Our Scans · (FS.6.06) Personal Finance · Weekly Summary

• [New] The net increase in the overall value of mortgage lending will slow to 2.5% in 2026, compared with a 3% rise in 2025, as limited improvements in affordability and borrowing costs quell housing demand. The Independent
• [New] UK mortgage lending is expected to grow more slowly in 2026 than in 2025 - while lending by banks to businesses is set to nearly halve amid global and economic uncertainty. The Independent
• [New] Growth in UK mortgage lending is forecast to dip in 2026 to 2.5% from 3% in 2025, as limited improvements in affordability and borrowing costs subdue housing demand. EY
• [New] Without direct intervention from the Federal Reserve or the federal government, mortgage rates are more likely to drift gradually lower as inflation risks and economic uncertainty continue to ease. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Two aging California plants, AES Alamitos and Huntington Beach, with a combined capacity of 1,368 MW, will mark the largest natural gas retirement in 2026. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] The Federal Reserve is preparing to propose regulatory changes that could encourage large banks to re-enter the mortgage origination and servicing business in a more meaningful way. Yahoo Finance
• By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be older than 65, and one in five Americans will be of retirement age. Homecare Homebase
• As of mid-2020s, the U.S. had an effective retirement age averaging in the early 60s, but its official age for full benefits is about 66.7 (moving to 67), which is why one ranking placed the U.S. just after countries like Denmark and Italy for high retirement age. The Seniors Center
• 2026's H-1B cap registration selection process will shift from a random lottery to a weighted selection process based on a beneficiary's proposed salary and the prevailing wage level into which the offered salary falls, increasing the chance of selection of employees paid at higher wage levels. American Society of Employers
• Private debt markets have seen increased redemptions, a trend that could accelerate in 2026. Medium
• Citrini predicts a bloodbath in private credit, forecasting that PE-backed software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies like Zendesk will default on billions in debt as AI coding agents allow clients to build internal software rather than pay subscription fees. Fortune
• Financial stocks slid due to a UK mortgage provider collapse; tech shares fell amid AI fears and hot inflation data. ST
• The persistent nursing and home health aide shortages have led to healthcare wages growing at double the national average, creating a potential wage-push inflation risk that the Federal Reserve is monitoring closely. The Chronicle-Journal
• Many high-income earners in Singapore expect to work beyond the statutory retirement age, with a substantial share doing so for financial reasons rather than lifestyle preference. Insurance Business
• For insurers operating in or through Hong Kong, the combination of moderate growth, low inflation, and established capital markets may be conducive to demand for life, health, retirement, and corporate risk products, as well as savings and investment-linked business. Insurance Business
• Chief Medical Officer of Piedmont Healthcare (Atlanta): With one in three healthcare providers nearing retirement age and with an anticipated 27 million adults aged 65 or older by 2050, the United States is projected to face a physician shortage of 124,000 by 2034. Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & A
• The Average Retirement Payment in 2026 in the United States is expected to be $2,071 per month. United EMR
• Mortgage lending is expected to pick up in 2027, with 3.3% growth, followed by a 3.5% rise in 2028. The Independent
• Mortgage rates are unlikely to fall significantly below current levels and with wage growth slowing, mortgage demand will likely be subdued in 2026. The Independent
• The Fed will soon put forward proposals to relax capital rules both for mortgage loans banks retain in their portfolios and for the mortgage servicing rights they hold. NCSHA
• If corporations can continue to balance productivity gains with wage stability, the soft landing scenario of 2024 will have evolved into a structural takeoff for 2026. FinancialContent
• Mortgage interest rates will tend to rise, as they are influenced, among other factors, by the yield levels of German government bonds, which we expect to inch upwards. LBBW

Last updated: 16 March 2026