A leading mortgage advocate has said the rules restricting lending are not punishing first-time buyers and that the Central Bank should not change them significantly.

The number of mortgage approvals increased again last month, pointing towards a recovery in lending that could stretch into the second half of the year.

PENSION planning may have been the root-canal work of managing your affairs – you do it when you have to but not a moment before. It combines cost, confusion and long-term speculation in the most opaque and unattractive way, yet deferring your involvement creates even more problems.

THE Professional Insurance Brokers’ Association (PIBA), Ireland’s largest group of independent brokers, has warned of the discontent among SSIA holders when divergent returns begin to emerge between savers.