John Charcol is advising remortgagers and first-time buyers to consider taking out fixed-rate loans. A number of lenders have lowered fix-rates this month but according to the mortgage broker, the trend could soon reverse and today’s relatively attractive offerings will disappear. The firm explains that gilt yields for maturities of five years or more have [...]
Proposals from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on future regulation of the UK banking sector include the possibility of a cap on mortgages, in terms of their loan-to-value (LTV) or loan-to-income ratios. The woes of the recession are linked to a decade of house price inflation fuelled by irresponsible lending by banks and others and [...]
Lenders have pledged to reduce standard variable mortgage rates (SVRs) in line with the Bank of England’s 0.5% base rate cut. Lloyds TSB, Abbey, Halifax, Barclays, Skipton, Cheltenham & Gloucester, and Nationwide have all promised to pass on the majority of the reduction. The Bank of England last week cut the base rate in half [...]
During the past 12 months, lenders have steadily increased their margins on fixed and tracker rate mortgages, according to research by financial website, Moneyfacts. Over the past year, the Bank of England’s base rate has fallen from 5.5% to 2%. In addition the cost of borrowing on the money markets has decreased: three month sterling [...]
Northern Rock mortgage borrowers will not all receive the full benefit of last week’s cut in the base rate. The nationalised lender’s tracker rate customers will see the full 1% reduction but for those on its standard variable rate (SVR) the reduction will be 0.5% taking the rate down to 5.34%, from 1st January. Mortgage [...]
The Government yesterday announced further help for mortgage borrowers who are falling behind with repayments. The new measures should mean that middle-income homeowners who lose their jobs or part of their income are less likely to face repossession. In a scheme guaranteed by the state, borrowers will be able to approach their lenders to request [...]
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has warned banks and building societies not to use the small print in mortgage agreements to avoid passing on cuts in the Bank of England’s base rate. The Bank is widely expected to cut the base rate again this week, by up to 1%. However, some lenders have included “collars” [...]
From 1st December homeowners selling residential properties in Scotland will need to provide potential purchasers with a Home Report. The reports include a survey, valuation, energy assessment and a questionnaire that has been completed by the vendor. As with the introduction of Home Information Packs in England and Wales during 2007/08, the timing is seen [...]
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is threatening to fine banks and building societies that are heavy handed with homeowners who fall into arrears with mortgage repayments. The regulator has written to the chief executives of mortgage lenders, giving them until 31st January to review their policies. The FSA’s managing director of retail, Jon Pain, explains [...]
The Bank of England has made aggressive cut in interest rates in the last two months but lenders have been slow to pass on the reduction to consumers, until the Government intervened and some lenders finally caved in to the pressure. However, according to a study by price comparison service, uSwitch.com, providers have cut their [...]
Following yesterday’s interest rate cut from 4.5% to 3%, there were concerns that lenders would not pass on the rate cut to customers. However, earlier today the chief executives of Britain’s top banks were summoned to Downing Street to meet with Chancellor Alistair Darling, where he demanded that they pass on the rate cut to [...]
Leading lenders withdrew tracker mortgages just hours before the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee agreed an historic 1.5% cut in the base rate, to 3%. Lloyds TSB and its Cheltenham & Gloucester (C&G) unit, Northern Rock and Woolwich have all withdrawn tracker products today. Yesterday, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) warned that lenders [...]
After today’s 1.5% cut in the Bank of England’s base rate, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has warned that lenders may not respond with a reduction in mortgage interest rates. The CML points out that the UK’s mortgage providers do not automatically benefit from any cut in the base rate because the cost of [...]
Financial information provider, Moneyfacts.co.uk, has revealed that half of the UK’s mortgage lenders have failed reduce their standard variable rates (SVR) in line with recent cuts in the base rate. According to the firm’s research, 50% of lenders have not made any reduction in SVR, from the October base rate cut. Meanwhile, 82% of lenders [...]
Financial information provider, Moneyfacts, has reported that the 0.5% cut in the Bank of England’s base rate made earlier this month has not been passed on by three quarters of UK mortgage lenders. The emergency reduction, to 4.5%, was made on 8th October in a coordinated action with other central banks. However, only one quarter [...]
The announcement earlier this week of the £500 billion Government package of support for UK banks, plus a 0.5% cut in the Bank of England’s base rate, has met with disappointing results in the mortgage market. According to financial website, Moneyfacts.co.uk, home loan providers have continued to withdraw products with high loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, leaving [...]
The chief executive of HBOS, which owns Halifax, the UK’s largest mortgage lender, has warned that house prices are unlikely to begin a recovery before 2010. According to Andy Hornby, confidence in Britain’s housing market will not return until banks can raise significant sums on the wholesale financial markets. In addition, house price deflation could [...]
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is reminding mortgage lenders of their obligation to treat customers fairly. In a recent review, the regulator found weaknesses in the way some lenders have been dealing with arrears and repossessions, particularly for consumers with impaired credit histories. Specialist lenders raised particular concerns for the regulator, which described some firms [...]
Lenders have told the bank of England that the shortage of mortgage products is expected to decline further in the next 3 months. Lenders have also warned that the number of people defaulting on mortgage payments will rise during the same period. A meeting has taken place with the chiefs of the major UK banks [...]
Cash-strapped banks are increasingly acting to secure personal loans and credit card debt against property. According to the Ministry of Justice, court orders made in this respect rose to 131,644 in 2007, up 42% on 2006. Charging orders work in the same way as a second mortgage on a property, and can provide a guarantee [...]
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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