The latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders demonstrate the changes to the mortgage market since October last year.
First-time buyers have suffered, with only 12,400 buyers managing to secure a property in November.
Remortgage deals remain difficult to find and expensive to take out due to falling house prices and a shortage of bank funds [...]

High street lender HSBC has launched a mortgage with its lowest ever interest rate.
The rate, which will take effect on 6th February, is just 2.99%.
The standard variable rate will also decrease in February to 3.94%.
The new deal may give hope to property owners struggling to afford expensive remortgage deals.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have claimed that the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme will not aid the flagging housing market.
As the credit crunch wears on, many homeowners are finding it difficult to keep up mortgage repayments, but also unable to find a cheaper remortgage deal.
The ABI welcomed the government’s recognition that more borrowers are [...]

A new study carried out by the WorldWide Independent Network of Market Research published in the Guardian today indicates a severe lack of trust in the UK government.
The study asked people in 17 countries how much they trusted their government’s handling of the financial crisis on a scale of one to 10.
It also asked subjects [...]

There are thousands of people in the UK struggling with several small debts owed to many lenders. Many have not realised the disadvantages of owing small amounts to many creditors, and how this can cost you money in the long run. If this sounds like your situation, you may wish to consider a debt consolidation [...]

Although it can be relatively easy to borrow small amounts of money – where ‘small’ means anything up to a few thousand pounds – there are circumstances in which you may need access to larger sums of credit. You may be consolidating existing debt, thinking of a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, making home improvements or needing to [...]

A mortgage is a very serious investment: you are paying off typically a six-figure sum over a period in the order of 25 or 30 years. That given, it is strange that so many people stay with their original mortgage for so long. The changes in interest rates and other factors that influence your monthly [...]

Equity release can be one of the most useful financial products for home  owners in need of a little extra income. With all of the options out there, however, finding the best scheme for you can be daunting. This short guide will outline one type of equity release, home reversion plans, and information about other [...]

Mortgage firm Legal & General predicts that SVRs falling into line with base rate cuts will hit the remortgage market hard.
Following analysis of L&G’s mortgage purchase index for the final quarter of 2008, the company claims that there were 17% fewer borrowers taking up variable rate mortgage products than in the previous quarter.
L&G housing director [...]

Research conducted for the Independent released today shows that since the Bank of England’s base rate cuts, lenders have failed to pass on the saving.
The research claims that out of 1,000 mortgage deals, the greater majority of lenders have not passed on the 1% cut.
Instead, the Independent says, lenders have reduced the average fixed rate [...]