Author: Jordan

Fleet Mortgages has widened its lending criteria for buy-to-let borrowers, introducing greater flexibility for joint applications involving foreign nationals and expanding its acceptance of UK limited company structures. The specialist buy-to-let lender said the latest changes, announced on 15 July, follow its ongoing review of lending policy and feedback from advisers, with the aim of helping brokers place a broader range of cases. Among the changes, Fleet will now consider joint buy-to-let mortgage applications involving foreign nationals where at least one applicant is a British passport holder, has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status. Additional applicants may be…

Real estate transactions in Sharjah rose by almost a quarter in the first half of 2026, driven by purchases from Emiratis and GCC nationals. The value of deals in the emirate, one of seven that make up the UAE, increased by 10 percent year on year to AED30 billion ($8.2 billion) between January and June. The increase was underpinned by almost 60,000 transactions, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, citing data from the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department. There were 13,500 residential property transactions, which accounted for 82 percent of the total, followed by industrial (1,969 deals) and commercial…

Hedge fund launches and closures both climb in volatile start to 2026 LinkedIn Source link

Gold’s retreat from recent record highs has done little to dampen long-term optimism among market participants, with speakers on the Precious Metals panel at the Rick Rule Symposium arguing that the current correction is a normal feature of a healthy bull market rather than the beginning of a sustained downturn.Panelists pointed to continued central bank demand, rising global debt and shifting investor perceptions of gold’s role in the financial system as the primary forces underpinning the precious metal’s long-term outlook, while suggesting the recent pullback could create opportunities for investors and mining companies alike.Brien Lundin, publisher of Gold Newsletter, described…

The average American has $6,595 in credit card debt, according to May 2026 data from Capital One. Carrying that debt can cost a consumer more than $1,500 in interest over a two-year payoff period, based on the Federal Reserve’s estimated average credit card rate. Those extra monthly interest payments can be make-or-break for the 40 percent of American consumers who are living paycheck-to-paycheck, according to a December survey from payments data, news and insight platform PYMNTS.Using a personal loan to consolidate that credit card debt can drastically reduce monthly interest payments, freeing up money for consumers to save, add to…

With the latest UK Finance BTL Lending update for Q1 2026 having been released, experts from across the mortgage and property industry have shared their reactions and thoughts on what the figures mean for the market moving forward. Industry reaction: “The latest figures from UK Finance show the buy-to-let market is in good health. Mortgage volumes in Q1 were up 3% by number and 7% by value year-on-year, driven by remortgage activity. While some smaller landlords have chosen to exit amid higher costs and regulatory change, larger portfolio landlords continue to invest and adapt. The trend shows the buy-to-let market…

Philadelphia Phillies icon Mike Schmidt strode slowly towards the rubber, then pivoted to the infield grass on Tuesday night, carefully measuring the room between his right arm and the waiting glove of Scott Rolen. A concerned onlooked might’ve assumed that Schmidt, 76 years old, was operating under an abundance of caution for Steve Carlton, 81, his fellow first-pitch honoree.As it turned out, while Lefty Carlton’s toss to Cole Hamels wasn’t exactly a heater, nor was it a worm burner, Schmidt was actually being cautious of his own accord. He underhand tossed his first pitch towards the catcher, potentially surprising a…

The Hidden Revenue Engine Reshaping South Africa’s PGM Sector Few dynamics in resource extraction are as consequential as the moment a waste stream becomes a profit centre. For decades, chrome concentrate recovered during platinum group metal mining in South Africa was treated largely as an operational footnote, a mineral fraction separated from UG2 reef ore and sold at marginal value. That characterisation no longer holds. Across the Bushveld Igneous Complex, chrome has undergone a quiet reclassification, one driven not by geology but by the brutal arithmetic of PGM basket price compression. The Northam Platinum chrome production surge recorded in FY2026…

Unfortunately, homebuyers looking for a deal this summer are getting more bad news: Prices just hit an all-time high. The median home price reached $408,776 in June, according to a Redfin report published on July 13. That’s a 2.2% increase from the year prior and 51.4% increase from the highest price in 2019, before the pandemic dramatically affected home prices. The uptick is largely due to an increased demand. Despite mortgage rates remaining in the mid-6% range for months this year, home sales were at their highest level last month since the tail end of the pandemic-era housing boom in 2022, per Redfin. Not…

Louis Fawcett’s wife doesn’t love the credit card points game like he does, though she does enjoy the perks — when she actually uses them. They make most of their purchases with two elite American Airlines cards to build up loyalty points and status. Whenever it comes time to do something points-related, Fawcett’s wife just hands him her phone. “She’s a more laid-back person,” Fawcett, 53, says. She’ll join him in American’s Admirals Club, which she jokingly calls the “poor people’s lounge,” but she skips out on the “rich people’s” Centurion Lounge, which Fawcett can now access thanks to a…