Patricia McGirr's Media Coverage
FT Adviser
Is there an ethical risk when it comes to AI?As advice firms increase their use of artificial intelligence to help them with day-to-day tasks they must ensure they take account of the ethical considerations.
Daily Mirror
Santander warns customers as money disappears from accountsSantander has issued an urgent warning
Wales Online
Experts welcome Nationwide six-word change to protect customersThe update is designed to prevent people losing money from their accounts
Grimsby Live
Numbers going insolvent soar as experts say it is ‘now a necessity’In the 12 months ending 30 November 2025, one in 407 adults in England and Wales entered insolvency
Surrey Live
Numbers going insolvent soar as experts say it is ‘now a necessity’In the 12 months ending 30 November 2025, one in 407 adults in England and Wales entered insolvency
Lancs Live
Numbers going insolvent soar as experts say it is ‘now a necessity’In the 12 months ending 30 November 2025, one in 407 adults in England and Wales entered insolvency
Teeside Live
NatWest cuts mortgage rates as market heats up in festive price warThe cuts come ahead of a Bank of England base rate decision next week
WalesOnline
NatWest cuts mortgage rates as market heats up in festive price warThe cuts come ahead of a Bank of England base rate decision next week
Business Matters
Your next laptop could cost £300 more after AI land-grab triggers soaring memory pricesExperts warn laptops, consoles and business tech could rise by £300 after OpenAI secured 40% of global memory chip supply. UK consumers and SMEs face soaring hardware costs amid an AI-driven squeeze.
Daily Mail
Labour launches ‘morale boost’ quiz just days before miserable BudgetThe timing of the quiz has come under scrutiny, particularly in asking how worried Brits are just a day before the Chancellor’s Budget.
what MORTGAGE
What are down valuations and why are they increasing? - what MORTGAGEIncreasing numbers of homes being purchased have been subject to down valuations – jeopardising more and more transactions.
GB News
Chancellor Rachel Reeves preparing 'lastminute.com' Budget, financial specialists warnFinancial specialists have argued Rachel Reeves is finalising a "lastminute.com" Budget days before its publication, raising concerns about the Government’s fiscal preparedness.
Express.co.uk
Fury at BBC as latest scandal dubbed ‘the day its last shred of integrity died’Business owners have slammed the BBC after its top brass had to step down for doctoring footage of the US President.
FT Adviser
MPs vote through renters’ rights bill providing some buy-to-let certaintyLandlords are moving towards “greater certainty” as the renters’ rights bill passes through Parliament and approaches Royal Assent.
Express.co.uk
UK economic crisis worsens as house prices fall piling more pressure on ReevesThe UK economy crisis has worsened as house prices have suffered a surprise fall, with experts warning “confidence is fragile” in the market
FT Adviser
Lenders raise rates despite base rate cutA number of lenders have started to raise mortgage rates which brokers have claimed reflects the government’s fiscal policy.
FT Adviser
Landlord ‘assault’ as Reeves eyes NI on rental incomeThe “assault of successive governments on landlords continues” after rumours Rachel Reeves may apply national insurance to
Birmingham Live
Rachel Reeves ‘delusional’ for calling slow 0.3% economic growth ‘positive’The economy showed growth of 0.3% in the second quarter
Daily Mirror
Hundreds of thousands of UK households face ‘mortgage cliff’ warningMortgage experts have warned that ultra-low mortgage rates five years ago will move onto far higher rates in the months ahead, with hundreds of thousands of households set to be affected
Birmingham Live
Hundreds of thousands of UK households warned ‘Britain’s mortgage cliff is here’Borrowers face a “face a brutal reality check” in a mortgage market
London World
London mortgage broker warns about 'atrocious' down-valuations‘We’re seeing more and more down valuations now, which is creating a real headache for everyone involved.’
Daily Mail
End of Britain’s housing boom? Warning issued for sellersThe average price tag on a home coming to market in the UK fell to £373,709 this month - marking a £4,531 or 1.2 per cent decrease on June, according to property website Rightmove.
FTAdviser
BBC investigation ‘damning indictment’ of conditional selling, say brokersMortgage brokers have praised the latest BBC Panorama investigation, describing it as a “damning indictment” of
Sky News
Borrower confidence appears to be up - with fewer Britons locking in deals far in advanceBorrower confidence appears to be up, if you look at the data released by the Financial Conduct Authority this week.
Border Counties Advertizer
HMRC rule change to boost eBay, Vinted and other side hustlesUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
London Business News
Up to 300,000 people to be taken out of tax returnsLearn how up to 300,000 people will be taken out of tax returns with new Self-Assessment thresholds announced by the tax minister.
The Leader
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
Southend Echo
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
Times and Star
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
The Northern Echo
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
Ilkley Gazette
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
Harwich and Manningtree Standard
HMRC rule change could see thousands no longer pay tax on earningsUp to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return
Sky News
Major plans to change home buying process unveiled but experts aren't convinced they'll workThe government has announced major new plans to change the property buying and selling process - but experts are unsure if the changes will "fix the real problem".
The Negotiator
FTBs flocking to auctions to ‘beat stamp duty deadline’Reports from conveyancers suggest some FTBs are opting to buy at auction as they have run out of time before stamp duty rates rise.
City AM
London house prices reach ‘unaffordable’ levels - even for top earnersEven the richest people in London are being priced out of the property market as house prices reach record levels, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics has found.
The Mirror
House prices have risen twice as fast as incomes since start of this centuryThe average home in England now costs 8.6 times a typical households’ income - with many areas now “unaffordable” for millions of people - leaving a “financial Everest they need to climb”
Mortgage Solutions
‘Panic and uncertainty’ among borrowers as direction of mortgage rates remains unclearThere is panic and uncertainty among borrowers as direction of mortgage rates remains unclear, brokers reveal.
FTAdviser
Underwriting delays cost clients thousands, say brokersMortgage brokers have warned things are “going backwards rapidly” when it comes to the underwriting process.
BBC News
Newspaper headlines: ‘Tax squeeze backlash’ and ‘Diddly Squat to live’Many papers lead with unease over Labour’s maiden Budget, while others report on Jeremy Clarkson’s health scare
Daily Mail
Keir Starmer’s wrong - we are working people, say furious landlordsThe Government has been asked repeatedly to define the term ‘working people’ in a bid to establish which taxes Chancellor Rachel Reeves could hike next Wednesday.
Express.co.uk
Keir Starmer to announce major new deals after £24bn boost to UK economyMinisters unveiled billions of pounds worth of major investment deals in AI, life sciences and infrastructure.
Birmingham Live
Pensioners face mortgage crisis over £100,000 cap on lump sumThe Chancellor is rumoured to be planning to slash the figure people can take from their pension nest eggs free of tax from the current maximum of £268,750 to £100,000
Leicestershire Live
Pensioners face ‘mortgage crisis’ over £100,000 changeThe move, which is subject to change, could be a major blow to millions of retirement savers who have historically taken the maximum 25 percent tax-free sum from their pension pot
Express.co.uk
Pensioners face mortgage crisis over £100,000 cap on lump sumChancellor Rachel Reeves is rumoured to be planning to cut the figure people can take from their pension nest eggs free of tax from the current £268,750
Freelance Informer
“Shambolic”: experts explain the consequences of cutting tax-free pension cashLearn the potential impact of pension tax-free lump sum cuts and how to protect your retirement savings from higher taxes
CityAM
Not ‘much to be optimistic about’ in London rental marketThere are fewer rental properties in the market and more tenants looking for places to stay, according to new data.
Birmingham Live
Warning to Barclays, Santander and Nationwide customers who have mortgagesBarclays has announced a new five-year fixed rate at 3.71 per cent for those buying homes with a 40 per cent deposit.
GB News
Mortgage rates: Now could be the time to fix as Barclays, Santander and Nationwide offer lowest rates in 2 yearsHomeowners in the UK are facing a golden opportunity to secure low-cost mortgage deals as rates hit their lowest levels in two years.
Introducer Today
To buy or to rent? That is the question! - Introducer Today10 brokers have been asked whether it’s cheaper to buy or to rent, the challenges people face in getting on the ladder and what should be considered.
Daily Mail
British Pound hits $1.34 for first time in nearly 30 monthsSterling surged after the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged at 5 per cent last Thursday, hours after a 0.5 percentage point cut by the US Federal Reserve .
Manchester Evening News
Strange mortgage application question that probes homebuyers on narcotics usageMetro Bank has added a question about narcotics to its mortgage affordability check - and people are not impressed
Liverpool Echo
Bank asks mortgage applicants how much they spend on ‘narcotics’Metro Bank has added the inquiry about narcotics to an application form’s affordability check in a bid to understand its customers’ lifestyles and spending habits
Daily Star
Bank asks mortgage borrowers for amount they spend on narcoticsMetro Bank has baffled mortgage brokers and applicants by asking how much customers spend on narcotics as part of the process to take out a home loan
Birmingham Live
Major bank with 2.7 million customers now asking ‘how much you spend on drugs’The question appears in the application form as part of the affordability check for mortgage borrowers, it has been warned by brokers.
Express.co.uk
Barclays slashes mortgage rates although reductions come with a catchThe move by Barclays follows a reduction earlier in the day from the TSB while other lenders are expected to follow suit over the next few days.
The Sun
What are the pros and cons of fixing your mortgage now? Experts explainBORROWERS can benefit from lower mortgage bills as major lenders slash rates – but with costs set to come down even further, should you fix now or hang on a bit longer? Barclays, HSBC, Nation…
Daily Mail
‘Panic’ over threat of Labour’s capital gains tax raidThe Prime Minister sparked panic with a gloomy Downing Street speech on Tuesday, in which he warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ upcoming budget would be ‘painful’.
Manchester Evening News
Quarter of UK adults can’t pay unexpected expense as experts raise alarmThe amount of households in the UK that wouldn’t be able to handle a few hundreds of pounds as the result of an unexpected expense is highlighting a deeper issue in the country’s pockets, experts are warning
The Mirror
Millions of Brits ‘one unexpected bill away from disaster’ new figures showA quarter of UK adults don’t think they would be able to afford a necessary but unexpected £850 bill, new figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown
FTAdviser
Boost in number of brokers looking to go self-employedFlexibility, earnings and more control are seeing brokers choose the self-employed route via a network.
Express.co.uk
‘Families squeezed from all sides’ as rents surge across BritainA shortage of homes means renters are fighting to get a roof over their head, with the result monthly rents are being bid upwards.
CityAM
Rising London rents are ‘a pressure cooker ready to explode’ as home ownership ‘inching out of reach’Rental prices in London have remained sky-high, meaning that home ownership is increasingly out of reach despite flat house prices.
Express.co.uk
House prices rise by £8,000 year-on-year as property market ‘picks up steam’House prices are steadily rising, but tenants are experiencing “the real pain” as rental costs continue to climb.
The Telegraph
Wealthy hit by soaring mortgage rates as Covid purchases go ‘horribly wrong’End of lower fixed-rate deals drives repossessions of homes worth more than £5m
Express.co.uk
Fears of repossession ‘tsunami’ as banks step up home seizuresNew Ministry of Justice figures show the number of mortgage possession claims leapt by more than a third to 5,343 in the three months to the end of June.
FTAdviser
Halifax joins ‘sub-4% club’ as it announces rate cutsAnother big lender has joined the “sub-4 per cent club” as Halifax announces cuts to mortgage products.
Mortgage Solutions
Keeping insurance advice in frame tougher in economic climate, brokers saySome financial advisers are reporting that people are cancelling their protection policies as they find ways to cut costs.
The Telegraph
The 28 questions you must ask before buying your first homePurchasing a dream house could turn into a nightmare – go in with your eyes wide open
Birmingham Live
Halifax issues £999 message to customers and ‘expect more to follow’Halifax has today announced cuts on selected products of up to 0.16 per cent and highlights include a 5-year fixed rate at 3.99% with a £999 fee up to 60% LTV.
Mortgage Professional
Are repossessions in Scotland on the rise?Brokers discuss the latest data from Scottish Labour
Your Property Network
3 Top tips for using Assisted SalesTrish McGirr highlights how she has been applying the little-known strategy of Assisted Sales for many years to ethically help vendors and also to generate profit.
Mortgage Solutions
Five ways brokers are bridging the borrower knowledge gap – analysisBorrowers are as confused, nervous and disturbed by the state of the mortgage market as ever and brokers need to bridge that knowledge gap
IFA Magazine
Mental Health training and mortgage advice: brokers going above and beyond to support clients’ needs - IFA Magazine“Financial wellbeing has been at the core of everything we have tried to do as a mortgage business. Doing the Mental Health first aider course was something
Birmingham Live
UK households paying off mortgage warned over ‘repossessions’ in crackdownThe number of claims made by banks and landlords to repossess homes in England and Wales has reached the highest level in five years as households struggle with higher borrowing costs.
Mortgage Strategy
Mortgage and landlord possession volumes continue to rise: MoJ – Mortgage StrategyMortgage and landlord possession volumes between April and June have both increased when compared to the same period last year, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures reveal. The data shows that mortgage possession...
FTAdviser
The silent struggle: debt, money and mental healthIn the world of financial advice, brokering and property deals, a hidden battle often slips under the radar: the profound connection between debt, money and mental health.