One in three UK mortgage holders don’t know their interest rate, survey finds May 19, 2016 One in three UK mortgage holders do not know what interest rate they are on, according to a new study. YouGov and digital mortgage broker Habito, which launched last month with the mission of bringing the market into the "21st century", surveyed more than 1,200 mortgage owners. Some 33 per cent did not know what [...]
Bank of mum and dad facing a funding crisis as children rack up £6,000 in withdrawals May 18, 2016 Parents are dipping into savings, eating up their pay packets and even taking out credit cards to provide assistance to their supposedly financially independent children. Over half of all parents have been tapped up by children over the age of 18 for financial assistance from the “bank of mum and dad”, according to a new [...]
Will Brexit knock house prices? Not in prime central London May 13, 2016 In a bid to sway voters, George Osborne is predicting Armageddon in every economic sector as the collateral damage of Brexit. This week he pointed the finger at property prices, predicting a significant dampening if the UK votes to leave. The chancellor is correct that the property market does stall in the face of investor uncertainty, [...]
City Moves for 11 May 2016 | Who’s switching jobs May 11, 2016 RateSetter Marketplace lender RateSetter has announced the appointment of Cyrille Salle de Chou as chief risk officer. Cyrill joins from Lloyds Banking Group and brings extensive experience. He started his risk career at Capital One, where he became chief credit officer for Europe responsible for card and personal loan credit. In 2007, he joined Lloyds [...]
Nationwide becomes latest lender to up its mortgage loan age limit May 9, 2016 In yet another sign millennials are drawing on the bank of mum and dad (or perhaps, grandma and grandad), Nationwide raised its mortgage borrowing age limit from 75 to 85. It means a 60-year old who is able to afford the repayments can take out a 25-year mortgage, Nationwide said. The loan limit is £150,000 and it can [...]
UK banks would face a squeeze on their balance sheets after Brexit May 5, 2016 Profits at the UK’s largest banks would be squeezed if the UK votes to leave the European Union, a top credit ratings agency has said today. Moody’s has warned that Brexit would hit demand for loans, potentially reduce the value of banks’ balance sheets and heap pressure onto London’s fragile investment banking sector. “Uncertainty before [...]
Charter Court Financial Services auction sunk by Brexit fears May 4, 2016 The auction of Charter Court Financial Services has collapsed due to concerns over the impact of a Brexit on the UK housing market. Bidders were told the sale process has been abandoned in recent days, it was first reported by Sky News. BC Partners, Varde Partners and Warburg Pincus were among the buyout firms interested [...]
Barclays has just started offering a 100 per cent mortgage (but bank of mum and dad is still required) May 4, 2016 We all know how well 100 per cent mortgages worked before the financial crisis – but now Barclays has become one of the first lenders since the crisis not to require a deposit from first-time buyers. Well, sort of. The lender said it has made changes to one of its first time buyer mortgages which means borrowers [...]
Four of the best recovery stocks: From alternative lenders to biotech, fund bosses highlight the unloved companies due for a stock market turnaround May 3, 2016 Investing in a company that’s had a bad spell on the stock market can mean an opportunity to buy cheap shares. If a turnaround is successful, or the company proves its true potential to the market, those shares will one day be worth much more. I asked the experts which stocks they’re backing. Illumina From James [...]
UK house prices: Bank of mum and dad ranks among UK’s top mortgage lenders as parents spend £5bn helping children onto property ladder May 3, 2016 Parents will lend over £5bn this year helping their children get a leg up onto the UK's slippery housing ladder, placing the "bank of mum and dad" firmly in the ranks of the top 10 mortgage lenders in the country, a new report today reveals. The study – by FTSE 100 insurer Legal & General and Cebr, [...]