Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

AMI to Focus Next Viewpoint on Value of Mortgage Advice

The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) will centre its upcoming Viewpoint on the value of advice, according to an announcement by CEO Stephanie Charman at the AMI Annual Dinner. Charman highlighted that the Financial Conduct Authority’s Mortgage Rule Review is prompting the sector to reconsider consumer outcomes, access, and innovation.

Charman welcomed the FCA’s willingness to review regulations and engage with the sector, but noted that changes such as the removal of the advice trigger rule and a shift towards execution-only raise important questions. She stated that AMI believes consumers should fully understand the implications of their choices, the benefits of advice, and the potential consequences of proceeding without it.

Charman emphasised that the market must not resist change, warning that doing so could risk the sector’s relevance. She said that firms which succeed in the future will be those that embrace technology to strengthen trust and customer engagement.

Charman described a future where advice and artificial intelligence (AI) work together in a hybrid model, with technology improving efficiency and customer engagement, while advisers provide judgement, empathy, context, and trust. This approach, she said, would apply across the board, including later life lending and areas such as retirement planning, intergenerational wealth, care needs, vulnerability, protection, and mortgage borrowing.

She also called for protection to be a normal part of client conversations, suggesting that smarter prompts and creative thinking are needed to introduce these discussions. Charman questioned whether the sector should encourage clients to consider how they would continue paying their mortgage after unexpected life changes.

Charman thanked the industry for its support and said the AMI’s role is to help shape change, not just respond to it. She also noted ongoing challenges around diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in the sector, and announced that a Working in Mortgages Viewpoint will be launched in September.