We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More » This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. Thank you for your patience.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Mortgages & endowments

Archives for April 2005

Housing conundrum
Hi, Please forgive me for posting about a very personal problem to me, but I know you are a lovely lot of people and I don't know who else to ask at the moment. Hopefully any help you give might help others aswell at some point! I live and work in Oxford, England and last May bought a 2-bedroom flat in Hastings with a…
Buy to Let Mortgages
Hello, I'd like to know what the best 'buy to let' mortgage is on the market at the moment. I'd prefer just a normal mortgage (no fixed rate). I'd consider a discounted mortgage though. My current Mortgage is with Virgin One (Royal Bank of Scotland) and they can provide a 'buy to let' mortgage at 5.9% APR, however I have…
Standard Life Endowment Policy.
Hello to all you out there.. just wondering what to do.... This is my policy...matures 1 mar 2012.....started 1 mar 1987 Target amount £17500 Lastest statment 1feb 2005 Current value...£7319.....VALUE 2004 £7179 Monthly payment £22..or £264 a year...which means it only went up £140 in the last year. so...should I cash it…
Fee Free fixed rate re-mortgages
Are there any BS or banks offering any at the moment. I have a flexible mortgage with Britannia and they have a good 5 year fixed rate but their charges would cancel out any savings or do you think I should ask them if they would waive the fes to existing customers?
Covering the extra
We got a new mortgage and agreed not to borrow anymore money at the time, it was a two year deal with the Wollwich. After that we decided we need £10k for debt consolidation but as the mortgage was already in place we couldn't add to it and had to get a current account reserve, (which means an overdraft)! ...of £10K not…
Extra Funds Now Or Later
we're shortly moving house but don't need to advance any more monies as the differential between the two properties is only £3000 (in our favour) & we have only £9k owing on a £175k house - the house we are buying needs work including an extension but we won't be ready for the work until next year - do we apply for a…
Finance for Apartment in Portugal
I would really appreciate any advice on raising finance for the purchase of a property in Portugal which would be used primarily for holiday rentals. I have a reasonable amount of equity in my home in England (approx £250,000 in addition to my mortgage). My problem is that I cannot find any lenders who will take potential…
Overpay on Mortgage or Pension?
This may be a simple or very difficult question to answer,but i would like some advice please. In approx April 2006,i should have an spare £600-700 per month. Six months ago,i would have wasted it on the lastest consumer product,but having discovered MSE,i would like to prepare for secure a decent financial future. The…
Halifax Variable Base Rate
I have about 4 years left on an endowment with SL. I pay interest only to Halifax on a £42,000 debt. I have just looked and my interest rate and it is a whoping 6%. I phoned and they offered me a "Reward Product". This is BOE Base + 0.84% 'till August 2007. This is currently an actual rate of 5.59%, giving me a saving of…
High exit fees - should I complain
First - Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere. I am with A&L. I will have to pay £300 to leave them for them to send out the deeds and close my account. The fees were about £160 when I joined them, so they have nearly doubled. Do I have a case for complaining? They are allowed to vary the fees to cover reasonable…
Can I change mortgage to get out of joint status?
I have maybe a strange set up with my mortgage in that I'm joint with my dad, even though the flat is mine and I pay the whole mortgage. It was the only way as a first time buyer that I could get a mortgage as I was at the time on a freelance salary (couldn't guaruntee future income) and the flat was more than they deemed…
Won mis-selling claim but company ignoring compensation claim
I make a claim against the Mortgage Advisory Bureau about two years ago. They ignored my two recorded delivery letters and so I went down the FSA route after a very long time, around 21 months the judgement was in favour of me and the Mortgage Advisory Bureau have now to make suitable offer of recompense with 4 weeks…
What a nightmare!
Hello to all, I am looking for thoughts and advice to help me sort out this nightmare. Basically I don't trust the banks or building societies to offer me impartial advice and because I find the whole thing very confusing I need help. I am coming to the end of the first three years of a tracker mortgage I have with the…
Long Term Fixed Rate - good or bad???
First post here...hi! Hubby and I are currently about to come out of our 1st mortgage deal, fixed for 2 years. Been looking around at the Nationwide 5.09% fixed rate for 10 years or the Cheshire's 5.28% fixed rate for 20 years. Paid 2 years, so looking for 23 year term. Roughly £124K outstanding but house worth approx…
right to buy ?
We are going down the right to buy road with the council and have been to the ABBEY to get a mortgage and they have said they will give my partner a mortgage and take the right to buy discount as a deposit and we plan to use most of my wages to pay off the equity without any early repayment charges but thought it best not…
Overpayments question
Hi all, I overpay my mortgage every month. I know that this is a good thing to do, - but what exactly are my overpayments doing? If I pay in, say, £100, does this reduce the debt by £100 (and therefore lower the interest)? I can't get my head around it :confused: It seems obvious - until I think about it. Most/lots of my…
Pru Compensation
Having read many of the posts here about the misselling of endowments my hubby and I decided to complain to the Pru about 2 we took out in 1991 and 1992. We used the WHICH template to formulate our complaint. We have now received our first offer of £1124.90 for 1 of the policies which they say is the difference between us…
Basic Advice needed for Interest Only mortgages
My partner and i are looking at mortgages and have to admit it does baffle us somewhat. We look limited to an interest only mortgage (coming from the South East, actually repaying the damn thing isn't really an option!). It seems we ought to look at setting up an endowment (which i assume endowment plus an I.O mortage…
Help ME!!!!
All this mortgage info baffles me!!! Rite here is the story we have a mortgage of 83450.00. I have a loan of 5500.00 which i am jsut about to start paying (this was combined credit cards) IT is going to cost me 205.00 a month. On adding up our finances I see this is really going to stretch us and I would just love to add…
Mortgage suggestions please
In December, I will be considering moving my mortgage. I will only have £13K outstanding over 5 years. I currently pay about £250 per month but I can afford to pay around £400, so i would like to reduce the term to 3 years. I'm currently paying 8.99% (10 year fixed rate). Which has hefty redemption penalties. So 'm waiting…

★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

View All

Mortgages & endowments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free

Mortgages & endowments

Discussion List

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free