Mortgage approvals drop in April

Figures from the Bank of England (BoE) show this was down from the 51,500 approvals in March and indicates the market is again declining after two months of slim growth. However the number of approvals for remortgaging increased slightly, from 32,200 to 32,500 during the same period. Overall the value of this net mortgage debt…

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Hundreds of mortgage deals pulled amid rates uncertainty

1st June 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Analysis by Moneyfacts has found that almost 10% of UK mortgage deals have been taken off the market in the past week. The analysis comes after higher-than-expected inflation figures prompted concern over how much interest rates will increase. The research shows that nearly 800 residential and buy-to-let deals have been pulled. While the number of…

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Mortgage bills to rise as fixed terms end

22nd May 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Around 116,000 households will soon see the cost of their mortgage jump, with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data showing that their fixed-rate deals will come to an end this month. The FCA says that if they do not secure a new deal and move on to their lender’s standard variable rate, they could face an…

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Six in ten financial advisers concerned 100% mortgages could create a repayment crisis

Six in ten Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) are concerned 100% mortgages could create a repayment crisis according to research by Opinium. The insights agency revealed that nearly two-thirds of IFAs (66%) who receive mortgage requests are concerned about the risks associated with 100% mortgages. Over three fifths of IFAs (63%) worry about 100% mortgages because…

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Rate rises to cost mortgage holders £12bn in extra payments

The Resolution Foundation says the Bank of England’s decision to hike rates to 4.5% will mostly impact young families. The Foundation notes that the Bank of England’s decision to combat high inflation by raising interest rates for the twelfth consecutive time to 4.5 per cent last Thursday – a rise of over four percentage points…

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Eight in ten tenants feel trapped in the rental cycle

Eight in ten tenants feel ‘trapped’ in the rental cycle – as ONS figures show house prices for first time buyers have risen by an average of 18 per cent in the last two years, an increase of £39,680. A study of 2,000 adults who live in a rental property found 86 per cent dream…

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Government extends mortgage support for benefit claimants

The Government has announced an extension to its mortgage support for benefit claimants. The new change will mean that an additional 200,000 Universal Credit claimants will be able to access quicker support with their mortgage.  The move will mean support for Mortgage Interest loan scheme extended to 200,000 additional Universal Credit claimants in efforts to…

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Consumer credit grew by 7.7% in February

Latest Bank of England (BoE) data has shown that consumer credit grew at 7.7 percent in February 2023 as consumers borrowed an additional £1.4 billion in consumer credit, of which £0.8 billion was through other forms of consumer credit (such as car dealership finance and personal loans) compared with £1.7 billion borrowed during January. This…

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One in five homeowners remortgaging for debt consolidation

One in five (22%) homeowners planning to remortgage this year are borrowing more money to consolidate their debts according to research by Uswitch. The research found that well over a third (39%) of people are planning to borrow more money when they remortgage. The over 55s are the most likely to borrow more money when…

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Mortgage commitments dropped at end of 2022

15th March 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Latest Bank of England data has revealed that in the last three months of 2022, mortgages agreed for the coming months were down by a third (33.5%) from the previous three months, and down a quarter (24.5%) in a year,  excluding the onset of the pandemic when the market was effectively closed, this is the…

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Mortgage applications fell sharply in the final quarter of 2022

10th March 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

UK Finance has released its latest Household Finance Review which showed a decline in consumer confidence and a drop in mortgage applications in Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022. Following the September 2022 mini budget consumer confidence fell below already-low levels. Despite the concerns of households about their finances, overall card spending remained steady in Q4. However,…

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Half of first-time buyers need 20% price drop to consider buying

7th February 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Half of first-time buyers (FTBs) say house prices would need to fall up to 20% for them to consider buying according to research by Uswitch.com With December being the fourth consecutive month of house price falls, and mortgage payments for first-time buyers at the highest since the 2008 financial crisis, many prospective buyers are split between…

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Mortgage demand plummets

20th January 2023 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

Lenders believe that credit availability will decrease in the first quarter of this year, a new survey from the Bank of England (BoE) shows. The research found that mortgage demand plummeted in the wake of the mini-budget, and is expected to keep falling. Whilst the demand for credit cards and loans fell, and is expected…

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