Consumer groups advise homeowners not to install spray foam insulation
Consumer groups have advised homeowners not to install spray foam insulation because of the risks associated with incorrect installation and has written to government outlining their concerns. HomeOwners Alliance (HOA) and national trade body Property Care Association (PCA) have joined forces to raise awareness of the issues associated incorrectly installed spray foam installation. In the […]
Raising consumer awareness of coastal erosion risk
A new consumer awareness website has been launched to help conveyancers and home movers understand the risks associated with coastal erosion. CoastClear is a partnership launched by Groundsure with Chief Customer Officer David Kempster joining the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast to explain more about the objectives behind the initiative. There are c.10,000 homes that are […]
Equity Release Market sees growth in Q4 2024 with increased lending and improved consumer confidence
For the first time since Q3 2023 more than 15,000 customers became active in the equity release market according to the latest quarterly market report from the Equity Release Council, tracking activity across new plans, accessing drawdowns from existing plans, or agreeing to further advances In Q4 2024, total lending rose for the third consecutive quarter, […]
Firms counting on cuts to Consumer Duty are set for disappointment, Morgan Ash warns ahead of the UK Government’s plans to boost growth
As the UK Government aims to boost growth, those in the legal sector have been warned to poise for ‘disappointment’. According to one firm, the promised regulatory reforms could mean cuts to Consumer Duty. MorganAsh, a company that calls itself a specialst in Consumer Duty and lunched it’s award winning MARS platform has spoken out […]
Portals and agents ‘failing consumers’ with lack of property information
Estate agents and property portals are failing to highlight issues to home movers which could have an impact on their decision to withdraw from a property purchase. Against a backdrop of fall through rates around one in three properties, property advice website HomeOwners Alliance reviewed 150 leasehold property listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket in […]
Shared Ownership Code set for launch after national consultation draws responses from 1,700 consumers
A new Shared Ownership Code aimed at driving better experiences for shared owners and best practice across the industry is set for launch after a nationwide consultation returned broad support for the initiative. The launch of the Shared Ownership Code follows a consultation process that included a consumer survey of more than 1,700 current and […]
Equity Release Group urge for heightened online accuracy and an enriched consumer experience
Equity Release Group (ERG), has called for the sector to level-up. The firm reveal there’s a need for an improved consumer experience across the sector, to meet the demands of consumer duty and align to the smart technology now available within the industry. Whilst in the past, it was noted that financial data within the […]
Professional ethics and consumer protections among future priorities for oversight regulator
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has launched a consultation on its business plan and budget for 2025/26. Among its proposals, the oversight regulator has identified professional ethics and consumer protections as future priorities. The LSB wants to change the culture of legal services to support and empower professional ethical decision-making across the sector. It sees […]
Legal Services Consumer Panel calls for Urgent Regulatory Enhancement Following LSB’s Report on the handling of Axiom Ince by the Solicitors
The Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) expressed profound concerns about the findings of the independent report, commissioned by the Legal Services Board (LSB), into the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) handling of Axiom Ince. The regulator says the report highlights an “urgent need for significant regulatory improvements within the legal services sector”. The independent report unveiled […]
CLC consumer empowerment efforts having ‘measurable impact’
Work by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) to empower consumers is having “a significant, measurable impact,” the Legal Services Board (LSB) has been told. In its report to the LSB, the CLC also outlined its experience of co-operation with HM Land Registry and the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), as well as other legal regulators, that […]
Legal Services Consumer Panel survey found that a third of clients ‘do not trust’ their legal services provider to handle a complaint
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has released the results of it’s 2024 Tracker Survey reports on how consumers are utilising legal services. The survey found that a third (33 per cent) of clients wouldn’t trust their service provider to handle a complaint ‘properly’ with a further 28 per cent concerned that complaining would ‘affect their […]
SRA consumer protection review: Client accounts vital for legal services
Firms should continue to be able to operate client accounts, as they are vital for the effective delivery of many legal services, the Law Society of England and Wales said in response to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) consumer protection review discussion paper. Law Society president Nick Emmerson said that the SRA is considering whether […]
Property Ombudsman tackle record number of enquiries as £1.52M awarded to consumers
After receiving a record number of enquiries The Property Ombudsman awarded £1.52 million to consumers last year and saw 83 per cent of property disputes resolved in favour of the consumer. The service dealt with 57,635 queries from clients seeking assistance on property matters, with 62 per cent of lettings enquires coming from tenants. Out […]
LSB bolsters requirements on how lawyers handle consumer complaints
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has issued Requirements, Guidance, and a statement of policy to regulators to improve the way in which first tier complaints are handled. First tier complaints are the initial complaints that consumers make to their legal provider about the service they have received. These measures aim to drive significant improvement in […]
Sign of Spring bounce as consumer sentiment on the up
The proportion of people who believe now is a good time buy a property has risen to it’s highest levels since December 2021. Sentiment around affordability of mortgage payments and concerns over mortgage repayments has also seen a move toward greater positivity in signs that the seasonal Spring bounce may be on its way. One […]
40% of consumers believe structural survey is conveyancer’s responsibility
40% of consumers believe it is the conveyancer who checks the structure of a property is sound during the home moving transaction. 48% were unaware the conveyancer acts on behalf of both them and the mortgage lender, while 2/3rd of respondents said the conveyancer’s role was to transfer the ownership of the property (68%); effect […]
Legal Services Board announces new Consumer Panel Chair
The Legal Services Board today announces the appointment of Tom Hayhoe as the new Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel from 1st May 2024. Tom succeeds Sarah Chambers, whose term of office ends on 31st April 2024. Sarah has served two three-year terms as Chair since 1 May 2018. Alan Kershaw, Chair of the […]
FCA requests information from firms about delivery of their ongoing advice services and the Consumer Duty
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is writing to a number of financial adviser firms requesting information about their delivery of ongoing services, for which their clients continue to be charged after advice has been given. In its survey, the FCA asks if firms have assessed their ongoing services in response to the introduction of the […]
Dye & Durham’s latest UK Pulse Report signals consumer confidence despite expected recession
As UK consumers continue to struggle with the cost of living, many expect the economy to enter a recession in the next six months. Dye & Durham’s newly released UK Pulse Report for Q4 2023 sampled 2,115 UK adults and found that 41% of respondents think it is very likely the UK is headed for […]
SRA launches review of consumer protection
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has launched a review of its overall approach to protecting consumers in response to shifting risks in the sector. The review focuses on two main areas. Firstly, how to reduce the risk that something goes wrong at a regulated law firm that causes harm to consumers. The SRA will be […]