Figures from Moneyfacts have revealed in the number of mortgage products. The credit crunch resulted in a tightening of lending criteria and mortgages have been hard to secure without a substantial deposit. However, the number of different mortgage products has risen to its highest level since November 2008, according to Moneyfacts, due to increased competition. [...]
The Bank of England has today revealed mortgage approvals remained weak in May. According to the Bank, there were 45,940 loans approved in the month – slightly higher than April’s 45,447 but lower than forecasts of a level of 46,100. Furthermore, May’s figure was lower than the average for the previous six months. Today’s figures [...]
According to Sir Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, a surge in home repossessions is unlikely as UK interest rates are set to remain low. Repossessions have fallen over recent times and many experts have previously argued that homeowners have been saved from repossession because of historically low interest rates, which has [...]
Consumer group Which? has warned homeowners with SVR mortgages that they will be financially squeezed once interest rates are lifted. A Standard Variable Rate (SVR) is a mortgage in which the rate of interest is varied from time to time by the lender but it is usually set at about 2% above the Bank of [...]
The Bank of England has today revealed mortgage approvals fell in April. According to the Bank, there were 45,166 loans approved in the month – 4% down on March’s figure and 9% lower than in April 2010. Not only was the figure less than expected, it represented the lowest figure for April since records began [...]
A survey by the Halifax has revealed many first-time buyers fear they will not be able to get on the property ladder. The survey of 4,000 non-homeowners found two-thirds believe home ownership is unattainable. Stricter lending criteria, which has resulted in lenders demanding large deposits, is deterring many would-be homebuyers, according to the survey. Almost [...]
The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been criticised by the National Audit Office (NAO) for missing targets. The Scheme was established by the Labour Government in late 2008 to help struggling homeowners in England facing repossession and allowed people to sell their property to a local authority or housing association but stay on as a tenant. [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) today reported a fall in mortgage lending for the month of April. According to the Council, mortgage lending fell to £9.8 billion last month, down 14% from £11.4 billion the previous month and 5% lower than the £10.3 billion a year earlier. The CML attributed the fall to the [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today reported a rise in remortgaging loans as homeowners anticipated interest rate hikes. According to the CML, there were almost 34,000 remortgage loans advanced in March – 16% higher compared with February and a rise of 17% on an annual basis. Remortgaging has remained subdued during the historically [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today reported an increase in repossessions. According to the Council, lenders seized 9,100 properties in the January to March period – a rise of 15% on the previous quarter. However, it was 10% lower when compared with the same period last year. Experts have previously argued that many [...]
Low interest rates look set to continue, with the Governor of the Bank of England having warned that “massive” economic challenges faced by high levels of debt would only be worsened by rate hikes. Addressing the European Parliament’s Systemic Risk Board yesterday, Mr King said: “The economic consequences of high-level indebtedness now would become more [...]
The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has today revealed a slight rise in the number of new mortgages approved by the major banks in March. According to the BBA, the number of new mortgages approved in the month stood at 31,660 – marginally better than February’s level of 30,178. However, mortgage approvals were down 10% on [...]
The Bank of England has today revealed mortgage approvals rose in March. According to the Bank, there were 44,000 loans approved in the month, up from February’s 43,000. However, the figure remains well below the 51,000 approved in the same month a year ago. The figures come a day after the Council of Mortgage Lenders [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today said mortgage lending continues to remain weak, suggesting the housing market will remain subdued this year. According to the Council, gross mortgage lending for March was 2% lower in March on an annual basis. However, on a monthly basis, gross lending rose 21% to £11.3 billion, compared [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today reported mortgage lending increased in February. Mortgage lending rose by 8% in February on a monthly basis but was down 12% on the year. There were 32,300 approvals during the month with first-time buyers making the biggest contribution with 12,400 mortgages worth £1.4 billion. First-time buyers are [...]
Homeowners appear to be taking advantage of low interest rates after Bank of England figures showed borrowers paid a record £24 billion last year. According to the Bank, homeowners paid back more than £24 billion to lenders last year – the highest since records began in 1970. Meanwhile, £7 billion was paid back in the [...]
There is some good news for the housing market after a Bank of England survey revealed mortgage availability is set to improve in the coming months. The survey comes as mortgage lending continues to remain subdued as first-time buyers, in particular, struggle to obtain a mortgage unless they have a substantial deposit. Since the credit [...]
The Bank of England has today revealed mortgage approvals rose in February. According to the Bank, there were 46,967 loans approved in the month, up from January’s 46,152. The level of approvals was broadly in line with analysts forecasts of a level of 46,800. In the meantime, the number of remortgaging loans approved totalled 35,725 [...]
The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has today revealed a slight rise in the number of new mortgages approved by the major banks in February. According to the BBA, the number of new mortgages approved in the month stood at 29,923 – marginally better than January’s level of 29,159, albeit lower than economists forecast of 29,350. [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has today said mortgage lending continues to hover at low levels as the housing market remains subdued. According to the Council, gross mortgage lending for February totalled £9.5 billion – relatively unchanged from January’s figure. The CML said the housing market remained “stuck in a rut” and is likely [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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