With mortgage lending at the slowest it's been for a significant amount of time, Abbey has recorded record profits and a much larger market share.
The group have seen their business triple and their profits rise by 17% for the first quarter for 2008. They now control 15.9% of the UK mortgage lending market.
Financial analysts point to a less competetive market and the fact that many providers have increased their rates while Abbey have kept theres relatively static.