Minimum Credit Score For Mortgage UK
"What credit score do I need for a mortgage?" is one of the most-searched mortgage questions in the UK, and one of the most frequently answered wrongly.
How Long Can A Mortgage Offer Last
For a buyer in a property chain, the mortgage offer is one of the few documents whose validity period is fixed and largely outside the buyer's control.
Home Reversion Plan Pros And Cons
Equity release in the UK has two main forms: lifetime mortgages (overwhelmingly the more common modern product) and home reversion plans.
What Is Home Reversion
Home reversion is the older of the two main forms of equity release available to UK homeowners.
Trainee Mortgage Advisor Jobs
A trainee mortgage advisor role is a regulated entry point into UK financial services.
Mortgage Broker Tools
Modern UK mortgage broking runs on software. The days of a broker keeping a paper file, phoning a business development manager, and posting a paper...
How To Avoid Stamp Duty On Second Home
The Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge on additional dwellings is a significant cost for anyone buying a second property in England or Northern Ireland.
How Reliable Is A Mortgage In Principle
"Mortgage in principle" is the phrase used to describe a lender's indicative pre-approval of a mortgage application. The phrase covers a range of products.
Equity Release Horror Stories
"Equity release horror stories" is a category of media coverage with a wide spread of underlying scenarios.
Freehold vs Leasehold UK: Key Differences Explained
Freehold and leasehold are two of the main forms of land tenure in England and Wales. Scotland has its own framework.
What Is A Tracker Mortgage
UK mortgages come in three main rate structures: fixed (the rate is set for the deal period and does not change), discounted variable (the rate is the...
Self Build Mortgage Calculator
A self-build mortgage finances the construction of a new home, a substantial renovation, or a conversion (such as a barn conversion or an industrial...
Second Charge Lenders
A second-charge mortgage (also called a homeowner loan or secured loan) is a loan secured by a second-priority charge on a property that already has a...
Mortgage Broker Prices
A mortgage broker (or mortgage adviser, or mortgage intermediary) is an FCA-authorised firm or individual who advises on and arranges mortgages on...
How To Become A Mortgage Advisor
The mortgage advisor profession in the UK is one of a small number of FCA-regulated advisory roles.
How Long Between Exchange And Completion
In a residential conveyance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, exchange of contracts and completion are two separate, sequential events.
Can You Remortgage Early
Remortgaging means moving the mortgage on an existing property from one product or one lender to another.
Can You Add Stamp Duty To Mortgage
Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland, and Land Transaction Tax in Wales are paid by the...
Can I Have 2 Cash ISAs With Different Providers
The Individual Savings Account (ISA) rules have evolved over more than 25 years. One of the longer-standing restrictions was the "one of each type per...
2nd Charge Mortgage Rates
A second-charge mortgage (also called a homeowner loan or secured loan) is a loan secured against a residential or buy-to-let property where there is...
UK Mortgage Rates in Mid-May 2026: Where Fixed Deals Stand and What Borrowers Should Know
UK fixed mortgage rates have climbed above 5% in mid-May 2026 as the rate outlook shifts. Where deals stand, the SVR risk and what borrowers should know.
What Credit Score Do You Need For A Mortgage
UK borrowers often ask "what credit score do I need for a mortgage?" expecting a single threshold number.
Unencumbered Mortgage
An unencumbered property is one that has no mortgage and no other secured charge registered against it at HM Land Registry (or the Registers of...
Second Property Stamp Duty
Buying a second residential property in the UK triggers an additional Stamp Duty Land Tax charge in England and Northern Ireland, an Additional...
Mortgage Broker Fees
UK mortgage brokers are paid by some combination of a fee charged to the borrower and a commission paid by the lender.
Mortgage Agent Fees
A mortgage agent (more commonly called a mortgage broker or, in regulated terms, a mortgage adviser) is paid by some combination of a fee charged...
Mortgage Advisor Salary
A mortgage advisor (the UK regulated term is "mortgage adviser", and the practical job is the same as "mortgage broker") helps borrowers find and apply...
How To Avoid Inheritance Tax On A Property
Inheritance tax in the UK is charged at 40 percent on the value of an estate over the available nil-rate bands at the date of death.
How Does Equity Release Work When You Die
Equity release is the umbrella term for a group of products that allow homeowners aged 55 or over to release cash from their home without selling it or...
First Direct Mortgage In Principle
First Direct is the digital and telephone arm of HSBC UK and is consistently among the top-rated UK banks in customer satisfaction surveys.