Blog

Check out our weekly Sunday Blogs covering mortgage and life insurance related topics as well as current affairs in the housing market.

Bank of England and Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates have been on an upward trajectory over a number of weeks. This comes after a period of consistent decreases since the spike in mortgage rates following the Mini-Budget of September 2022. Inflation figures are the driving force behind the latest...

The Return of 100% Mortgages

The Return of 100% Mortgages Major news broke in the mortgage market last week with the launch of a new 100% mortgage product – the first time a product like this has been available for well over a decade. Skipton Building Society introduced their “Track Record” 100%...

Bank of England and Spring Budget

Interest rates and mortgages have remained front and centre during early-2023, with the Bank of England announcing its eleventh consecutive interest rate rise this week. Bank of England Base Rate now sits at 4.25% - the highest it’s been in over 14 years. Earlier this...

Remortgaging: 6 Month Rule

Remortgaging is the process of moving from one mortgage lender to another, usually at the end of the product term. Once a fixed rate product term comes to an end, the interest rate typically changes to the standard variable rate (SVR) of your mortgage lender. SVR is...

Checking your Credit File

Knowledge of the contents of your credit file is always a good idea, particularly when applying for a mortgage. Mortgage lenders run a credit search as part of the application process and in doing so, they’re able to review the contents of your credit file. Your...

Overpaments & Offsets

With mortgage interest rates higher than they have been for some time, many people in the position to do so are considering overpayments on their mortgage. Mortgage overpayments represent any amount above the minimum payment. The minimum payment is primarily...

Brokers vs Branches

Buying, remortgaging or looking to raise additional funds on your mortgage? Prospective and existing homeowners have the choice of brokers vs branches; whether to use a mortgage intermediary, a broker, or go direct to a mortgage lender when arranging a mortgage. The...

Mortgage Interest Rates – How and Why they Change

Mortgage interest rates available to new borrowers, whether buying or remortgaging, are constantly changing. These changes are caused by the economic environment as well as the appetite for lending from each mortgage provider at the time. Economic conditions...

Income Verification

Mortgage affordability represents how much you can borrow. On a residential property, your level of income is the primary factor which determines the size of mortgage available to you. Income verification is part of the standard underwriting process once a full...

Income Protection Awareness

Income Protection is an insurance policy which provides cover in the event of being unable to work due to accident, sickness or disability. Income Protection Awareness Week has run in the week just gone with various articles, videos and statistics providing...