhere at the moment, and unfortunately insurance is no different. LV= GI know it can be tricky explaining this to your clients - but don’t worry, they’ve got your back. The Play the Price game demonstrates just how much of an impact inflation has had on more everyday, tangible items.

A remortgage is the perfect time to review your client's home insurance. LV= GI's step-by-step guide and comparison tools help you ensure their cover still meets their needs

Register for one of our webinars to help you with your GI journey

Our nature and biodiversity insights series covers a range of topics that are central to solving the nature and biodiversity crisis, while highlighting the opportunities for investors to make positive contributions. In this article, Adam Pinfold, Michael Rae and Ben Constable-Maxwell consider the risks of our current unsustainable water use, alongside some of the potential solutions.

It's not lost on any investor that nearly half the world's population is set to participate in elections this year, with a select few anticipated to significantly alter a country's trajectory. With this in mind, we ask, do corruption perception trends matter to investors?

With many European SMEs choosing to stay private for longer – and, in some cases, reversing their publicly listed status altogether – we believe European private corporate credit plays a fundamental role in supporting their growth, especially amidst an ongoing reduction in bank lending. The introduction of regulated frameworks, such as ELTIFs, means a broader investor base can now gain early-stage access to alternative assets such as private credit. The European private credit market presents an opportunity for investors to take advantage of potentially higher returns compared to the US market, as well as certain defensive characteristics that can help ride out any volatility on the horizon, in our view. 

Biodiversity is essential to the ongoing survival of life on this planet. We need healthy ecosystems to provide us with air, food, water and more. Our nature and biodiversity insights series covers a range of topics that are central to solving the nature and biodiversity crisis, while highlighting the opportunities for investors to make positive contributions. In part one, Nishita Karad focuses on the importance of a sustainable food system. 

Additionality – also known as contribution – is a core concept within impact investing. In this article, we consider how impact investors can deliver additionality by engaging with investee companies. We also review the important role of impact engagements in M&G’s public equity impact funds.

In the wake of major elections in India, Mexico and South Africa, we find a sea of investment opportunities for active stock selectors. Let’s delve deeper into the recent triumvirate of ballots that have unfolded across emerging markets, spanning continents from Asia to Africa to Central America. By examining the outcomes and implications of these votes, we stand to uncover a range of prospects for investors looking to navigate these dynamic markets.

After a 34-year wait Japan’s stock market has reached a new record high, driven by optimism about corporate governance changes and attractive valuations. Following a stellar rally over the past year, Carl Vine, Co-Head of Asia Pacific Equities, believes there are further chapters to come in the Japanese equity story and the ongoing transformation of corporate culture offers potential opportunities for patient, engaged investors.

5 Parts / PDF's

Any questions? Contact us at [email protected]

‘Metro Bank Talks…’ are a series of bite size webinars spot lighting on the key areas in which Metro Bank can help your mortgage customers.

Even with strong controls in place, no organisation is immune to cyber incidents. The firms that recover fastest are those who have prepared properly. This session breaks down what effective incident readiness looks like, how to build assurance before a breach occurs, and how leaders can ensure systems, data and reputation are protected when the unexpected happens.

The article examines five cyber risks firms can no longer ignore, including advanced social engineering, AI-enabled attacks, supply-chain exposure, insider risk and the growing need for independent cyber assurance.

Mitigo’s latest article highlights the importance of cyber risk management as an ever-evolving, complex field with numerous interconnected pieces, encouraging you to ask: Is your cyber security strategy layered enough to ensure there are no vulnerable gaps?

AI has changed the game for cybercriminals. Phishing is harder to spot, impersonation is believable, and targeted attacks can be launched at scale with minimal effort. What were once ordinary attacks are now faster, more adaptive and highly convincing. This episode explores how AI is powering the next wave of cybercrime - and the actions leaders must prioritise to stay protected.

Annual price growth edges higher in June

On Thursday 2 July, we hosted our latest Economic Update with our Chief Economist, Robert Gardner.

The webinar gave mortgage intermediaries timely, objective insight on the UK economy.

Energy ratings have little impact in house prices, despite interest in 'going green'

More first time buyers are choosing 'fixer-uppers'

Welcome to Nationwide's New Build hub, where you'll find information to support you and your New Build clients, including criteria and top tips. You can also download a summary of this information in a printable guide.

This webinar features the fraud experts from Nationwide and answers common questions intermediaries are asking about mortgage fraud and AI. Whilst also providing guidance on what to look out for when reviewing documents, and how the fraud landscape is evolving.

Nationwide’s Chief Economist, Robert Gardner, shares insights on how the market performed during 2025 and what we can expect in 2026.

Analysis from our Economic team gives an assessment of housing affordability with a focus on First Time Buyers.

Our 2024 report exploring the factors underpinning why Gulf residents are buying UK homes. This report provides original insights to brokers interested in working with GCC clients. It uses search data provided by Rightmove for Nomo, and features exclusive insights from three of our broker partners.

Enjoy our Underwriting Webinar, which takes you through our principles, how Shariah structures affect underwriting and our top tips for smooth case processing.

Enjoy our Portfolio Landlords Webinar, which takes you through the professionalisation of the Landlord market, how Nomo supports Brokers and our top tips for smooth case processing.

Enjoy our Shariah Finance Webinar, which takes you through  the principles and history behind Shariah financing, how Nomo ensures that their products are Shariah compliant, and the differences between Shariah Finance and a conventional mortgage.

How to choose the right investment for your clients
So you have a client who might benefit from making a Business Relief-qualifying investment. 

How do you go about choosing the right investment to meet their specific needs? 

Is an AIM portfolio or unquoted portfolio right for my client? 

How should you approach building their case file? 

How does business relief work for IHT?
The inheritance tax landscape is evolving – more families are becoming affected and planning needs can be complex. 

Business Relief has a part to play in providing a simple, flexible and efficient solution in managing IHT. So, in what scenarios might it be right for a client? 

We’re in the beginning stages of a £5.5 trillion wealth transfer¹. An unprecedented amount of amassed wealth will pass to surviving female spouses and younger generations. 

How confident are you that you’ll retain assets when your client dies and their wealth rests in new hands?  

In this structured CPD session, Business Development Managers Nick Bird and Steve Godfrey discuss: 

• A recap on BR-qualifying investments, including the benefits and risks
• Common scenarios when a client could benefit from BR
• Less frequent but interesting BR planning ideas 

In this webinar we:
- Covered the key changes to inheritance tax and what they could mean for clients and your business.
- Clarified some of the misconceptions surrounding changes to Business Relief (BR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR).
- Explored new client planning opportunities arising from the Budget.

Learning Objectives

• How the main estate planning solutions can help clients take care of a potential inheritance tax problem
• What the benefits and risks of each of these options are and how they should be assessed
• What the residence nil-rate band is and how it is applied
• What makes an investment BPR-qualifying and how it works as a relief from inheritance tax

Learning Objectives

• What makes an investment BPR-qualifying and how it works as a relief from inheritance tax
• What the main risks of BPR-qualifying investments are
• How the eight main BPR planning scenarios can help clients take care of their potential inheritance tax problem

Learning Objectives

• What the main benefits and risks of investing in Venture Capital Trusts are
• Why Venture Capital Trusts were introduced and the impact they they've had on the economy
• How Venture Capital Trusts work and the types of VCTs available
• What rules are in place to determine which companies can qualify for VCT funding and be included in the portfolio

Why is estate planning important?
Inheritance tax is a concern for many families across the UK. More than £45 billion is set to be collected by 20281, with one in eight people impacted.2  

There is an enormous need for advice and an equally large opportunity for advisers to add value.   

But how can you ready your business to best support clients? How can you help clients to take action? And what planning is right for your clients?  

The article explores how mounting pressures on residential buy-to-let landlords are driving a shift towards commercial property, and explains what prospective investors and brokers need to know before making the move.

This article explains the evolution and growing importance of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for commercial buildings, outlining current regulations, potential future targets, exemptions, market impact, and what property owners and intermediaries need to consider as energy efficiency standards tighten.

This document provides essential definitions and explanations related to commercial properties, leasing terms, and financial metrics relevant for proffesional intermediaries. 

Following the success of our Green summit that took place in December, we will be launching the Green Mortgage Masterclass Series. Join us for this Lunchtime Learning session in partnership with OSB Group that will kick off this new series!

Available on-demand

In our brand new video, we address the new rules and how they are likely to impact Mortgage and Protection firms, and discuss what preparations firms may wish to consider. 

Why not take a listen to a presentation recently given by Justine Randall, Chief Commercial Officer at Tatton Investment Management on one of our webinars. The presentation is titled ‘Artificial Intelligence - Friend or Foe?’.

Are you looking for a new and informative podcast that covers a range of hot topics and applies a financial services perspective to these? Look no further than the Paradigm Podcast! Join us as we bring together a range of individuals from across the industry to discuss important issues and topics affecting our industry and beyond. You won't want to miss a single episode of this new, relaxed, concise podcast - it's a must-listen! 

At Paradigm, we’re committed to making it easier for you to do business with the companies we have partnered with on our panel. One of the ways we do this is our FOCUS series. Each edition of FOCUS is a concise guide about a Provider or Strategic Partner, designed to give you a brief summary of their proposition in a short, easy to read document. This includes details of their proposition, support they offer, underwriting processes, claims statistics, information about any value-added services they offer, as well as registration and agency details where applicable.

Fraud is an ever-evolving threat that affects businesses, individuals, and institutions worldwide. As fraudsters become more sophisticated, it is crucial to stay ahead with the latest insights, tools, and strategies to detect and prevent fraudulent activities. In this exclusive webinar, we are brought together experts from Lloyd’s bank and as a first for Paradigm a representative from the fraud organisation CIFAS. Both have firsthand experience in identifying, investigating, and mitigating fraud.

A quick and easy to run-through client handout explaining the key points and benefits of Life Cover, Critical Illness and Income Protection.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the financial landscape for advisers. From streamlining tasks to boosting risk assessments, its influence is growing fast.

Predictions about AI's impact on work and the economy vary, but one thing is certain: its development is accelerating at an astonishing rate. (For context, ChatGPT alone accounts for nearly half of the top 10 chatbot traffic!).

As a financial adviser at the forefront, your input on AI knowledge has been invaluable. The results are in!

Two big questions that clients ask are "Do I have enough money?" and "will my money last?". This eBook sets out to help you answer those questions by considering the emotional thoughts and technical considerations involved in advising clients in this area. It will cover the following topics:

• What do clients want in drawdown? 
• How can you help your clients?
• The intergenerational aspect of income drawdown
• The methods for taking an income from a pension

Highlighting the latest trends in the Private Rented Sector.

We spoke to 500 landlords with aspirations to develop property portfolios about what is driving then, their influences and how they plan to grow their property business.

Paragon are pleased to announce a new report, produced by PwC and published alongside the NRLA, highlighting the economic impact of landlords and the jobs they support.  The report underscores the importance of a robust private rented sector to accommodate the UK's growing population and evolving social and demographic landscape.

Louisa Sedgwick Managing Director – Mortgages of Paragon Bank discusses the issues and potential opportunities and issues and barriers for landlords if these bills pass into legislation. 

 
Focus Session, diving deep into two critical areas impacting the mortgage market: the Renters Reform Bill and proposed EPC changes. Join Paradigm's Director of Mortgages, Richard Howes, as he delves into the critical upcoming changes with Louisa Sedgwick, Managing Director of Paragon Bank for Mortgages and a leading Buy-to-Let expert. Louisa provides invaluable insights you won't want to miss.
 
This is a must-watch for brokers looking to stay ahead and provide the best advice to their clients. Understand the implications, anticipate challenges, and discover opportunities to better serve your clients in this evolving market.
 

In this module, we cover the additional products we have to offer including Landlord’s Insurance, Mortgage Protection and Tenant’s Contents Insurance. Each chapter will help you to understand the key benefits and any optional extras available. 

If you’re not already convinced about how important it is to discuss your client’s GI needs, then this is a great place to start. Find out why clients need advice and how that advice can avoid claims being rejected.

Discover a little more about the journey Paymentshield and what makes our proposition standout.

If you fail to plan you plan to fail, get your GI sales going in the right direction with this chapter on how to go about creating a GI business plan.

A look at how to quote using our Quick Quote and standard quote journey, including when you might choose to use these. Plus, a run-through of all the features of the quote result screen and some quoting tips.

A run-through of all the features available in the Adviser Hub dashboard and how to utilise them to support the growth of your GI business.

Need to know what your potential earnings could be from GI? This chapter shows you where to find the calculator and how to use it, how to maximise your earnings and what your commission options are.

In this module we’ll illuminate what makes our Home Insurance so special. The chapters will cover everything you need to know to confidently discuss the benefits of the core policy and our optional extras.

Mastering the art of questioning is something that can set advisers apart. So, what should advisors be asking during a GI conversation about Home Insurance?

Rob Barnard and Jon Hall, Managing Director of Mortgages & Savings at OSB Group as they take a look at the year ahead after a challenging 12 months in the mortgage industry, the opportunities available for brokers and lenders and how they see the market moving and changing in the coming months.

An in-depth look at adverse credit, the cost-of-living crisis and other considerations that can impact the lives of mortgage customers.

A trade-press article by David Coleman, Head of Sales at Positive Lending, arguing that regulated bridging finance has shifted from a last-resort rescue product to a mainstream transactional tool.

Experienced investors are stepping away from standard residential setups and actively moving into semi-commercial properties, such as a ground-floor retail shop with a flat upstairs.
Here’s why this approach is gaining traction...

David Coleman, Head of Sales at Positive Lending, makes the case that second charge mortgages are now a smart first choice rather than a last resort. With over a million UK homeowners facing "rate shock" as cheap fixed deals end, and second charge lending up 16% year-on-year to £205 million in June (FLA data), more advisers are using second charges to raise funds without disturbing a client's low-rate first mortgage or triggering Early Repayment Charges. Positive Lending positions itself as a specialist partner for brokers looking to support clients this way.

The second charge mortgage market has moved from the sidelines to centre stage, and right now it’s one of the fastest growing, most opportunity rich areas in specialist lending.

It’s one of the most dynamic, fast-moving areas of property finance. Brokers who integrate bridging into their toolkit position themselves at the forefront of a growing market.

As the UK population ages, the conversation around later-life financial planning is evolving rapidly.

The guide looks at what bridging (short term) finance is and when to use it, busts some bridging myths including “bridging is expensive” and looks at the difference between rolled up and serviced interest. 

This guide looks at what bridging (short term) finance is and when to use it, busts some bridging myths including “bridging is expensive” and looks at the difference between rolled up and serviced interest.  

This technical paper is designed to assist you in planning for your clients by providing a high level, informative summary of the relevant provisions and rules. It should not be read as advice. Professional tax advice
should be sought that can take account of your clients individual circumstances

This technical paper is designed to assist you in planning for your clients by providing a high level, informative summary of the relevant provisions and rules. It should not be read as advice. Professional tax advice
should be sought that can take account of your clients individual circumstances.

The recently passed Finance Act confirmed that pensions will form part of a person’s estate from April 2027 and finalised the structure of the allowance. While Financial Advisers now have much‑needed certainty over the direction of travel as these changes move from legislation to implementation, attention is turning to what this means in practice. Significantly, how advisers can best support clients as they reassess pensions, estate planning and alternative strategies. 

Puma’s updated Inheritance Tax guide reflects the current IHT outlook and has been created to support adviser‑led conversations. Suitable for sharing with clients.

Planning scenarios to help illustrate the impact of the changes in practical client situations. 

Planning scenarios to help illustrate the impact of the changes in practical client situations. 

Join Head of Financial Services at LIBF, John Somerville, plus Nic Dent, Market Engagement Director, and Julie Pardy, Director of Regulation at Worksmart Ltd. Take a deep dive into the detail of what advisers should be thinking and doing now in the run-up to the formal implementation date.

Watch ERA's General Manager, Ryan Mansell, as he discusses the four key consumer outcomes and what you need to do to make sure you put your customers first. We were also joined by Head of Mortgage and Lending at Contact State, Thomas Brett, who delved into lead generation in a post-Consumer Duty world.

Protecting vulnerable customers is a key priority within the FCA's Consumer Duty regulations. Join Managing Director of Later Living Now, Simon Chalk, as he discusses the characteristics of vulnerability, and what you need to do to accommodate your customers' vulnerability, both now and in the future to ensure that they continue to experience best outcomes.

Join our CEO Paul Carter and our Director of Compliance, Ed Halliwell, as they walk you through how, as a leading equity release lender, we have been enhancing our customer journey. Discover more about the efforts we have been making to ensure that your customers are able to make informed decisions when it comes to achieving their financial goals.

Pure Retirement holds their 5th and final webinar session in the Countdown to Consumer Duty series, titled 'Countdown to Consumer Duty: Talk to the Experts.'. Join them for an insightful and interactive online panel discussion, where industry experts will answer your queries. The panel includes Kelly Melville-Kelly, Head of Risk, Policy, and Compliance at the Equity Release Council; Jane Finnerty, Joint Chair of SOLLA, and Pure's own Ed Halliwell (Compliance Director) and Scott Burman (Head of Distribution).

Welcome to our short series of adviser blogs explaining the purpose and impact of the upcoming Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations on Consumer Duty. In this blog we explain the first of the three cross-cutting rules: A firm must act in good faith towards retail customers.

This blog takes a look at the second of the three Cross Cutting Rules: “A firm must avoid causing foreseeable harm to retail customers.

This blog considers the third of the three Cross-Cutting Rules: A firm must enable and support retail customers to pursue their financial objectives.

In this blog, we'll consider the regulation not simply from the perspective of how to comply but how, as an equity release adviser, you can use this framework to improve the service you provide to your clients. 

Join Pure Retirement and Deloitte for our online webinar exploring key findings of the FCA thematic on later life advice.

Our reports focus on three key areas of the equity release market: demographic trends, customer habits and market trends.

An overview of the UK's different flood zones, how they impact lending conditions, and what financial advisers need to be aware of to support your client's later-life borrowing goals.

Explore the difference between estate rent charges, freehold charges, and what this means for lifetime mortgage applications.

In this article, Gregor Sked argues that protection should no longer be viewed as a “missing asset class”. Instead, it deserves its place as the foundation of a client’s financial resilience portfolio, one that underpins every successful client plan when life takes an unexpected turn.

From 6 April 2026 how much inheritance tax (‘IHT’) many business owners and farmers will paid has changed. 

In light of this startling webinar title, Shelley Read, Senior Technical Manager, and Joanne Legg, Sales & Relationship Manager at Protection Guru look at the real need to consider critical illness (CI) cover and examine how we can start this conversation with clients.

By the end of this session, you’ll be able to: 

• Understand the importance of including critical illness in your client’s protection portfolio.
• Describe some of the additional features of a critical illness policy.
• Understand the types of clients an income based critical illness plan would be suitable for.
• Identify opportunities within your client bank to discuss critical illness protection.

In this podcast, Paul Roberts (CIExpert) and Gregor Sked discuss key insights from Critical Thinking 2026. Learn how to reframe your income protection conversations, respond to evolving client needs, and improve client understanding and engagement.

Our webinar investigates the FCA’s Retirement income advice thematic review – TR24/1. The findings in this report are based on the responses from the 977 adviser firms who answered the FCA’s data survey, and a desk-based review of 24 firm’s files.

Learning objectives:
By the end of this session, you will be able to: 

• List the regulator’s main concerns with retirement income advice.
• Identify good and poor practice associated with retirement income advice.
• Outline best practice for income drawdown reviews.

Being self-employed offers freedom, flexibility, and control over your own future, but it also means that you are the business. If illness or injury prevents you from working, there’s no employer to fall back on.

Gregor Sked and Fiona Hanrahan discuss how you can use trusts more consistently, more naturally, and with greater impact.

Our continuous professional development (CPD) modules are all fully accredited by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (CISI) and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

Royal London's Jim Grant and Angela Hyslop dig deeper into the technicalities of tax relief and the annual allowance in our webinar master-class*.

Please see the Looking out for vulnerable customers guide to help identify and understand vulnerable customers.

We're committed to supporting diversity and creating an inclusive culture within Santander and the wider mortgage industry. We strive to create an environment where everyone's unique contribution is valued and respected to create a stronger business and give you and your clients a better experience. 

Clear claims insight, support beyond the payout, and practical language for adviser conversations

Beneficiary nomination is a simple way for your client to make sure any amounts payable on their death are made to the people they intended, quickly and without waiting for probate.