Author: Jordan

The lender said the changes are intended to support brokers and widen specialist finance accessTogether has reduced rates across its fixed-rate product range while enhancing criteria.The changes include reductions across both residential and commercial products, alongside a criteria enhancement aimed at first-time buyers.All two-year fixed rates have been reduced by 25bps and all five-year fixed rates by 10bps, with rates now available from 7.7% for CBTL first-charge five-year fixed, 8.54% for BTL first-charge five-year fixed, and 8.99% for semi-commercial first-charge five-year fixed.The changes apply across a broad range of products, including commercial and semi-commercial term lending, BTL and consumer BTL.Together…

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As donor countries cut foreign funding to prioritize domestic interests, sub-Saharan African countries face a projected 16-28% decline in net bilateral overseas development assistance,1 revealing weaknesses in the global aid system and urgency to identify alternative sources of flexible capital for the social sectors. This viewpoint explores the potential for leveraging diaspora philanthropy to help finance development, noting benefits both to the African continent and to the African diaspora itself. Diaspora philanthropy is a form of diaspora engagement. It involves the transfer of money, goods, knowledge, skills, or other assets for the social benefit of a country or region tied…

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Numerous limited company directors are falling foul of a lesser-known variation in how mortgage lenders assess self-employed income, a mortgage broker has warned.Jamie Elvin, director of Strive Mortgages, which specialises in mortgages for the self-employed and limited company directors, said entrepreneurs wrongly assumed every lender would assess their income in the same way.Jamie said: “Many business owners deliberately keep their salary and dividends low for tax efficiency, leaving profits within the company. When they then come to apply for a mortgage, the problem is that many lenders will only assess the income you’ve actually drawn when deciding how much they…

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The Dragonettes Cheer and Dance Club from Llanidloes represented Team UK at the European Cheerleading Championships in Novigrad, Croatia, and became European champions. Two adult teams, made up of women aged 20 to 50, won top honours in their categories. The Destiny Dragons took the Master Cheer Team title, while the Dizzy Dragons were named Master Stunt champions. A spokesman for the Dragonettes said: “We couldn’t be prouder of our entire Dragon Army.” The club, based in Mid Wales, highlighted the dedication of its adult members, who juggle training with work, family duties, and helping to run a club that supports…

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The market just had its best quarter in six years, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.00%) up 14% and the Nasdaq-100 up 26%. Many of the gains were driven by chip stocks as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance. But there are plenty of magnificent stocks in other industries, too, and with earnings season upon us, now could be a great time to buy. Consider Axon Enterprise (AXON +0.52%), Dutch Bros (BROS 1.57%), and MercadoLibre (MELI +1.27%). Image source: Getty Images. 1. Axon Enterprise Axon is known for its Taser device, but it also offers a full data-driven AI-based platform…

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A series of mortgage rate cuts from lenders this week has sparked optimism among brokers that the market is edging closer to sub-4% rates. Several high street and specialist lenders have reduced residential and buy-to-let pricing in recent days, with Accord Mortgages, Precise and ModaMortgages among those announcing cuts this morning. Aaron Strutt, product and communications director at Trinity Financial, believes there is a growing possibility of sub-4% mortgage rates returning this year. He said: “It seems like there is a fair chance we will see sub-4% rates again this year assuming there are no more wars and the hand…

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Muthoot Finance Ltd (ISIN INE414G01012) is one of India’s largest non-banking financial companies focused on gold-backed lending, giving retail borrowers access to short and medium-term credit against their jewelry and bullion holdings. The company operates across India and increasingly serves customers abroad through group affiliates, positioning itself as a key player in the broader Asian retail finance landscape. For investors, Muthoot’s scale, brand recognition and long operating history are central to its appeal in a competitive market for household credit.Gold-backed lending modelMuthoot Finance Ltd centers its business on secured loans backed by physical gold collateral, a model that has gained…

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Gold dropped approximately $100 on Hyperliquid’s perpetual futures contract on July 4, with prices dipping below $4,090 before snapping back. The whole thing played out in roughly a minute. The flash crash occurred on Hyperliquid’s XAU perpetual contract, a synthetic instrument that tracks the price of gold using oracle feeds rather than physical delivery. Arbitrage bots and market makers quickly moved to close the gap between Hyperliquid’s price and the oracle reference, stabilizing the contract. Hyperliquid’s gold perp was operating in thin liquidity conditions when this crash hit. Market makers and arb bots identified the price deviation from the oracle…

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