Mortgage

The US and UK mortgage markets are well-developed but vary significantly. For example, US mortgage funding in 2021 hit $4.4 trillion, while UK mortgage funding was just over £315 billion. So even though both markets are incredibly liquid, they each have different characteristics. Full-term fixed-rate mortgages are more prevalent in the US, while the UK […]

In light of the US subprime mortgage market crash of 2008/9, UK base rates fell to historic lows before beginning a relatively steep upturn and (hopefully) peaking at 5.25%. Consequently, the last 15 years have seen rates that do not reflect historical averages.  To put this into perspective, between 1971 and 2023, UK base rates […]

The UK has one of the more developed mortgage markets, providing a wide range of options, whether acquiring your first home or looking to refinance an existing mortgage. When it comes to the duration of your mortgage, it often comes down to one factor, the level of certainty you require and the amount of risk […]

In reality, the only certainty with regards to interest rates and mortgage rates are the rates today, everything else is just conjecture. Looking back at December 2021, when interest rates began to rise from a historic low of 0.1%, who could have forecast such a meteoric rise? The decision not to increase rates in September […]

It is easy to forget that UK base rates were 0.1% between March 2020 and December 2021, allowing many people to refinance their mortgages at historic low rates. Fast forward to August 2023, and the base rate now stands at 5.25%, with mortgage rates having jumped dramatically since December 2021. In conjunction with the cost […]

Even though UK base rates continue to rise, with many suggesting a short-term peak of 5.5%, private landlords are turning more positive on the rental market. While the cost of buy-to-let finance is increasing, in line with the general mortgage market, other issues are impacting demand for rental property. Amid a challenging property market, seeing […]

Research by UK Finance shows about 800,000 fixed-rate mortgages are due for expiry before the end of 2023 and a further 1.6 million by the end of 2024. Many homeowners will face an increase in comparable fixed-rate terms as UK base rates have risen from just 0.1% in November 2021 to the current rate of […]

There is fear and concern in equal measures, with many people struggling to make ends meet as inflation pushes the cost of living higher. This is most acute amongst those facing retirement and limited income, even though many have a home without a mortgage. Forced to consider alternatives, more people are now looking to release […]