News & Insight

Our expert views and commentary on what’s happening in the world of mortgages and sometimes beyond, along with our regular summary of what the papers say.

Base rate held at 5.25% in February

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted by 6-3 to leave the base rate unchanged at 5.25% in February, despite an unexpected rise in inflation in December. ...

Interest rates held at 5.25%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to leave the base rate unchanged at 5.25% in November, suggesting that interest rates may have peaked for now. ...

A year on from the mini-budget mortgage meltdown

September 23rd marked a year since Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget, which prompted the pound to plummet and borrowing costs, inflation, and swap rates all to soar, triggering mortgage market mayhem. ...

Mortgage market mayhem: what it means for you

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for the mortgage market, with lenders pulling products especially fixed rates before usually replacing them with higher rate deals. T...

Could a 100% mortgage be right for you?

Skipton Building Society has launched a 100% mortgage which allows first-time buyers to purchase a home without a deposit, using their rental history to boost affordability. ...

Is now a good time to remortgage?

With speculation that rates might reduce further, homeowners may be wondering whether now’s the right time to remortgage. ...

Interest rates jump to 15-year high

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy voted to raise the base rate from 4% to 4.25% in March, its highest level since 2008. ...

Could you benefit from the mortgage price war?

Mortgage rates have tumbled in recent weeks as lenders battle to attract borrowers, so those who have put their mortgage plans on pause may want to take another look at what’s available. Many people have held...

Base rate rises to 3%

The Bank of England has raised the base rate by 0.75 percentage points to 3%, the biggest rate increase for 30 years. Some had expected rates to increase by a full percentage point, but action taken by the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to reverse tax cuts announced by his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng may have helped to avert the need for such a substantial increase. Rates are rising to try to curb rampant inflation. The Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation rose by 10.1% in the year to Sep...

Interest rates jump to 2.25%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise the base rate by half a percentage point in September, from 1.75% to 2.25%. ...

Interest rates could top 2% in a year

Interest rates could rise by as much as half a percentage point in August, the Governor of the Bank of England has warned, with economists predicting that rates could exceed 2% in the next year....

Fifth consecutive rise for interest rates

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise the base rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25% in June, the first time it has exceeded 1% for 13 years. ...

Mortgage payments jump by £100 a month

A series of interest rate hikes in recent months has seen mortgage rates more than double since their historic low in October 2021, and with further rises likely, it makes sense to review your mortgage now. ...

Interest rates rise to 1%

Interest rates have risen to 1% in May, the first time they have been at this level since February 2009. ...

Bank of England raises interest rates to 0.75%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise the base rate by 0.25 percentage points to 0.75%, the first time it has increased rates at three successive meetings since 2004. ...

How to get ahead of a base rate rise

Interest rates are on the way up and with further increases expected, it makes sense to think about ways you might be able to protect yourself from potentially steeper mortgage payments. ...

Base rate jumps to 0.5%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to increase the base rate by 0.25 percentage points today. ...

Bank of England raises interest rates

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted by a majority of 8-1 to raise the base rate to 0.25%, providing little festive cheer to homeowners. ...

Bank of England keeps interest rates at 0.1%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted by a 7-2 majority to leave the base rate unchanged at 0.1% this month, despite widespread speculation that an increase could be on the cards. ...

L&C Mortgage Ratewatch

Higher inflation is now leading to speculation that there may be a need for interest rates to increase. ...

Rates held at 0.1% despite soaring inflation

The Bank of England left interest rates unchanged in August despite predictions that inflation, or the increase in the price of goods and services, will soar to its highest level in a decade. ...

Mortgage rates fall to historic lows

Rock bottom mortgage rates mean that borrowers can now choose from a wide range of two-year fixed rate mortgages at less than 1%, or five-year fixed rate mortgages at just over 1%. ...

Borrowers urged to explore remortgage options

Homeowners considering moving onto their lender’s standard variable rate (SVR) when their current mortgage deal ends are being urged to explore more affordable options. ...

Unanimous vote to hold base rate at 0.1%

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously in March to leave the base rate unchanged at 0.1%, amid hopes that the UK’s economic recovery may be faster than expected. ...

Pros and cons of long-term fixed rates

If you’re considering locking your rate down for many years to come, make sure you weigh up the pros and cons of a deal first. ...

Fixed mortgage rates start to rise

Homebuyers and those looking to remortgage who want the security of a fixed rate deal may want to act sooner rather than later, as rates have started to tick up in recent weeks. ...

Base rate held at 0.1% in June

The Bank of England has held the base rate at 0.1% in June, despite speculation that rates could fall into negative territory to help shore up the economy. ...

Mortgage rates continue to fall

Several lenders have recently reduced their mortgage rates, benefiting homeowners looking to remortgage so they can reduce their monthly outgoings. ...

Base rate held in split decision

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep interest rates at 0.75% again in November, although two of the nine members voted in favour of a cut. ...

Sainsbury’s stops mortgage sales

Sainsbury’s Bank has become the latest lender to exit the mortgage market, just six months after Tesco announced that it was pulling out of mortgages. ...

Base rate left on hold in run up to Brexit

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to leave the base rate unchanged this month, at its last meeting before the UK is due to leave the European Union....

Demand for long-term fixed rate mortgages grows

Homebuyers and owners wanting the security of a long-term fixed rate mortgage now have a much wider range of options to choose from following the launch of several new 15-year deals. ...

Homeowners could save thousands by overpaying

Over half of homeowners never overpay on their mortgage, even though doing so could potentially save them thousands in interest and reduce their mortgage term. ...

Uncertainty causes mortgage market slowdown

First-time buyer and homemover mortgage numbers dropped slightly in June, with many people putting their plans on hold due to current political and economic uncertainty. ...

Interest rates unchanged in August

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep the base rate at 0.75% in August amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty. ...

Plan your remortgage now to cut costs

More than £26 billion worth of mortgage deals will come to an end in October, according to research by Yorkshire Building Society, the largest monthly amount of mortgages maturing this year. ...

Base rate kept on hold in June

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep interest rates on hold at 0.75% earlier this month, with ongoing Brexit uncertainty continuing to hamper economic growth. ...

Are you stuck in the parent rent trap?

For the first time in nearly six decades, a child is at least as likely to be born into a rented home as a home owned by its parents, a report by insurer Royal London found. ...

What the papers said about the right time to switch

The Times reported this weekend that around £22.3 billion worth of mortgage deals will come to an end in April, meaning that potentially thousands of homeowners could be about to move onto more expensive Standard Variable Rates (SVR). ...

Interest rates kept on hold amidst Brexit uncertainty

The Bank of England voted unanimously to leave the base rate unchanged at 0.75% in March, with political and economic uncertainty making it impossible to know which way rates will move next. ...

Are you ready for April council tax increases?

Council tax bills are on their way up again from April, but if you’re worried about rising household bills, remortgaging could help reduce your outgoings. ...

What are your mortgage resolutions for 2019?

Your mortgage is likely to be your biggest monthly outgoing, so it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to cut costs. Here’s our rundown of some of the mortgage resolutions you might want to consider making. ...

New long-term fixes available for landlords

Landlords who are concerned about higher mortgage costs if interest rates rise have a wider range of fixed rate options to choose from following the launch of a new range of 10-year fixes. ...

Borrowers fix for longer following rate rise

Longer term 5 and 10-year fixed rate mortgages are becoming increasingly popular, as borrowers seek to protect themselves from further interest rate rises. ...

Mortgage lending increased in July

Gross mortgage lending reached £24.6bn in July, according to latest figures from trade body UK Finance, its highest level since March 2016. ...

Bank of England raises base rate to 0.75%

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. ...

Difference between SVRs and fixed rates grows

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). ...

Options improve for 95% remortgage deals

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. ...

Remortgages up by a third in April

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. ...

Brexit could delay UK rate rises

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....

What would a rate rise mean for you?

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. ...

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