This week’s top headlines: Mortgage Advice Bureau buys Dashly for £2.8m and the biggest January house price bounce for 25 years.
Explore these and other major industry updates below:Mortgage Advice Bureau buys Dashly for £2.8m
Mortgage Advice Bureau has acquired data firm Dashly for £2.8m, with Dashly founder Ross Boyd stepping down and MAB chief executive Peter Brodnicki taking over as director.
MAB first invested in Dashly in January last year, citing its lending labs programme and mortgage monitoring platform, which tracks over half of UK mortgages and helps brokers identify earlier advice opportunities.
In its latest trading update, MAB said it expects profit before tax of around £35.8m for 2025, up 12% year-on-year, confirmed plans to move to the main market in Q2, and highlighted further 2025 acquisitions and investments totalling £12.4m.
Nationwide extends 6x income lending to home mover and remo customers
Nationwide has extended its high loan-to-income lending, allowing home movers and remortgaging customers to borrow up to six times income at up to 95% LTV, with minimum income thresholds applying to new customers but waived for existing ones moving home.
The change builds on regulatory easing and strong demand seen in 2025, when high-multiple borrowing rose sharply, and follows the success of Nationwide’s Helping Hand scheme for first-time buyers.
Industry commentators say the move supports borrowers constrained by income multiples and reflects lenders adapting to affordability pressures in today’s housing market.
Biggest January house price bounce for 25 years: Rightmove
The average asking price of homes rose by a record 2.8% in January to £368,031, the biggest increase for the month since Rightmove records began, driven by a post-Budget boost in confidence and a surge in buyer and seller activity over the festive period.
Despite improved mortgage affordability and strong demand, Rightmove warns sellers to price realistically, as housing supply is at a 12-year high for this time of year, a third of listings have already been reduced, and local market conditions remain mixed.
Halifax to cut homebuyer and mover rates by up to 11bps
Halifax has announced impending mortgage rate cuts of up to 11bps for homebuyers and movers, with the largest reductions focused on five-year fixed deals across low to mid loan-to-value bands.
The changes include lower rates on both fee-free and fee-paying products, including large loan options, and come amid a wider wave of post-Christmas price cuts across the market as lender competition intensifies.
Santander and Molo reduce rates
Santander has cut selected residential and buy-to-let fixed rates from 21 January, with reductions of up to 0.10% across home mover, first-time buyer, remortgage and product transfer ranges, while withdrawing some large loan tracker deals for first-time buyers.
Meanwhile, Molo has reduced prices across its UK resident buy-to-let range, with two-year fixed rates now starting from 2.44% at 75% LTV, reflecting growing competition in the sector.
Virgin and Halifax Intermediaries reduce rates
Virgin Money has cut selected fixed rates across purchase, buy-to-let and product transfer ranges, with reductions of up to 0.24% on purchase and shared ownership deals and up to 0.21% on BTL two-year fixes.
Separately, Halifax Intermediaries has also lowered homemover and first-time buyer fixed rates by up to 0.11%, adding to ongoing competitive pressure in the mortgage market.
The Right Mortgage adds Handelsbanken to lender panel
The Right Mortgage & Protection Network has added Handelsbanken to its lender panel, giving member firms access to its bespoke mortgage offering, including offset mortgages, ERC-free trackers and support for complex income sources.
TRM says the move strengthens product choice for advisers, following the recent launch of the second year of its buy-to-let adviser accreditation scheme.
Improved affordability boost to FTBs – Nationwide
Improving affordability helped boost first-time buyer activity in 2025, according to Nationwide, with lower mortgage rates, slower house price growth and easier access to high loan-to-value lending pushing FTB purchases around 20% above 2024 levels.
While affordability has improved overall and is now slightly better than the long-term average, it remains most stretched in London and the South, with saving for a deposit still a major challenge, highlighting ongoing regional disparities and the need for more affordable housing supply.
Hands-off approach to financial AI regulation risks consumer harm, MPs say
MPs have warned that a “hands-off” approach to AI in financial services risks harming consumers. The Treasury Select Committee said the FCA, Bank of England, and Treasury are relying on existing rules despite 75% of financial firms using AI.
Risks include misleading advice and vulnerable customers being excluded, while current regulations may be insufficient. Committee chair Meg Hillier called for proactive oversight, and EY highlighted gaps in governance. AI is already boosting mortgage broker accuracy, with MAB reporting an increase from 80% to 99% when using the technology.
Govt launches £15bn ‘Warm Homes Plan’
The UK Government has launched a £15bn ‘Warm Homes Plan’ to help families access solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, and batteries. The programme updates renters’ protections, offers free upgrades to low-income households, and includes solar panels on all new homes, aiming to triple rooftop solar by 2030.
It also provides a £7,500 universal heat pump grant. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan will cut energy costs and lift up to a million people out of fuel poverty. Stakeholders welcomed the move, highlighting benefits for renters, landlords, and the green finance market.
