Barclays joins run of mortgage rate hikes in blow to borrowers Banking Barclays has become the latest in a flurry of mortgage lenders to hike their rates amid mounting fears the Bank of England will keep the base interest rates higher for longer following the war in the Middle East. The blue-chip banking giant has slapped a 0.1 per cent increase on rates on a selection of [...]
‘And so it begins’ – Mortgage lenders kick rates back up amid Middle East crisis Banking A number of mortgage lenders are kicking the their rates back up, with more expected to follow, as market conditions remain volatile due to the unfolding crisis in the Middle East. HSBC UK has said it will increase some of its mortgage rates for first-time buyers, movers and re-mortgagers and the UK’s largest building society, [...]
Ask the expert: Should I pay into an ISA, pension or overpay my mortgage? Personal Finance Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt helps a saver decide where to place their capital as interest rates fall. Q: In light of current interest rate expectations, is it better to pay down my mortgage, pay into my pension or invest in an ISA? I have a £350,000 property with a £200,000 mortgage at 4 [...]
What does the Bank’s rate decision mean for your finances? November 6, 2025 UK households who were hoping for a rate cut today may be disappointed after the Bank of England held interest rates at four per cent. The decision came amid concerns surrounding high inflation ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ crunch Budget later this month. Governor Andrew Bailey, who had the deciding vote, said he would “prefer [...]
House prices slump in April: ‘Supply is beginning to outweigh demand’ June 18, 2025 UK house prices fell in April as affordability issues constrain demand following the end of the stamp duty holiday in March. House prices fell 2.7 per cent month on month in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices increased by 3.5 per cent to £265,000 in the 12 months to April 2025, [...]
Mortgages rates set to fall after Bank of England interest rate cut May 9, 2025 Analysts have predicted that the Bank of England’s decision to reduce interest rates on Thursday will encourage major banks to cut mortgage rates. Lower rates will be a major affordability boost for the UK’s housing market, which continues to price out young buyers unable to rely on financial gifts or savings. “If homebuyers can borrow more, they [...]
HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds: Lenders bank on interest rate cut as mortgage ‘price war’ heats up April 17, 2025 Top UK lenders are offering more mortgages to prospective house buyers, the Bank of England has revealed, as falling interest rates stir up a “price war” on the high street. The Bank’s credit conditions survey revealed that the burgeoning supply of mortgages would come against a levelling off in demand in the three months to [...]
UK house prices hit record high in April despite stamp duty changes April 14, 2025 The average UK house price rose 1.4 per cent in April despite fears of a market slowdown in the wake of changes to stamp duty. UK house prices hit a new record high of £377,182, according to Rightmove. Analysts said that lower mortgage rates have offset the impact of stamp duty changes and the typical [...]
First-time buyers ‘becoming less reliant on parents’ April 8, 2025 First-time buyers are completing on their homes with less help from their parents – albeit slightly later in life – according to new data. First-time buyers who received money from a friend or family member went from 34 per cent of buyers in the first quarter of 2024 to just under 30 in the first [...]
First-time buying pushes house prices up ahead of stamp duty deadline February 28, 2025 First-time buyers continued to drive the housing market in February as they rush to purchase homes before the end of the stamp duty holiday at the end of March. The annual rate of UK house price growth was 3.9 per cent in February, compared with 4.1 per cent in January. House prices rose by 0.4 [...]