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 November 2009

why are fixed rates so high?
Hi everyone Just wondered if you could advise me. I am looked for a fixed rate for 5 years. My LTV is around 85% (according to my bank) Having looked around I cannot seem to get a fixed rate any less than 6%. I can get a 2 year fxed for slightly lower, but in my opinion, I do not feel that short-term fixed rates are worth…
Repossession Claim.
Hi all. I posted this on another thread over the weekend, but in retrospect I think this might be a more appropriate place to put it. I'm hoping for a bit of advice. We have a normal repayment mortgage with one of the big four high street banks and due to unemployment have fallen behind with the payments. Because of this,…
Equity in 1st home to buy 2nd property?
I currently own my own property, is it possible to remortage this and buy a 2nd property?
should I pay off my mortgage?
..or to put another way, is there any reason why I shouldn't? It's only about £33k, I'm enjoying a cracking 1.04% rate at the moment, it's £18k interest only (I have an poor performing endowment) & the remainder is repayment. I have enough cash lying around at the moment to pay it off with some to spare, & that seems the…
looking for mortgage
help, i'm looking for a mortgage, i've sold my house and looking to downsize, i've applied to northern rock and been declined due to credit check. i've performed my credit score and it was 791 in may and repeated it last week and it was 999, i've had my current mortgage with nationwide for last 4 years with no missed…
Phone no for equifax
Can anyone give me a phone no for equifax? A while back I registered for the 30 day free trial ans asdked them to put a note on one of the items on my report, then send me a copy of the amended report. Got no reply despite sending a further letter. As Im no longer a member (30 day trial over) I cant get the web page up…
Looking for advice on the best mortgage
Hi, I am 30 years old, I have just sold my place and am currently living back with parents until I find another place to buy that I like (does this class me as a first time buyer again, I'm never sure?) I have £25,000 to put down as a deposit, the propertly value is £120,000 which is approx 20% LTV. I earn basic 25K a year…
to overpay or pay off credit card debt when in negative equity?
Hi everyone, Im brand new to this and have stumbled across this forum whilst looking for advice. Our fixed rate is due to come to an end in March. we got 100% mortgage just before the prices dropped and are apparently in negative equitity by £18,000. (this is according to our mortgage companies estimate) Anyway we have…
mortgage without savings?
Hi, I've start to thinking about my own house. I'm renting in this moment 2bed house and paying £745 for it. I've got no savings, but no many people have any in this days. I will be First-time buyer and decided to take one from the options from HomeBuy scheme. I'm employed with permanent contract from May this year (I've…
HSBC Mortgage - AVOID AT ALL COSTS !!!
to anyone who is thinking of using HSBC for their low interest mortgages for only 10% deposit, please think twice as the whole experience has put me off and will ensure i never use them again for any product in the future. over the summer we decided to buy a property which was a repossession and was an incredible deal,…
What can I do?
I currently have a joint mortgage with the Abbey, I have split from my wife about 2 years ago, and she wants her name off the mortgage, we have a consent order that states I am responsible for the negative equity, about £30000, the Abbey will only remove her name if I pay £43000, which is not possible, I pay the mortgage,…
Is my mortgage rate any good?
It is currently 3.75%.
Not working, need small mortgage
Can any of you brilliant and experienced people help? Here's me: 51, single, not working, am registered as self employed but my company brings in peanuts, under £2,000 a year. I rent a room under the RAR scheme and get £80 pw from that. I own a house worth £200,000, with no mortgage (paid it off 3 yrs ago) and I have no…
remortgage for unemployed
Hi guys! I am unemployed and in need of remortgage of a let property. Does anyone know of any company that would remortgage with no proof of income from other sources but with only income from the propery? thanks
Gifted Deposits
Hi, I'm competing on the purchase of a property with someone who requires a gifted deposit. House is being sold via an asset management company - its not a repossession. My offer is £1k less than theirs and I do not require any form of incentive. I have laid out my final offer and will not increase. I am able to transact…
Mortgage for Extensive Renovation Project
Hi Folks My wife and I are thinking about buying an old pub that has planning permission to be converted into a 5 bed house. It requires compete gutting as a nearby stream got blocked and flooded the ground floor. Anyway, my question is how do we go about getting a mortgage for this property. Bearing in mind the ground…
FTB - Halifax mtg process
Hi all, Was wondering if anyone had any recent/past experience with Halifax mortgages. I applied for a mortgage (AIP) in late October and then a full application a few days later. My credit file was searched and I was accepted. Valuation was done and matched offer price, so a written mortgage offer was sent. A few days…
Gifted deposits from parents living abroad...
Hi... I am currently in the process of a mortgage application. My lender is Platform. They have asked for the confirmation of gifted deposit. They provided a form for my parents to sign and require the proof of deposit (i.e. Bank Statements or Passbooks). My parents are living in Hong Kong and they asked me if the deposit…
Booking fees when declining mortgage offer
Hello all, I've recently had a mortgage offer from Abbey. I haven't yet paid them a penny as there was an offer of a free valuation and I elected to add the booking fee to the loan. Unfortunately the purchase is not going to go ahead as the vendor's circumstances have changed. My offer letter states "At this stage you're…
Has anyone known ERC charges to be waived or reduced?
I've had mortgages with Halifax for 14 years, the most recent one has about 19 years left to run, but when my last fixed rate deal ran out in June 2008, I was caught at a kind of financial microclimate with deals disappearing fast and the SVR rising almost weekly. Fearing a BOE base rate rise and any good deals becoming…

★ ★ ★ 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