This week's stories:

Secret millionaire sued by little brother over property sale
Thursday 15th July 2010
One of the most generous secret millionaires from the Channel 4 programme of the same name – who during one episode gave away £155,000 of his

Done Brothers inject £25m into Manchester bridging lender
Thursday 15th July 2010
Prolific businessman and the world’s largest independent bookmakers, Fred and Peter Done, have pledged to pump up to £25million into Manchester-based bridging lender, Goldentree Financial Services. Fred

Bad management blamed for 56% of corporate insolvencies
Wednesday 14th July 2010
Incompetence or bad management of company directors causes 56% of corporate failures, while nearly 40% of businesses could have been saved if professional advice had been

Debt charity urges banks to provide bank accounts to bankrupts
Wednesday 14th July 2010
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has published a report urging banks and building societies to change their policies and stop discriminating against undischarged bankrupts.  In Called to

Older stories:

Research shows massive postcode lottery in annual utility bills
Monday 14th June 2010
A recent survey has found that gas and electricity bills vary across the country by up to £189 a year.   The data, published by the research group

Solicitor handed 15-year bankruptcy restriction after £9m loss
Wednesday 16th June 2010
A solicitor whose corrupt dealings led his employers into administration has signed a bankruptcy restricting order, stopping him from practicing for 15 years. Jonathan Gilbert, a conveyancing

Football fan paints the house to show England support
Tuesday 15th June 2010
Most England fans wear a football shirt to show their support - but one has covered the front of his house with a mural to back

Sir Fred splashes out £3.5m on luxury Edinburgh home
Tuesday 15th June 2010
Former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Sir Fred Goodwin, has reportedly bought “one of Edinburgh’s finest houses” for £3.5 million. Two years since the global

Solicitor charged with £250,000 fraud
Thursday 10th June 2010
A Kent-based solicitor is due in court today, facing multiple fraud and money laundering chargers. It is claimed that he could have benefitted from the fraud by

Details of scam to sell the Ritz revealed in court
Thursday 10th June 2010
The details behind an ambitious con to sell The Ritz Hotel for £250 million have been heard in court this week, as three men stand accused

Bolton debt firms shut down following damning investigation
Wednesday 9th June 2010
Bolton-based 3 Step Finance Ltd, (previously known as Global Debt Solutions Ltd), and 123 Finance Ltd have been wound up in the High Court following an

Claims management company enters CVA following tax troubles
Wednesday 9th June 2010
The controversial claims management company, Credit Issues, entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) last week, after HM Revenue and Customs sought to wind up the firm. According

Broker slams bridging lenders backing out of deals at last minute
Thursday 3rd June 2010
There are many reasons why a bridging loan deal can fall through – inaccurate information on an application form, problems with the security property, and sometimes

Man sentenced for £500,000 mortgage fraud
Tuesday 1st June 2010
A Sunderland man who fraudulently obtained over £500,000 in mortgages has been given a suspended sentence and ordered to repay £5,500 – the only cash he

Worry as debt charities could be hit by funding cuts
Wednesday 2nd June 2010
As a recent report from the debt charity Citizens Advice Bureau shows that staff fielded an additional 2.4 million debt enquiries last year, there are now

New rule gives recent PPI complainants more time to go to the Ombudsman
Wednesday 2nd June 2010
The FSA announced on Friday a temporary rule to give customers who recently made a complaint about their purchase of a Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) policy

Candy brothers and Prince Charles caught up in £81m property lawsuit
Tuesday 18th May 2010
In what is set to be a bitterly expensive lawsuit, prolific property developers, the Candy brothers, are taking the Qatari royal family to court this week

Solicitors urge property investors to hold steady amid possible CGT hike
Tuesday 18th May 2010
A leading law firm that specialises in property management is warning people not to rush into selling property investments in fear of the proposed Capital Gains

ASA bans claims management ad
Tuesday 18th May 2010
The Advertising Standards Agency has announced that it has banned a national press ad for claims management company, Unfair Credit Direct, following a complaint. The ad, headlined

Debt purchasing arm of Cattles unveils £5m losses
Tuesday 18th May 2010
The increasingly complicated saga of subprime lender Cattles continues, with the announcement that its debt purchasing subsidiary has revealed pre-tax losses of nearly £5.2 million. As

Billionaire investor chased for £1.4bn fraud of Icelandic banks
Thursday 13th May 2010
The former CEO of UK retail giant, Baugur, is being chased for his alleged role in siphoning over one billion pounds out of a collapsed Icelandic

Prodigy star turns property developer with sale of converted windmill
Thursday 13th May 2010
You might not expect the former star of The Prodigy, Leeroy Thornhill, to be into property but his latest investment, a windmill in a quiet part

‘Charming’ advisor jailed for eight years for stealing from clients
Wednesday 12th May 2010
Following a marathon five year investigation by police, financial advisor Michael Mawdsley has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing £1.6 million from 200

London loan shark sentenced for preying on gambling addicts
Wednesday 12th May 2010
A London man who brought loan sharking to new depths by preying on vulnerable gambling addicts has been brought to justice.   Tottenham resident, Tung Quan Ha,

Bankrupt property developer quizzed by police after worker death
Thursday 6th May 2010
A beleaguered property developer has been arrested over an accident that left a Polish construction worker dead, according to the Manchester Evening News. The accident, which happened

UBS and British Land announce £300 million property deal
Thursday 6th May 2010
Swiss banking giant UBS is to remain in the heart of the City as commercial landlord, British Land, is set to develop a £300 million headquarters on

Warning as council tax scams surge
Wednesday 5th May 2010
Householders are being warned of a new resurgence in a council tax scam which sees residents being called by fraudsters posing as council employees.  The scammers target

New credit report service available for first time buyers
Wednesday 5th May 2010
With this Thursday’s election set to be the closest contested in history, financial experts have warned first time buyers that no matter who moves into Number

Stamp duty giveaway could impact on commercial property market
Thursday 25th March 2010
Roll up, roll up. Although Chancellor Alistair Darling vowed to resist giveaways, with the election train rolling into town, this year’s budget has promised a stash

Britain’s most famous landlords sell their portfolio bit by bit
Tuesday 23rd March 2010
Britain’s most famous landlords are selling their gigantic property portfolio at the rate of about two homes a week, claiming that the sector is no longer

Where do Cartel clients turn now?
Wednesday 24th March 2010
Following the closure of controversial claims handler, Cartel Client Review, by the Ministry of Justice last week, debt experts have stepped in to offer assistance to

Complaints of malpractice as banks set-off customer accounts
Wednesday 24th March 2010
Has your bank helped itself to your savings recently? Dipped into a joint account to pay off a loan that had nothing to do with the

Barn sells for almost £1m at property auction
Thursday 18th March 2010
Recession? What recession? It has been reported that a humble barn in the Cotswolds recently defied the downward trend in the property market when it doubled

NACFB announces Commercial Finance Expo
Thursday 18th March 2010
The National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) has announced that it is launching its first Commercial Finance Expo, which will combine with the association’s annual

Former footballer arrested for mortgage fraud
Monday 15th March 2010
As more and more fraudulent rings of mortgage professionals are uncovered, the latest fraud to emerge comes from north of the border as Lothian and Borders

Debt management firms respond to Ministry of Justice decision
Tuesday 16th March 2010
According to press reports, The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has asked for more time to consider the findings of its consultation into debt management plans (DMPs).   It

Financial Risk Outlook report reveals troubles in buy to let market
Thursday 11th March 2010
A Financial Risk Outlook report published by the FSA has revealed that the post-crunch mortgage market is still rife with credit problems and potential risk. The

Billionaire loses £36m deposit on most expensive home in the world
Thursday 11th March 2010
The world’s 24th richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov, worth an estimated £6 billion, has lost a £36 million deposit, as well as £1 million in interest, after

Brokers urged to help their good clients through bad times
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Yesterday – Tuesday the 9th of March 2010 – saw the third leg of the TrigoldCrystal Business Academy road show arrive at Southampton, where the message

Debt charity reveals men are more likely to go bankrupt
Wednesday 10th March 2010
In a blow to alpha males all over the UK, one of the country’s main debt charities, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) has discovered that

Loss of income named as main reason consumers need debt help
Friday 5th March 2010
New figures from the debt solutions provider, EuroDebt, have shown that the main reason people are seeking help with their financial situations is “loss of income”.  From

Valuations climb 61% in February
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
The latest research by Connells Survey and Valulation has revealed that the number of valuations on residential housing grew 61% in February, compared to the previous

TV property tycoon blames HBOS for bankruptcy
Thursday 4th March 2010
The famous buy to let entrepreneur Grant Bovey has revealed that state-backed bank HBOS is partly to blame for his financial misfortunes, which will see him

OFT study uncovers issues with estate agent fees
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
A shake-up in how homes are sold, including updating legislation to allow new entrants into the market, could lead to a better deal for house buyers

Santander raises LTVs to 90% on new builds
Thursday 25th February 2010
Santander has announced good news for those looking to make it onto the property ladder this year, as it raises its LTVs for first time buyers

Consumer lending dips in 2009
Wednesday 24th February 2010
The latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association have shown that new consumer lending fell by 15% during 2009, compared with the previous year.   The

£285m Mortgage Rescue Scheme helps 276 households
Monday 22nd February 2010
It has been just over a year since the Government introduced its Mortgage Rescue Scheme to provide much-needed help to the hundreds of thousands of Britons

BSA: Buy to let regulation makes no sense at all
Tuesday 16th February 2010
Plans to regulate buy to let mortgages could see the Government’s objectives to increase investment in the UK private rental sector fail, according to the Building

Spiralling debt hits renters hard
Monday 15th February 2010
A survey from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has revealed that the number of tenants who are unable to meet their rental payments is

FSA takes billion pound property firm to court
Tuesday 16th February 2010
The FSA is set to challenge a property fund in court this week, according to a report in the Financial Times newspaper. Later this week the FSA

BBC investigation finds claims management firm misleading customers
Monday 15th February 2010
An investigation by the BBC Radio 4’s Money Box has uncovered misleading and unacceptable behaviour by sales staff at a claims management firm.  Recorded conversations with the

Angry investors thought to be behind attack on failed property tycoon
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Lancashire Police have confirmed that they are looking at the business dealings of a property tycoon, after he was attacked in an armed robbery at his

44% of brokers want a change of regulator
Wednesday 10th February 2010
In a recent survey conducted by Marketing Innovating Forum, financial advisors were asked: “what’s the best thing the new year could bring to improve your working

Prime London commercial property sold for £40m
Thursday 11th February 2010
Iconic London address 52 Grosvenor Gardens has reportedly been sold for the eye watering sum of £40 million, in a sure sign that the capital’s commercial

Conservative candidate is latest victim of repossession
Monday 8th February 2010
A Conservative candidate described as part of the new generation of future MPs has seen her home repossessed over an unsettled debt of £324,000.  36 year-old Adeela

London’s largest home set to sell for record £100m
Thursday 4th February 2010
A property developer known for his grand-scale designs has won planning permission to convert seven office buildings in Regent’s Park into a 10 bedroom mansion. The

Broker-client conversations to be recorded as FSA steps up bid to treat borrowers in arrears fairly
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
As part of its ongoing plan to ensure that borrowers in arrears are treated fairly by lenders and brokers, the FSA has announced new proposals to

Half of landlords frustrated by lack of finance
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Half of landlords who want to expand their portfolios are being frustrated by the lack of mortgage finance, according to a survey conducted by LSL Property

Skipton apologises for revealing thousands of customer account details
Wednesday 3rd February 2010
Skipton Building Society has hit headlines for the second time in as many weeks, and yet again for all the wrong reasons.  The UK’s fourth largest building

Property investors pointed towards student buy to let sector
Tuesday 26th January 2010
While average buy-to-let rents across the UK may have fallen or remained stable over the past year, one sector that appears to be holding strong is

Warning sounded over rogue IVA company
Wednesday 27th January 2010
Debt experts have warned that a rogue firm is contacting people who have taken out an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) to suggest that they can stop

NACFB locks horns with the FSA over regulation
Thursday 28th January 2010
According to the latest publication by the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB), the trade body recently met with the financial services regulator in order

Concern as consumers can now pay bailiffs with credit cards
Wednesday 27th January 2010
In what is being seen as one of the most obvious examples of a vicious cycle, it has emerged that heavily indebted individuals will now be

Banks take control of estate agent in emergency refinancing move
Tuesday 12th January 2010
Banks have taken over the well-known London estate agent, Foxtons, in an emergency move to reduce its debts.  The estate agent, which has debts of around £300

1m Britons admit to using credit cards to pay their mortgage
Wednesday 13th January 2010
The worrying trend of Britons using credit to meet their monthly mortgage and rental payments looks to be continuing, according to a new survey.  Recent results from

Reported fraud to treble to £5bn over next two years
Tuesday 12th January 2010
The latest Fraudtrack survey from business advisers and accountants BDO has revealed that the amount of money lost by businesses and the public sector to fraud

Report: What the IVA protocol review means for your business
Wednesday 13th January 2010
At the end of last year the IVA Standing Committee issued its review of the IVA Protocol. Its objective was to establish the impact of the

Most competitive mortgage lender named
Thursday 7th January 2010
Competition returned to the mortgage market in the final quarter of 2009, according to research from Evaluate Technologies, which revealed a breakdown of the most competitive mortgage lenders.  In first...

Cattles investors call for company to close
Wednesday 6th January 2010
In the latest twist in the tale of troubled doorstep lender Cattles, shareholders have demanded that the company is wound up. A shareholder action group now has...

Six appear in court over alleged commercial mortgage fraud
Thursday 7th January 2010
Six people have appeared at Southwark Crown Court, in London, having been accused of being involved in a £50 million commercial mortgage fraud. Londoners Simon Lawrence, a former partner...

Record number of solicitors at risk of insolvency in 2010
Wednesday 6th January 2010
Most solicitors firms will be accustomed to dealing with insolvency; however an increasing number may be seeing it from the other side in the upcoming year,...

Former director of failed buy to let group sells £25m mansion
Tuesday 15th December 2009
According to reports from the Times newspaper, London’s biggest riverside private property has just gone on the market, with a staggering £25 million price tag. Selling the 300 year...

SFO makes 6 arrests in £12m commercial fraud
Tuesday 8th December 2009
The warnings that commercial fraud and advance fee fraud are on the rise have been repeated numerous times throughout the year, and now it looks like…

Report finds mortgage lenders flouting new repossession rules
Wednesday 16th December 2009
Mortgage lenders have been criticised by debt charities after a report revealed that they are still neglecting to help vulnerable homeowners avoid repossession. The report called…

OFT review reveals consumers living off high-cost credit
Wednesday 9th December 2009
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced that it has begun to publish evidence from its high-cost credit review. The summary of the review includes the…