Debt Awareness Week - Comment from Emily Hollands, Group Head of Distribution, Precise

16 March 2026

Comment from Emily Hollands, Group Head of Distribution, Precise:

"Debt Awareness Week is a vital time to reflect on how the mortgage market serves borrowers when life gets complicated. Mainstream lenders do an excellent job serving the mass market, but their policies are naturally built for standard cases. When life events cause a blip on a credit file or longer-term impairment, borrowers can end up feeling that their dreams of home ownership are behind them.

Yet credit impairment and declines are not just limited to life moments getting in the way. We know our broker partners are increasingly concerned by the lack of understanding among first-time buyers that accessing ready credit, such as 'Buy Now, Pay Later' (BNPL) schemes or car leasing, can impact their home-buying potential. This is why we are innovating within Precise to build products and criteria that understand modern financial lives, to ensure we lend responsibly and help borrowers onto the property ladder.

Ultimately, specialist lenders and brokers play a vital role in helping people manage their financial complexities. Rather than a decline from a mainstream lender being the end of the road, brokers can step in and, through their expertise and understanding of what is on offer in the broader market, make all the difference. Our goal is to partner with brokers, creating the products that make a difference to support borrowers in rehabilitating their credit profile.”