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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

The Bank of England cut interest rates by 0.5% on Friday to 1.5%.
This is the lowest the base rate has been in the 315 year history of the Bank.
The rate cut, if effective, will possibly make borrowing and remortgages more affordable, but may spell bad news for savers.

Parliament and business heads are putting pressure on ministers to allow nationalised bank Northern Rock to start lending again.
The bank has already paid back £15.4 billion of its £26.9 billion loan.
Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Vince Cable has called for the government to allow the bank to resume lending to aid customers struggling to remortgage in [...]

Coventry Building Society yesterday launched a range of new mortgages.
The range includes a mortgage with a two year fixed rate of 4.99%, an 85% LTV, and free valuation.
The product is also designed to attract remortgage customers, offering a free remortgage transfer service.
Colin Franklin, head of sales at the Coventry, said: “This new range will appeal [...]

In the wake of the credit crunch, the mortgage market has become ever more difficult.
Financial information firm Moneyfacts revealed today that 25% of mortgage deals require a deposit of 40% of the property value.
Last year, only 24 deals in the market required a deposit this large; at the dawn of 2009, that number has reached [...]

Capital Economics predicts that house prices could crash to even lower levels in the new year.
The market could fall by 35% of its 2007 value, the organisation said.
The fall, however, could help as bargain-hunting boosts transactions.
This, in turn, could help increase confidence and the availability of affordable remortgage deals.