Limelight Issue 62 - Autumn 2020

Limelight Issue 62 - Autumn 2020

LIMELIGHT A Tenet Group Publication for Appointed Representatives of TenetLime

Issue 62 n Autumn 2020

UK Housing Market: Navigating the storm of Covid-19

PLUS: Marketing Toolkit – FREE marketing support available

ALSO IN THIS EDITION Events - Now fully remote, you can still attend our events and gain CPD Business Growth - Ideas to diversify your business in challenging times

M O R T G A G E S NEW SERVICE STRONG FOUNDATIONS A NEW PREMIER MORTGAGE SERVICE FOR LARGE LOAN CLIENTS WITH HANDS ON EXPERIENCE BUILT IN

Our new Premier Mortgage Service is built around the established expertise of our dedicated Relationship Managers. On hand to help you with your large loan clients, our team offers tailored expert support whenever you need it, and however complex your clients’ needs are. SPECIALISED SERVICE First-rate, fast and efficient service from a specialist team. Available on our full product range for mortgage applications of £500,000 and above. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS • Dedicated support and direct access to a Relationship Manager. • Individual case management from application to completion. HERITAGE AND EXPERTISE Backed by over 200 years of experience in looking after people and their plans. See how our new Premier Mortgage Service could help you support your large loan clients. Visit: scottishwidows.co.uk/premiermortgages Contact: [email protected] Call: 0345 608 0853

For the use of mortgage intermediaries and other professionals only.

Scottish Widows Bank is a trading name of Lloyds Bank plc. Registered office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales, no. 2065. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under number 119278. This information is correct as of October 2019 and is relevant to Scottish Widows Bank products and services only. 23034 10/19

Editor’s Foreword Natalie Yarwood Marketing Consultant

Contents

TenetLime Support 4-5 Industry Update

Simon Broadley reflects on the year that has been 2020 so far, covering the current state of play in housing market, lender activity and the thoughts of AMI.

4

Hello and welcome to Limelight: As we continue to make our way through 2020 at great pace, we are now seeing some positive steps for the housing market implemented by the Government to help the market improve following the effective shut down back in March. Albeit, no one knows what could happen next, but here at Tenet we are here to help you as best we can navigate these unpredictable times. In our industry update from TenetLime’s Managing Director Simon Broadley, discusses the Government’s initiatives to help the housing market, the impact of a possible recession and lender activity. Plus our round up of any regulatory issues. Find out more on pages 4 & 5 . Our events team have been busy creating our next round of online events commencing September 1st. All of our events are free to attend, and open to advisers, paraplanners and administrators and give you the opportunity to earn CPD. Check out what’s up next as part of our events programme on pages 10-11 . During uncertain times, diversifying your business can be the solution to help your business thrive not only now, but in the years to come. Paul Kale, Tenet’s Business Growth Manager looks into what you could do to help generate more business and potentially earn more income as a result. Read more on page 12 . Following on from the success of our mentor scheme to help advisers achieve competent adviser status (CAS) which completed in June, we now have launched more course dates to help serve the growing demand for this course. To find out more about our mentor scheme go to page 13 . We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Limelight. Best wishes Natalie Yarwood

6-7 Market Watch

Get the low down on the FCAs PS20/01 -

Mortgage Advice & Selling Standards. 8-9 Up Close & Personal

Under the spotlight in this issue is Nicole Turner, one of the Team Managers in the Relationship Management team. Take a look at our upcoming remote events to attend and earn CPD. Marketing Toolkit Check out our free marketing support materials, including Coronavirus client facing items. Leading Lights Take a look at our Leading Lights for April to June 2020.

6

10-11 Tenet Events

13

10

14

Provider Support 15 Aviva

We’re there when it counts – the power of claims.

15

16-17 Accord Mortgages

Working effectively post- pandemic. The Exeter Income protection is a necessity not a “nice to have”.

22

Editor: Natalie Yarwood

LIMELIGHT is a Tenet Group publication 5 Lister Hill, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5AZ. Tel 0113 239 0011 Fax 0113 239 5322

Terms and Conditions. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, The Tenet Group cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. The Tenet Group cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of any material, solicited or unsolicited. No reproduction of any part of this publication, in any form or by any means, without prior written consent from The Tenet Group. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the publishers.

WELCOME - 3

It’s certainly been a year of ups and downs for the housing market so far. The so-called ‘Boris bounce’, following a decisive result in the general election in December, was quickly quashed by the UK going into lockdown in March and effectively putting the industry on ice. Some very difficult weeks followed, underpinned by a mass culling of products and daily underwriting changes, until the housing market took its first steps towards returning to business in mid-May, with the publication of new Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus outbreak. This has been further boosted by the Chancellor’s July Summer Statement, most notably with the temporary stamp duty land tax cut, which expands the Nil Rate Band from £125,000 to £500,000 until 31st March 2021. In addition, the Government extended the stay on repossession proceedings in the private and social rented sector until 23rd August 2020 and announced a £2 billion Green Homes Grant. This doesn’t mean we’re back to normal by any means and we still have a long way to go before we have a fully functioning housing market. The key point from my perspective is that everyone has their part to play in this, from the Government and the FCA, to lenders, brokers, estate agents and

Industry OVERVIEW Simon Broadley Managing Director, TenetLime Ltd

4 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

surveyors, as well as the various industry bodies. We all need to work together to get our sector back on its feet, as we are essentially all cogs in the same wheel, with so many interdependencies that it cannot turn unless we all go in the same direction. The fear of some form of recession continues to have an impact, meaning there are few 90% LTV products on the market but at present we are seeing no deterioration in customer appetite to move home. Indeed, with a second wave of Covid-19 possible, the housing market has seen a recent flurry of activity, as people try and get moving before lockdown might be tightened back up again. Brokers are getting to grips with working remotely or in a socially distanced fashion but in our June insight survey, 36% of you stated that a lack of product availability was causing a significant impact on your business, so we hope that this continues to subside. The lender community has no issues with capital by and large but is held back more by operational capacity to process business and a fear of releasing high LTV rates in the face of a recession, with the resulting potential for arrears and repossessions. One contentious area is how lenders have treated some customers during the pandemic, specifically those on furlough, mortgage payment holidays or who have taken out business interruption loans. In relation to mortgage payment holidays, the FCA updated its guidance to lenders in

June and set out its expectations of firms dealing with borrowers who are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic and are coming to the end of a payment holiday or have yet to request one. As brokers, the key is to be aware of the flexibility that lenders are prepared (and expected) to offer so that you can reassure any clients who indicate that they are experiencing difficulties and refer them to their respective lender. As an AMI board member, we believe there is more that the regulator can do in these unique circumstances and also that it needs to be pragmatic and give the industry some breathing space to recover from the huge shock that has been dealt to it. Delaying the SMCR is one such move but we are pushing for more. The Government has been supportive of the sector, and housing secretary, Robert Jenrick’s publication of the guidance on home moving in May provided the much- needed public health information for both the industry and homebuyers, to ensure that moving home and key activities around this could resume safely. A new charter was also launched by the Government and the Home Builders Confederation with health and safety guidance, in an effort to get the construction industry restarted. Coupled with the more recent

Statement, and the fact that the Government is about to embark on a huge spending programme to kickstart the economy, with the support of massive quantitative easing from the Bank of England, we would hope this all helps to counteract the fears of a recession and further stimulates activity. In terms of industry bodies, the AMI board for example has been meeting fortnightly during the pandemic (remotely of course!) instead of monthly and has upped the contact with key stakeholders, in an effort to help ensure that those cogs I talked about are turning in the same direction. There are certainly still challenges ahead, but the UK housing market continues to show its resilience. National estate agency Savills, who annually publishes comprehensive five-year housing market predictions, has revised its outlook in light of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it is “confident” that activity will still pick up over the course of this year, now the market is unlocked, followed by a year with more transactions than normal as we work through the pent-up demand that accumulated during 2020. No one of course knows what is around the corner but working through a pandemic has given our industry the confidence that we can largely transfer to remote working when

required, come up with agile solutions to new problems and pull together to get the market back on its feet.

measures in the Summer

We all need to work together to get our sector back on its feet, as

we are essentially all cogs in the same wheel, with so many interdependencies that it cannot turn unless we all go in the same direction

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 5

MARKET WATCH with TENETLIME’s Research & Technical Specialist

Bryony Morris Trainee Technical Services & Research Consultant

The Low Down on the FCAs PS20/01 - Mortgage Advice & Selling Standards

Back in January of this year, before life as we knew it changed quite dramatically, the FCA published its PS20/01 Mortgage Advice & Selling Standards paper and final rules. The new rules came into force with immediate effect, but transitional provisions were allowed until the 30 July 2020 in order to allow firms to adapt and accommodate accordingly. WHAT IS PS20/01? After the conclusion of the Mortgage Market Study (MMS) that took place back in March 2019 and focused on the first charge residential market, the FCA identified key areas of concern surrounding consumers and mortgage advice. The FCA specifically uncovered three potential hazards within the current Mortgage Advice and Selling Standards: • Rules and guidance may be a barrier to developing tools that help consumers choose a mortgage • Consumers looking to buy a non-advised execution-only mortgage are diverted into being advised, and execution-only sales channels are not always easy to use • Many consumers are overpaying for their mortgages even when they have been given advice The FCA then undertook further research within the Consultation Paper 19/17 in May 2019, in order to delve deeper into the issues that were highlighted and they then set out guidance and final rules within the PS20/01 paper which was released back in January. To achieve their vision, the FCA require the intermediary industry as a whole to support consumers in the following ways: • Help to make it easier for consumers to choose the right mortgage • Develop a wider range of tools that provide consumers with more choice about the support and advice they receive • Consumers are able to choose an intermediary on an informed basis • Consumers are able to switch freely to new deals without undue barriers The changes are part of a suite of remedies that have arisen from the MMS, and the new rules enable firms to present mortgage options to clients without having to provide them with regulated advice. The finalised remedies are aimed to work together to support the FCAs goals to ensure that consumers have the correct information they need to make informed choices when it comes to choosing a mortgage. WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY AS A RESULT? With technology being at the forefront of the market, the FCA have stated that proposed solutions should be focused on innovation and the development of online consumer tools. A key intermediary

technological area would be sourcing tool systems, and many of these companies are now working to create versions of their tools that could be easily integrated into firm websites to enable consumers to research mortgages for themselves. Advisers need to understand the importance of making sure consumers are able to access a wide range of products and will need to embrace the key technology changes that are happening throughout the industry in order to do this. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ADVISERS? In the past, execution-only deals have always been regarded as riskier than advised deals to the average borrower and this move from the FCA may seem slightly counter-intuitive for both consumers and mortgage advisers. Although this move has been deemed as the FCA taking a neutral stance on the subject, it’s hard not to view this change as a push on consumers towards execution- only deals, and in turn potentially lowering the stream of business into the intermediary world. In a complex mortgage market that is ever changing, with literally thousands upon thousands of mortgage products available, combined with complicated criteria restrictions, it is very clear that mortgage advice is more important than it has ever been. The likelihood of a consumer going through the execution-only route and making the wrong decision on a product is at an all-time high, and mortgage advisers are there to prevent this kind of customer detriment from occurring through their own guidance and expertise. The potential for customers to feel as though they have been given advice when they haven’t is also significant and the execution-only route could be fraught with misunderstandings, especially when it comes to firms highlighting certain product options above others and customers not fully understanding why. In turn, it is clear to see that these rules clearly highlight both the need for advice and the importance of it and it is up to everyone in the intermediary industry to show consumers the complexity of the decisions and the work involved in securing the right product for them. As always, knowledge is power, and the call for advisers to have sufficient expertise across all product areas is more crucial than ever in order to retain clients and prevent them from having to go elsewhere. Advisers will also need to understand the key differences between buying a mortgage execution-only and with advice, and be able to explain this to consumers. Now would be the ideal time to utilise all the support that is available to them, whether that be from a network or through relationships with lenders. For more information on this subject, please contact the TS&R Mortgage Helpdesk at [email protected] or 0113 257 0000.

6 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

knowledge is power, and the call for advisers to have sufficient expertise across all product areas is more crucial than ever

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 7

UP CLOSE & Personal

Under the spotlight in this issue is Nicole Turner , one of the Team Managers in the Relationship Management team. We caught up with Nicole to find out a bit more about her work and home life, as well as why she chose to join Tenet.

Can you give us a brief history of your career to date? I graduated University in 2011 and soon after joined Tenet as a temp in Payment Services. I must have done something right as three months later I was offered a permanent position reconciling member payments. I stayed in Payment Services for two years when a job came up in Relationship Management and it had my name written all over it. Seven years on I’m now managing the Desk Based Relationship Management Team and the iO Helpdesk and learning something new everyday. Why did you choose to work at Tenet? In all honesty, I didn’t have a clue what Tenet did or much about Financial Services when I started in 2011. I studied Psychology at University so it was a completely different change of pace for me! One of the main reasons I have chosen to stay at Tenet and particularly in Relationship Management is no two days are ever the same and there is always something new to learn and absorb. The people that work at Tenet are amazing as well and are very supportive. What are your hobbies and interests outside the office? Two of my biggest passions outside of work are travel and live music. I go to a lot of gigs and festivals with my Mum and I’m missing live music so much due to lockdown. My favourite place to travel to is the States…one of my bucket list items is to visit all 50 states (only 38 to go…). Oh and Disney…I may have a slight obsession with Disney.

NICOLE TURNER Relationship Management Team Manager

What music do you listen to in the car? Rock and Metal. It was what I was brought up on and I think I might have been disowned by my family if I hadn’t followed suit. I’m currently playing Biffy Clyro’s new stuff on repeat, and a lot of Rammstein and Greenday who I should have seen in June.

8 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

Two of my biggest passions outside

4

3

6

1

of work are travel and live music. I go to a lot of gigs and festivals with my Mum and I’m missing live music so much due to lockdown. My favourite place to travel to is the States.

7

5

2

What is the last book you read? You by Caroline Kepnes. I really enjoyed the Netflix TV series so I thought I’d give it a go and it didn’t disappoint.

1. Rosie Shearer 2. Helen Hutchinson 3. Rebecca Dean 4. Joe Molloy 5. Iain Thompson 6. Danni Thewsey 7. Ashley Argyle

What’s your favourite film of all time? The Nightmare Before Christmas, at any time of the year.

If you could trade places with anyone for the day, who would it be and why? This is going to sound incredibly cheesy but I honestly wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone. I’ve visited some amazing places and I am incredibly lucky to have amazing friends (many who work at Tenet!) and family who look out for me and who I have so much fun with. That being said, I wouldn’t mind trading places with someone who’s visiting Disney World for the day just now!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in life? That it’s too short, so live like there’s no tomorrow. Visit new places, try new things, live without regrets, be kind to yourself and have fun!

And finally, tell us an interesting fact about yourself…

I have been volunteering as a Brownie Leader for nine years now which involves planning activities and events for a group of girls ages 7-10. Prior to lockdown, we met once a week and we also take the girls away on ‘camp’ once a year. Fingers crossed we will back in September!

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 9

TENET EVENTS Tenet Online Events Programme 2020

We’re pleased to announce that our online events programme will continue, throughout Autumn, beginning on 1st September. We encourage you to attend as many online events as possible, not only to satisfy your CPD requirements, but to keep your awareness, comprehension and understanding of industry changes and developments at the highest level. All of our events are free to attend, and open to advisers, paraplanners and administrators.

Lend Two Online These events will focus on mortgages and lending. They are designed to meet advisers’ development needs and provide a valuable insight into the growing lending market, with sessions from a wide variety of niche and highstreet lenders, packagers and other providers who can help you develop further business opportunities. These events will conclude with sessions from Tenet’s Senior Management and Tenet Adviser Training. Total CPD available: Approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes unstructured CPD & 1 hour structured. Book your place: https://events.tenetgroup.co.uk/ADP2020

Online Events available to watch On-Demand Our events programme moved online in April, and, if you didn’t manage to view any of online events live, those that have already taken place are now available to view on-demand, at any time.

Lend One Online

Length of sessions: Fifteen minute unstructured CPD sessions from our Lender partners, and 30 minute structured CPD sessions from Tenet Adviser Training and Tenet Senior Management Total CPD available: 2 hour & 5 minutes unstructured & 30 minutes structured Access Lend One Events Online: https://events.streamgo.co.uk/lend-one-OD

Online Event Date Online Event Date

Time

1.00pm - 2.10pm Thursday 17th September 2020 1.00pm - 2.10pm Monday 21st September 2020 1.00pm - 2.10pm Wednesday 23rd September 2020 1.00pm - 2.10pm Friday 25th September 2020 1.00pm – 2.15pm Protect Two Online These events will focus on the protection market. With Tenet and the industries focus in this area, they are designed to meet advisers’ development needs and provide a valuable insight into this market. All of the sessions at these events will offer IDD CPD. Our Provider partners will also look at other ways you can obtain further IDD CPD. Total CPD available: Approx. 4 hours IDD CPD & 1 hour structured CPD Book your place: https://events.tenetgroup.co.uk/ADP2020

Lend Business Focus Events Online

These events focus on mortgages and lending, providing you with key updates on the market and the industry as a whole, including product development. The events are designed to meet advisers’ development needs and provide a valuable insight into the current markets. Length of sessions: 30 minute unstructured CPD sessions

Total CPD available: 3 hours unstructured Access Lend Business Focus Events Online: https://events.streamgo.co.uk/bfe-lend-1

Protection Seminars Online

Length of sessions: A mixture of 30 minute, 15 minute and 5 minute IDD CPD Total CPD available: 2 hours and 55 minutes IDD CPD Access Protection Seminars Online: https://events.streamgo.co.uk/protection-seminar

Online Event Date

Time

Tuesday 29th September 2020 Thursday 1st October 2020 Tuesday 6th October 2020 Thursday 8th October 2020

1.00pm - 2.50pm 1.00pm - 3.05pm 1.00pm - 2.50pm 1.00pm -2.15pm

Lend Business Focus Events – Round Two These events will focus on mortgages and lending. They are designed to meet advisers’ development needs and provide a valuable insight into the growing lending market, with sessions from a wide variety of niche and highstreet lenders, packagers and other providers who can help you develop further business opportunities. Total CPD available: Approx. 4 hours and 30 minutes unstructured CPD Book your place: https://events.tenetgroup.co.uk/ADP2020

Online Event Date

Time

Tuesday 3rd November 2020 Thursday 5th November 2020

1.00pm - 2.30pm 1.00pm - 3.05pm

Monday 9th November 2020 1.00pm - 2.30pm Wednesday 11th November 2020 1.00pm - 2.30pm

10 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

CPD Webinars Get 30 minutes of CPD for each webinar you view! Throughout the year, Tenet are hosting a series of 10 webinars on the morning of the last Friday of every month with a single Provider, Fund Manager or Lender. You will have the opportunity to view the webinar and interact with the speakers, asking any questions you may have.

Webinars available to watch on-demand

Bank of Ireland - ‘Serving the complex customer’ Presented by Lauren Wiles, National Account Manager https://events.streamgo.co.uk/webinar-1-2020 LV= - ‘Change is the only constant: Are you generation future-proof?’ Presented by Marcus Primhak, Business Protection Product Manager https://events.streamgo.co.uk/webinar-3-2020 Zurich - ‘Why Protection Should Be a Keystone of your Clients’ Plans’ Presented by Andy Woollon, Retail Specialist Presenter https://events.streamgo.co.uk/webinar-5-2020 The Exeter - ‘An Unhealthy Situation’ Presented by Wendy Ellison, Regional Account Manager https://events.streamgo.co.uk/webinar-6-2020/

Webinars coming soon...

We recommend registering for all the webinars, then opt out as and when, if you are not available or the content is not relevant.

ONLINE ADVISER FORUM 2020

Date

Provider

Monday 30th November – Friday 4th December Registration Now Open: http://events. tenetgroup.co.uk/AdviserForum2020 Join us each morning, as we host a series of ‘Breakout Sessions’ with our Provider, Fund Manager and Lender partners. Over lunch, visit our virtual exhibition booths, see demos from our provider partners and interact with live provider video chats. Each afternoon you’re invited to join us for the ‘Main Stage’ event, which will include sessions from Tenet Directors, Keynote Speakers and of course, our Annual Adviser Awards.

Unum

Friday 28th August 2020 Friday 25th September 2020 Friday 30th October 2020 Friday 27th November 2020

Vitality

Precise Mortgages

LV=

To register for any of these webinars visit: https://events.tenetgroup.co.uk/ADP2020

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 11

BUILDING RESILIENCE INTO YOUR BUSINESS

Paul Kale Tenet Business Growth Manager

The current business environment has dramatically changed as a result of coronavirus and forced people to work in new ways and adapt to changing circumstances. As a result, it is imperative that you and your business are making the necessary changes to help ensure your business not only adapts, but thrives and is resilient going forward.

As an advisory business it can be very easy to spend 100% of your time doing the day to day tasks that keep the doors open, but when was the last time you stepped back and took a “helicopter view” of your business – a view from the outside? Imagine for a second you were a business consultant and you had been asked to give advice on someone else’s business which looked like yours. What are their strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities? What advice would you give them? Building resilience in your business is about expanding and broadening your horizons to ensure that commercial pressures can be withstood, and there are various aspects you could capitalise from. APPRAISAL How do you review your own, your staff and your businesses performance? Aside from the figures, how do you know if your staff are doing a good job, do you have a process in place to manage appraisals? A suggestion could be a simple self- reflective document completed on a monthly basis, which you can complete for both yourself and your staff. It can detail what has been done well/not so well, what potential opportunities you see on the horizon and what threatens those opportunities. It also gives you a chance to evaluate what is happening in your business on a monthly basis to provide an element of reflection to consistently build upon and move forward. Within appraisals it is also worth keeping a log of good client feedback, not only is it nice to know that a job has been done well, but it can rebuild confidence if needed.

Additionally, taking the time to reassess priorities, goals and objectives helps establish the expectations for the team to follow, and also on an individual basis it can help motivate staff by giving them something to work for, for instance a promotion. RELIANCE How do you garner the perspective of others for your own gain? Where do you share best practice, ideas? Reflecting on these different outlooks could be used to diversify your business thinking in other areas in the future. One suggestion is that you take half a day out on a monthly basis with your brokers to share what has happened in the month. You could also use a local business group to share ideas. Local business networking events can help you meet others in either a similar or different field and provide an opportunity to share insight and best practice which could be applied within your business. These groups also can be a source for acquiring new clients, by striking up conversations and sharing your business card. Another place could be your local chamber of commerce. Or have you explored perhaps getting a business mentor or coach who you could learn from? Interacting with other local brokers is also a good way to gain thoughts on business practice and broker forums are also a great way of gaining insight. KNOWLEDGE Leading on from reliance, is the aspect of knowledge. There are so many competing ideals and the stakeholder expectation that you have to encounter as an adviser. But from building resilience it’s important to recognise your knowledge gaps and fill them in.

A great example is if you have a complex customer and you’re struggling to place the case, do you know exactly where to go? A great tip is to use 3rd party software such as Criteria Hub, which can give you different parameters to assess. In addition to this, at Tenet we have knowledgeable consultants at the end of a phone line on our mortgage helpdesk that are there to assist and refresh your knowledge. Many providers also have educational material that you can use such as sales aids, as well as mortgage and stamp duty calculators that can increase your knowledge. As well as signing up for a digital magazine from businesses such as Protection Guru or the Mortgage Finance Gazette and these will aid you knowledge of the industry we are in. Plus, you can also utilise the Business Development Managers at banks to harness their expertise and knowledge. Many of them are only too happy to inform you of the latest occurrences in their respective sectors. The ultimate aim of making your business resilient is to ensure the activities you undertake will enable you to be at the forefront of your client’s minds whenever they require financial advice. As an adviser or a principal it’s up to you lead from the front. You provide the energy to keep others going, you have the responsibility for growth, and you also manage the expectation for yourself and others should you have a team to manage. To take your business forward, your organisation, motivation and passion are key to your success. Resilience comes in many forms and taking some time out to reflect and review yourself and your business model can only help to take your business forward, despite these challenging times.

12 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

Adviser Mentor Scheme

The mentor to competent adviser status (CAS) course completed in June was another success, helping Tenet firms grow their businesses by taking care of the mentoring of their trainees to competent adviser status. We have moved from strength to strength delivering this course remotely and this has allowed us to increase the number of candidates our mentors can support to achieving CAS. The course is continuing to be very popular with existing firms for a number of reasons: • You will not need an in house Mentor, saving you valuable time to continue advising. • All the candidates work is vetted through Tenet and all liability lies with us until your candidate has been signed off with CAS. • We have dedicated mentors assigned to your candidate and their sole focus is to ensure that the work they do is to the highest standard and fully compliant. • The Mentors aim to have your candidates signed off with CAS within a 6-month period for those new to financial services. We are finding those that have a background in financial services can obtain CAS more quickly. • Promote internal candidates and grow your business. Have you used our FREE marketing toolkit service?

Dates for the next course include: Monday 14th September 2020 Monday 7th December 2020 Monday 8th March 2021 Tuesday 1st June 2021 Tuesday 31st August 2021

This service is available to new and existing member firms and as such, places do fill quickly. If you would like to find out more about the course please contact Mark Penswick: [email protected] Please look at the link below for an informal video link to the course and an explanation from one of our mentors. https://vimeo.com/372914534

Whether you’re a new member or one of our longstanding members, your business could significantly benefit from our FREE marketing toolkit service – now more than ever. The only thing you would need to pay for is the printing. We will take care of everything else. To see our range of toolkit items available to be branded up for your business, visit the ‘Grow your Business’ section of the extranet and pick from our range of support leaflets, brochures, posters, social media posts and adverts covering a wide range of themes.

A Guide to Mortgages

[insert company logo]

Proud to be part of the UK’s no.1 financial adviser.

PRODUCT GUIDES Our Equity Release, Mortgage and Protection guides are some of our most requested toolkit items, and are a helpful sales aid, which can easily be posted or emailed out to clients to help boost their knowledge in these areas, whilst also helping your brand remain front of mind with the client for their requirements.

CORONAVIRUS CLIENT FACING MARKETING SUPPORT We have produced a range of client facing materials available for to use in the form of market updates and social media posts. These items are pre-approved by compliance so can be used straight away once downloaded off the extranet.

To request any items for your business, simply email [email protected], stating the product code listed on the Extranet and provide a high-resolution version of your logo, plus the contact details you’d like to be used on the items.

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 13

In this Limelight issue we welcome to the stage the top five RIs and ARs in each category ranked via the figures from April to June this year. We would like to say a huge well done to each and every firm and adviser who made it in to the top five, raise a glass to yourselves and we hope to see some of you taking home that ‘Adviser of the Year 2020’ in December.

Registered Individuals

1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th

Richard Tingey James Akers Russell Adams Christopher Hulme Andrew Lock Graham Wilson Daniel Wyke Anthony Reavey Alexander Adams James McNicholl

Options Mortgage Centre The Wright Mortgage Company Ltd Adams Financial Planning Ltd

Top Mortgage Adviser (by number of cases)

Options Mortgage Centre Larkbridge Mortgages Ltd

Options Mortgage Centre Wyke Financial Ltd Reavey Financial Services Ltd Intelligence Mortgage Solutions Ltd McNicholl Financial Services Ltd

Top Protection Adviser (by gross receipts)

Carl Bulman Marisa Waite Bilal Awan Ryan Daly Sam Ainley

Protect Line Ltd Protect Line Ltd Enduralife Ltd Protect Line Ltd Protect Line Ltd

Top Protection Arranger (by gross receipts)

Christopher Naismith Malcolm Smith Graham Thomson

C N Mortgages Moneywise Mortgages Ltd GT Mortgages Ltd Options Mortgage Centre Homeshield Insurance Services Ltd

Top GI Adviser (by gross receipts)

Graham Wilson Hayley Connolly

Appointed Representative

Options Mortgage Centre Larkbridge Mortgages Ltd Intelligence Mortgage Solutions Ltd Fairfield Financial Solutions Ltd Square Financial Ltd C N Mortgages Henry Dannell Private Clients Ltd Thameside Mortgages Ltd Assess Mortgages The Wright Mortgage Company Ltd

Top Large AR (5 and above) by average gross receipts per adviser

Top Small AR (4 and below) by average gross receipts per adviser

14 - TENETLIME SUPPORT

We’re there when it counts – the power of claims

This year we have been forced to face how uncertainty can hit us all and can change lives in a matter of days

As an insurer, we know how important it is to always be there for our customers, providing some clarity and empathy in times of uncertainty. We recognise that when our customers contact us, we know they are going through a difficult time and we are constantly challenging ourselves to provide better support and claim journey. In 2019 we paid out 93.6% of all our individual protection claims, almost £982 million to more than 26,500 customers. Our track record of providing financial support is well documented. The numbers are important, but behind every number is an individual who could be facing some of the most difficult times of their life which is why our commitment goes much further than a policy payment. Over recent years we have introduced or developed new ways to help remove some of the hassle in making a claim for our customers. Last year, in 2019 we introduced Project Teddy.

Having a poorly child is heart breaking for all the family, therefore we’re here to do everything we can to support families through this difficult time. To find out more about Project Teddy and our real-life customer stories, please read our 2019 Individual protection claims report.

Project Teddy is enabling us to assess child critical illness much more quickly. By going paperless, we can make the decision to settle a claim on the same day we’re contacted by mum or dad. An important part of Project Teddy is also a gift of kindness. Our claims assessors take time to get to know each family and personally choose the best gift to send to each family member. It might be a restaurant voucher to help mum and dad take a well- deserved break, a specialist sensory gift

for a poorly child, a cuddly toy for a sibling needing an extra hug, or arts and crafts to keep minds distracted during trips to the hospital for treatment. In 2019, we paid out

£5 million on children’s critical illness benefit. More than 48% of the claims were for cancer, in particular for blood cancer.

PROVIDER SUPPORT - 15

Technology has been the key driver in keeping everyone connected through this crisis and despite

many lenders having to reduce call capacity, there are plenty of channels still operating to access information and also more opportunities to self-serve, meaning you can get the answers you need in just a few clicks.

With high demand, reduced product ranges and many social distancing restrictions still in place, business is anything but normal. Jeremy Duncombe, director of intermediary distribution at Accord Mortgages explains what his team is doing to support brokers and how advisers can help themselves. Working Effectively

SUPPORT IS OUT THERE The market is moving so fast so whether it’s filing lender emails, bookmarking lender pages, or just keeping up to date with the latest trade publications, have a method you can commit to checking regularly. If you’re part of a network or club, many are doing the hard work for you, so make sure you know what you have access to and make use of it, so you can quickly identify the right products and lenders for your clients, improve your productivity and most importantly, get your applications approved first time. A few extra minutes spent ensuring all the packaging requirements are sent with the initial case submission could save days in the long run if the case can be offered without requesting additional information.

Business is booming. But, whilst demand seems to be returning to normal, the environment we are operating in is anything but. Moneyfacts recently reported that there were 82 fewer deals available at the start of July, many brokers are still working from home liaising with clients remotely and lenders are reviewing their offerings almost hourly to ensure that they can maintain service levels. From an Accord perspective, since first re-entering the market with products at 90% LTV, we have seen record levels of lending. To ensure we could maintain the best possible service for our brokers and

partners, we had no other option but to temporarily pause lending at this LTV. It’s likely this pattern of entering the market for limited periods of time will repeat until more lenders join, and crucially remain, in the 90% market. It is therefore important for lenders and brokers to work together to create the maximum capacity possible. These are challenging times. Everyone is raring to go but there are a number of hurdles to overcome, so we need to ensure we’re adapting to the change of circumstance and using all the tools available to us to help make things better. This will help lenders use their capacity to underwrite more cases, and brokers to save time and provide a quicker service to clients.

16 - PROVIDER SUPPORT

Post-Pandemic

Jeremy Duncombe Director of Intermediary Distribution

HELPING YOU TO HELP YOURSELF Technology has been the key driver in keeping everyone connected through this crisis and despite many lenders having to reduce call capacity, there are plenty of channels still operating to access information and also more opportunities to self-serve, meaning you can get the answers you need in just a few clicks, rather than waiting in a queue to talk to someone. Using the Accord webchat facility gives you a quick response with a transcript of the conversation you can add to your files. And checking our website homepage for the latest turnaround times means you can see what we’re working to. You can also check on the progress of your case using our MSO system instead of calling us, it’s really easy to get an update and if you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset that yourself too. If you’ve got queries surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on your clients, there’s a special COVID page, clearly marked from

the Accord homepage which is regularly updated with all the latest information. And if you do need to speak to your BDM, please bear with us. They are receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls every day and so they may take a little longer to get back to you. DON’T FORGET YOURSELF Finally, these are very unusual times and whilst it’s great to see business picking up, it’s important to ensure you are looking after your own wellbeing. Many of you will have seen improvements to your working lives in recent months. No commute to the office and no lost time spent travelling to meetings and events improves productivity and allows more time with family, or doing hobbies. Don’t ignore the benefits of these changes and let an increase in workload replace the space you need to unwind, rest and recharge for the next day. The more you look after yourself, the more effective you are at work and the better you will be at doing your job.

We want to help too and by offering as broad a range of products as possible we aim to support you over the coming weeks and months. We also have our Growth Series which is a library of blogs, podcasts and guides covering a number of operational areas to help you grow your business and adapt to the changing landscape. Whilst none of us could have predicted the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to acknowledge the impact it has had on both ourselves and our clients. By working with lenders to maximise capacity and seeking any support you need, we’re able to give you access to the best products we can, and you can give yourself the best chance of helping your clients through these very uncertain times.

To view the current Accord product range visit www.accordmortgages.com

TENETLIME SUPPORT - 17 PROVIDER

What’s the most searched criteria term?

Liza Campion Head of Key Accounts

If I asked you what the most searched-for term by brokers in recent months was, what do you think comes out on top? Where they can find the best rates? Maybe the size of deposit needed by their customer? Or did they want to know about mortgage term lengths? Well, according to Knowledge Bank, the broker-only online mortgage criteria search system, the most searched-for term across the buy to let and residential mortgage sector in May related to COVID-19 and specifically what the temporary maximum LTV restrictions are. It comes as no surprise to me that this is the top search term – the pandemic has meant that brokers have had to work harder than ever to keep track of a constantly changing mortgage landscape and ensure they can continue to get the best deals for their customers. Here at Precise Mortgages we’re proud of the efforts we’ve made during the lockdown period to ensure a level of business continuity for our intermediary partners and their brokers. We’ve been busy behind the scenes working hard on our products and criteria to help you and your customers during these difficult times: • Maximum LTV increased to 75% across our buy to let (includes HMOs up to six bedrooms, multi-unit properties and limited companies) and residential mortgages ranges. • Existing pipeline cases will be honoured, providing the application has progressed to the valuation stage, fits the new criteria and fees have already been paid. • Help to Buy lending is now available again.

COVID-19 has also resulted in more than 12 million workers 1 having to claim some form of government support, either through the furlough scheme or the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). If you have a customer who’s concerned about how their situation may affect their suitability for a mortgage application, we’ve clarified our criteria to help get their case back on track: RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGES • Furlough income accepted to 80% of income to a maximum of £2,500 per month, along with any evidenced employer top-up over and above this amount. • For those claiming SEISS, current income for affordability purposes where evidenced will be used. BUY TO LET MORTGAGES • Applications from landlords currently in receipt of furlough/SEISS income will be considered. Please note that top slicing is not currently available.

Don’t forget, our range of products and criteria still offer solutions that could help customers who have less than perfect credit profiles. To find out more about how we can help, or to book a virtual appointment with a member of our Sales Team or visit www.precisemortgages.co.uk

Source: 1. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics#history

18 - PROVIDER SUPPORT

The power of protection

We recently filmed a new customer story with Emily who is one of our Critical Illness customers, illustrating how important it is to have protection in place. Having a financial safety could help clients focus on their recovery without worrying about money, it could help them pay for additional treatments and rehabilitation or it could allow them to make alterations to their home if their illness requires it.

Emily is 43 years old and lives with her husband and her two bull terriers in Maybole. Emily has been self-employed for the past nine years, owning and managing a design company and a cat-sitting company in Glasgow with her sister. Her thyroid cancer diagnosis came as a complete a shock after doctors discovered a lump in her throat during a routine check- up. She had to undergo a surgery and has had to take some difficult decisions during her recovery. Thankfully, Emily had taken out a Life and Critical Illness policy with Zurich and was very pleased to discover

that her CI policy would pay out for her condition. To watch Emily’s story visit -

www.zurichintermediary.co.uk/en-gb/ protection/critical-illness-case-study To find out more about our protection products visit the Zurich Intermediary website.

PROVIDER SUPPORT - 19

Making your back-book work for you Brian Coulton National Account Manager, Paymentshield

Due to the lack of new enquiries coming through because of the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19, now more than ever, the focus should be on existing customers to try and create new business. During the uncertain times we are all facing at the moment, clients could be very easily tempted to log on to a comparison site to try and save themselves some money, with Home Insurance being one of the first ones they try to negotiate. Although, this may save them some money, it could potentially be detrimental to them if they end up purchasing a less than adequate policy and they then need to make a claim. You already have a relationship, so be pro-active and give them a call, and ask if they need any assistance with their mortgage or insurance. Clients circumstances may have changed as a result of COVID-19. With more people at home during the day, either working or placed on furlough, it could be worth checking if your client has Accidental Damage cover in place (which account for 32% of Paymentshield claims). If your client has young children who are home more, there is a higher risk of something getting knocked over or damaged, so being covered could be a huge benefit to them. Another area to focus on is your remortgage, product transfer and equity release clients. With the opportunity to write new

mortgages for first time buyers or home movers stalling, this is where your back book will come in very handy. Offer your clients a review of their current policy and make sure it is still fit for purpose, have they recently bought any jewellery that they need to insure? Do they need to add Home Emergency to their policy? With all the uncertainty going on, clients may have lost some confidence, so it is worth getting in touch to see what you can do for them. To help energise your business with clients, Paymentshield have introduced new pricing initiatives to remortgage, product transfer or equity release clients for their Defaqto 5 Star Rated Home Insurance. Clients can now take advantage of an average saving of 22% on the price of their policy, alongside a 3-month payment holiday, which allows clients to take 3 months off at the start of their policy and spread the annual cost (plus credit) over the remaining 9 months – this could help ease any worries of cancellation fees clients may have.

To discuss how these latest initiatives can help you energise your business, request a call back from your Paymentshield BDM – www.paymentshieldadvisers.co.uk/ contact-us

20 - TENETLIME SUPPORT PROVIDER