News & Insight

The Bank of England has increased base rate by 0.25% to 0.75%. Here’s our rundown of how lenders are reacting to the rise, so you can see whether yours has increased its Standard Variable Rate. ...

If you've played video games in the last ten years, you've probably purchased some virtual property at some point. How much is yours worth in real money?...

Despite changes to stamp duty designed to help those struggling to get onto the property ladder, more than 2m first-time buyers aren’t sure whether they will benefit from the new rules. ...

House prices picked up last month, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index, with annual growth up from 2% in June to 2.5% in July. ...

Nearly 60 mortgage lenders have pledged to help up to 10,000 ‘mortgage prisoners’ trapped on their existing deals. ...

Short-term holiday lets are becoming increasingly popular as a way for landlords to generate an income, but it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons carefully first. ...

As expected, the weekend’s financial news focused primarily on last week’s decision by the Bank of England to increase the base rate for only the second time in a decade. ...

The Bank of England has raised the base rate to 0.75%, meaning higher monthly mortgage costs for millions of homeowners on variable rate deals. ...

Fixed mortgage rates remain at historic lows, with five-year rates available below 2% in May 2018. You don’t have to fix your rate for five years though to benefit from a low rate. Deals usually range from two years up to 10 years or longer, so you can pick a term to suit your needs. ...

Clydesdale Bank has become the latest lender to introduce a new range of mortgages specifically for professionals. ...

With recent figures indicating subdued wage growth and inflation, some experts believe that next month’s anticipated base rate increase is no longer a certainty. ...

We are delighted to announce the winners of our latest ‘refer a friend’ competition. From thousands of entries Natalie, and the person who referred her, were randomly selected, winning their mortgages paid for six months by L & C Mortgages. ...

L&C picked up three awards at the What Mortgage Awards on July 18, winning Best Mortgage Broker (over 40 advisers), Best Online Mortgage Broker and Best Broker Customer Service. ...

The gap between the best fixed rate mortgage deals and lenders’ standard variable rates has widened substantially over the past nine years, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). ...

The desire for home ownership was a talking point in this weekend’s press, following recent research by Barclays which revealed that more than 60% of First Time Buyers view buying a home as a greater sign of commitment than marriage. ...

Renters would be able to stay in their homes for at least three years under new government proposals aimed at giving both them and landlords more security. ...

Homeowners with only a limited amount of equity now have a greater choice of remortgage options, with lenders including Virgin Money, Tesco and Atom Bank improving their offerings at this end of the market. ...

There was some good news for landlords this weekend, with the Times reporting on a significant increase in the number of deals available within the Buy to Let market over the last two years, particularly for first time landlords. ...

L&C scooped two awards at the prestigious 2018 British Mortgage Awards held last week in London. ...

UK house prices in June grew at their slowest rate since 2013, according to latest figures from Nationwide. ...

Whilst first-time buyers often rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad to help with their deposits, those planning their next move also depend on their support, according to the latest ‘Second Steppers’ report from Lloyds Bank. ...

Competition in the mortgage market has been heating up recently, with new figures revealing the ever-shrinking margin between average 2 and 5 year fixed rates. ...

First-time buyers who manage to get onto the property ladder could save an average of more than £2,200 a year compared to renting, with buying now cheaper than renting in all areas of the UK. ...

The Sunday Times looked this weekend at the new style Retirement Interest Only mortgages (RIOs), which have been launched in recent week. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted by 6-3 to leave the base rate at 0.5% in June, the seventh month since the last change. ...

Older homeowners can now have a mortgage for longer, thanks to new deals designed to meet growing demand for borrowing into retirement. ...

More than 40,000 homeowners remortgaged in April, according to latest figures from trade body UK Finance, up 36% compared to the same month last year. ...

Recent figures have revealed that the Bank of Mum and Dad lent over £6.5 billion in 2017 to help their children get on to the property ladder. ...

Interest rates could be kept on hold for longer in the event of a “disorderly” Brexit, according to the Governor of the Bank of England....

Yorkshire Building Society has launched a range of new two and five-year fixed rate mortgage deals aimed only at first-time buyers with a Help to Buy ISA. ...

Around 380,000 landlords (19%) plan to sell their rental properties in the coming year, according to research by the National Landlords Association. ...

This weekend's Financial Times highlighted the main findings of our First time Buyer stamp duty research, namely: 18% of FTB are calibrating their purchases to take advantage of tax relief by buying beneath the exemption threshold. ...

We are delighted to announce winner of our "Tea for Two" Competition, celebrating the launch of our new TV advert. ...

According to new L&C research, if house prices continue to rise at the rate they have in recent years, the proportion of properties which qualify for this exemption will fall dramatically by 2028....

Saving for a deposit is often the biggest challenge first-time buyers face but increasing numbers of lenders are introducing new mortgage deals which only require a 5% deposit. ...

The Sunday Telegraph reported this weekend on the narrowing gap between 2 and 10 year fixed rates, as lenders compete to attract borrowers looking for longer term peace of mind. ...

House prices fell by 0.2% in May, according to latest figures from Nationwide, with ongoing pressure on household budgets helping push down prices. ...

Two lenders, Sainsbury’s Bank and The Mortgage Lender, have entered the buy to let market this for the first time, widening the range of mortgage options available to landlords. ...

More than half of millennials – those aged between 18 and 35 - are considering buying a home with friends or family to achieve their aim of getting on the property ladder. ...

Both ends of the lending spectrum were covered in this weekend’s financial press, and in particular the criteria that is enabling different generations to either get onto the property ladder, or stay on it. ...

House prices saw their sharpest drop since 2010 in April, according to Halifax’s latest House Price Index, falling by 3.1% following a 1.6% rise in March. ...

More should be done to help ‘mortgage prisoners’, according to the city regulator the Financial Conduct Authority. ...

The Guardian took a look at the property market this weekend, after data revealed a 3.1% drop in UK house prices in April. ...

The Bank of England voted to keep the base rate at 0.5% today, after recent weak UK growth figures put paid to an increase this month. ...

Expectations of a base rate rise in May were dampened following comments from the Bank of England governor Mark Carney, but it’s still vital for homeowners to consider the impact of higher rates. ...

The Observer reported this weekend on the falling number of young home-owning families, as many of today’s millennials struggle in the face of higher property prices. ...

Four in 10 millennials are living in rented private accommodation at the age of the 30, according to a recent report by think tank the Resolution Foundation....

The Times reported this weekend that the supply of high Loan-to-Value mortgages could be under threat, after the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee suggested plans to crack down on the riskier end of the market. ...

Homeowners in the UK have by now on average earned enough to cover their mortgage payments for the rest of 2018, according to research from Halifax. ...

House prices rose by 1.5% in March, according to Halifax, bringing the average cost of a property in the UK to a record high of £227,871. ...

The Post Office has introduced a new ‘Family Link’ mortgage aimed at first-time buyers that can afford monthly mortgage payments but who don’t have a deposit to put down. ...

There was some good news for experienced landlords this week, as one lender removes its upper age limit for those who have owned and let a Buy to Let property for at least 6 months. ...

The start of the new 2018-19 tax year on April 6 saw further reductions in the amount of tax relief landlords can claim on mortgage interest payments. ...

With suggestions of an interest rate rise, possibly as soon as next month, the financial press reported this weekend on the levels of increased activity in the mortgage market. ...

Homeowners who currently receive financial help from the government with their mortgage interest will have to apply for a loan if they want to continue to be supported from April. ...

Less than a third of homeowners’ disposable income goes towards mortgage payments each month, making mortgages more affordable than they’ve been for a decade. ...

A new stamp duty system is being introduced in Wales next month, which means many buyers won’t pay the tax when purchasing a property costing up to £180,000. ...

Landlords will need to ensure their rental properties meet minimum energy efficiency standards before they can be let out, under new rules being introduced this spring. ...

Competition Time Win Tea for Two at the famous Swan Restaurant in Shakespeare's Globe. To celebrate the launch of our latest TV advert, were giving you the chance to win an afternoon tea for two experience at the famous Swan restaurant - located in Shakespeare's Globe, London. ...

Interest rates were left unchanged again in March, but the Bank of England hinted that increases could be on the horizon. ...

'Join the race to remortgage' was the main theme of this weekend's papers, with the Times keen to point out that 25 lenders have increased their rates in the past 2 weeks, driving 2 year fixed rates to their highest level since September 2016. ...

After several years of steady increases, the number of people working on zero hours contracts has plateaued. ...

NatWest has launched the ability for brokers to extend the offer period on mortgages for new build homes, which could increase it from six to as much as 12 months. ...

House prices are growing at their slowest rate for five years, according to Halifax’s latest monthly House Price Index. ...

Buyers, including many first timers, who signed up for the government’s Help to Buy equity loan scheme in its early stages will soon start being charged interest on their loans. ...

With interest rates predicted to rise in the coming months, this weekend’s financial press highlighted an increase in mortgage activity as borrowers rush to secure a cheap deal. ...

Navigating the mortgage market isn’t always easy, but some seem to manage it with ease, even though it often takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes. That’s the message behind our new advertising campaign ‘Glide’ which you can watch here . ...

There are just a few days to go before around 211 million paper £10 notes featuring Charles Darwin cease to become legal tender. That’s enough cash to pay off more than 14,000 mortgages of £150,000 each! ...

Homeowners and buyers could face steeper mortgage rates when the government’s scheme to boost lending finishes at the end of this month. ...

There was good news for potential buyers in the Times this weekend, with experts reporting an increase in the number of products geared towards those looking to get ...

Average house prices dropped by 0.6% in January, according to Halifax’s latest monthly House Price Index, with strained household finances contributing to the fall. ...

Homeowners with interest-only mortgages who could face a shortfall in their repayment plans should take action or contact their lender as soon as possible to discuss their options. ...

The financial press reported this weekend on the increasing popularity of ‘Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor’ (JBSP) mortgages, which allow the income of family members – usually parents – to be taken into account, while the property title is held only in the child’s name. ...

Interest rates were kept on hold in February, but the Bank of England warned that rates could rise “somewhat earlier and by a somewhat greater extent” than previously forecast. ...

L&C is proud to have contributed a new water pump to Manicaland, a north eastern province in Zimbabwe, which will provide fresh drinking water for upwards of 300 people for decades to come. ...

As household name M&S Bank entered the mortgage market and launched its first product range last week, the Times looked at what they will be offering in terms of criteria....

M&S Bank has launched its first mortgage range, which includes fixed and tracker deals for those moving home or remortgaging, as well as for first-time buyers. ...

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter our latest competition. We had a huge response from our customers and followers who took part! We’re excited to say that we’ve now chosen a winner. Congratulations to......

First-time buyers are increasingly taking out mortgages with terms much longer than the usual 25 years to help make their monthly payments more affordable. ...

The Guardian revealed this weekend that thousands of homeowners are finding themselves trapped in new-build properties they cannot sell, due to a clause in their lease which allows for a doubling in ground rent every 10 years. ...

The stamp duty exemption for first-time buyers announced in the budget has benefited over 16,000 homebuyers in the first six weeks since it came into effect, according to the government. ...

Here’s our rundown of what economists think will happen to house prices in 2018. ...

Annual mortgage statements will be landing on doormats across the country this January, but don’t just file yours away without checking your current rate. ...

Mortgage lenders began the New Year with a bang, offering a string of rate cuts, the Times reported this weekend. ...

Many people put sorting out their finances at the top of their list of New Year financial resolutions, and reviewing your mortgage can be a great place to start. ...

The Guardian was keen to highlight that home insurance providers are still taking advantage of loyal customers by charging them more than new customers. ...

L&C is excited to announce that it is joining forces with global information services group Experian, in a pioneering move which aims to consolidate L&C’s position as the UK’s leading fee-free mortgage broker. ...

House prices slowed in the year to the end of November, according to Halifax’s latest house price index, rising by 3.9%, down from 4.5% in October. ...

This interactive map shows how deposits required by first-time buyers have increased dramatically over the past two decades, and could rocket again over the next 10 years. ...

There were snippets of festive cheer in the mortgage news this weekend, with The FT highlighting the fact that the number of fee free mortgage deals on the market has increased by c38% since 2012...

The Budget introduced a range of measures designed to boost the housing market and improve the supply of new homes in the UK. Here’s our rundown of the changes announced. ...

Here’s how lenders are reacting to the Bank of England’s decision to increase Base Rate. We’ll keep updating this page as news comes in. ...

As expected, the weekend’s financial press focused on the Budget ‘winners and losers’, and in particular First-Time Buyers....

In the November 2017 Budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced an immediate reduction in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that will benefit the vast majority of first time buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and mean 80% of first timers will pay no stamp duty at all. ...

Tomorrow’s Autumn Budget sees growing speculation that the Chancellor could announce measures to help first-time buyers, as well as plans to build more houses. ...

The main theme of the weekends press was unsurprisingly speculation on Wednesdays Budget.  Will Philip Hammond help the UK housing market? ...

Much of the focus since the base rate rise last week has been on what impact the increase has on homeowners, but it also has implications for landlords, many of whom have already had to adapt to several other changes this year. ...

With rates edging up over the last few weeks, the Times looked this weekend at what borrowers can do to secure a competitive deal while they are still available. ...

For the chance to win this £50 Lakeland gift card, simply like our Facebook or LinkedIn page (or follow us, if you prefer Twitter) and like our post. ...

For a chance to win a £50 Lakeland giftcard, simply Like one of our social pages and competition posts before midnight on Monday 15th January 2018. Terms and conditions apply....