Even to those who are not financial experts can see that there is a large element of risk involved in this strategy, which is and will continue to come to roost.

These mortgages were used by those who could not prove affordability and because of the risk the bank was taking the mortgages always came with a higher rate of interest…typically 1-2% higher than most rates going at the time. Now imagine these mortgage holders, No Proof of income, No Mortgage Products to remortgage onto and finally No way to pay off the mortgage loan. Anyway thats an article for another day.

The FSA has deemed, and rightly so, that anyone who has been self-employed for more than a year should be in a situation whereby they have produced accounts or atleast be in the process of producing accounts for the inland revenue. If this is the case then why should lenders offer Self-Cert mortgages? Less than 12months and most lenders will not lend to you anyway..even on a self cert basis.

To appease the FSA the majority of lenders have now discontinued this range of product. So what is your option? Unfortunately not much. However, there are lenders out there in the mortgage market place who are relaxing their criteria as far as income is concerned and so if you are in a situation where you have accounts but only for 2 years then we may be able to help. A lender has come to the market and they will look at affordability but they have a relaxed attitude towards it.

If you are in this position and looking to buy a home then please give me a call or email me at info@glmsltd.com and I will give you a call to discuss your requirements.

With the economic climate still in the doldrums we are all constantly reminded of the effect this is having on businesses and individuals, in particular the number of redundancies companies are being forced to make in order to survive.

Many people with mortgages have sought insurance to cover an event such as accident, sickness or, more topically, unemployment. However, until now, there has not been the opportunity to offer similar protection for people without mortgages, such as those paying rent.

We are delighted to now offer a solution and, through key relationships, we have been made aware that this type of cover can be made available to you. A summary of cover available includes:

• Rental payments covered
• Choice of cover between accident sickness & unemployment, accident & sickness or unemployment only
• Covers other regular outgoings e.g. mobile phone bills, gym membership, finance agreements (credit cards excluded)
• Competitive benefit levels
• Available to those in paid employment

Award winning service

Our insurance company provides a first class service. Its commitment to providing excellent service and advice was recently recognised when awarded the Insurance Times Independent Regional Broker of the Year award for 2008.

For more information please contact Wasim today on 01283 246 220.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Wasim

Earlier this year, it was revealed that around 25,000 homes in the UK are estimated to have a cooker that emits carbon monoxide.

A number of Leisure, Flavel, New World and Belling cookers produce the substance if the grill door is not left open during use and while many of the applications have been tracked down, thousands still remain in use.

Christine Heemskerk, product safety lead officer from the Trading Standards Institute, said: “We are urging consumers, including landlords and letting agents, to check the brand and model of their cooker today as there is a serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

She added that any letting agent who finds such a faulty device can contact the manufacturer for a free upgrade.

Last month, a landlord was fined £1,000 for breaching gas safety rules.

Helen Beckett of Ilkley had ignored warnings from the Health and Safety Executive about carrying out safety checks.