Author: Jordan

Buckinghamshire Building Society has launched a one-year discounted rate mortgage with no early repayment charges (ERCs). The product, available at 5.89% – a discount of 2.05% from the mutual’s standard variable rate (SVR) for the first 12 months – with a £2,500 product fee, is aimed at borrowers who may require a short-term lending solution while awaiting a future change in circumstances, such as the sale of another property, receipt of funds, or plans to refinance in the near term. The mortgage is available for loan amounts between £100,000 and £500,000 and can be used on houses and flats – including new…

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Altruist, the technology-driven wealth management platform for independent financial advisors, announced a major expansion of its platform with the addition of alternative investments, margin lending, options capabilities, and enhanced money movement features. The new offerings are designed to help advisors provide sophisticated investment strategies and private market access to a broader range of clients through a single digital platform. The company’s newly launched alternatives marketplace includes private equity, real estate, and infrastructure strategies from leading asset managers such as Blackstone, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, KKR, and Pantheon. Advisors can complete subscription documentation, client signatures, reporting, and billing directly within the…

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South Africa’s High Court has defined Bitcoin as ‘money’ and ‘capital’, clearing the way for the country’s central bank to regulate the export of cryptocurrency. The Gauteng Division of the South African High Court has ruled that cryptocurrency, and specifically Bitcoin, is both money and capital, limiting the ability of South Africans to trade in the currency without official authorisation and departing from an earlier decision by the High Court. Giving his ruling on 1 June in Mangundhla & Dangaiso v South African Reserve Bank, Judge Stuart Wilson departed from what he called the “clearly wrong” 2025 decision by the…

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Key Takeaways Voya Financial introduced alternative fixed income and equity CITs for DC retirement plans. New CITs use a multi-manager structure to broaden alternative exposure and diversify risk. Voya Financial sees the products supporting AUM growth and a higher-margin business mix. Voya Financial, Inc.’s (VOYA Quick QuoteVOYA – Free Report) asset management business, Voya Investment Management (Voya IM), introduced two new multi-manager alternative collective investment trusts (CITs) for defined-contribution (DC) retirement plans. The newly launched CITs, namely, V-ALT Multi-Manager Alternative Fixed Income and V-ALT Multi-Manager Alternative Equity, are designed to bring alternative investments into retirement plans through a structure that…

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What began as a viral video of tourists being detained at Maharashtra’s historic Gopalgad Fort in Anjanvel, Guhagar taluka of Ratnagiri district, for allegedly picking two mangoes has brought renewed attention to a decades-old question: how did a Maratha-era fort come to be treated as private premises and classified as evacuee property?The issue has unfolded into a legal battle over ownership of the fort, its status as a protected monument and efforts to acquire it.The controversy prompted Maharashtra Minister for Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar on Tuesday to seek a detailed report within a fortnight from the Ratnagiri District Collector on…

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HSBC UK is reducing rates across a broad selection of residential and buy-to-let mortgage products from 3 June 2026. The lender has announced rate reductions across its existing customer, first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage and buy-to-let ranges, alongside selected international mortgage products. Changes apply to a wide range of fixed rate mortgages, including two-year, three-year, five-year and 10-year products at various loan to value (LTV) bands. Within the residential market, reductions have been made across products for first-time buyers, home movers and remortgage customers. The changes also extend to HSBC’s energy efficient mortgage products for properties with EPC ratings of…

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Fantasy Flight Games revealed Children of Blood, a new small expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game, which will hit retail on August 14, 2026. This Small Campaign Expansion box contains three new scenarios for Arkham Horror: The Card Game. In this storyline, investigators will be tasked with looking into disturbances in Arkham’s Waterfront district. The expansion adds a new chaos token, the blood token, to the mix that can turn investigators in monsters. These blood tokens can be brought into other Arkham Horror: The Card Game scenarios as a reward for completing the campaign. The box comes with 178 Scenario cards,…

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Local sports enthusiasts pictured at Tourmakeady GAA’s handball court in Co Mayo, funded through a Social Finance loan with Community Finance Ireland. | SFFThe online Guide, supported by PTSB and Community Finance Ireland (CFI), sets out a community-focused application process with a quick turnaround, minimal red tape and no guarantees required. Social Finance Funding has today, (Tuesday, June 2), launched a new ‘How-to Guide’ to encourage more community organisations across Ireland to apply for Social Finance.The online Guide, supported by PTSB and Community Finance Ireland (CFI), sets out a community-focused application process with a quick turnaround, minimal red tape and…

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Molo has reduced buy-to-let mortgage rates across its UK resident lending range, lowering pricing on standard buy-to-let products as well as specialist HMO and MUFB offerings. The specialist mortgage lender, which serves both UK-based and overseas landlords, has introduced rate reductions of up to five basis points across its standard buy-to-let range and up to 10 basis points on HMO and MUFB products. The changes follow the launch of its semi-commercial range last month. With immediate effect, buy-to-let mortgage rates for UK residents now start from 3.05% on a two-year fixed rate product at 75% loan-to-value. The product…

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