As you may have heard on the news this morning, the Bank of England base rate has been cut to 0.25%.

For about 320,000 people who are homeless in the United Kingdom, Banking for the homeless can help to claim benefits, getting wages and paying rent. Banking for the homeless has always been a problem.

Banking for the homeless

All banks require a proof of Identification and address to open a bank account. This is difficult when someone, more so when you live on the street, wants to open a bank account.

Chief Executive at Crisis, Jon Sparkes said: “It can be almost impossible to get a bank account without a fixed address and without ID, which often can be hard to keep safe and costly to replace if lost or stolen.” Banking for the homeless has always been a problem.

HSBC have joined forces with charities, including Crisis and Shelter, to offer homeless people a basic bank account that removes the need for photo identification or proof of address.

In 2018 the service started in Liverpool. So far it is going well, thirty-one branches, in the UK, have made the service live. More than eighty accounts have been opened so far. One of the first accounts was for a homeless man in Liverpool who had been homeless for about twelve years. Opening a bank account for him meant, for the 1st time in over 10 years, he could to claim benefits and is now on the housing list.

Shelter CEO, Polly Neate said “It’s hard enough if you’re homeless, living day-to-day on the streets in the freezing cold or trapped with your children in a grotty hostel.

Shelter is pleased to work with HSBC UK on this game-changing product. Having a bank account not only allows people who are homeless to receive wages and claim benefits, but it also gives them their independence back”.

Because they can use the “no fixed address” product, those who are homeless must register with charities such as Crisis or Shelter. They are then accompanied by a caseworker to one of the thirty-one participating HSBC branches to open their account.

To get bank statements and a debit card, the application forms will have the charities address. They can access the account online or over via the phone. Statements and any other relevant documents can be collectable from the charity’s office or the selected HSBC branch.

For information on shelter click here
For information on Mortgages click here

CPI inflation drops to 1.5% in October, down from 1.7% in September.

Inflation drops to 1.5%

 This is the lowest it’s been since November 2016, (according to the latest ONS statistics).

CPIH inflation, The ONS’ headline measure which includes owner occupiers’ housing costs, was also 1.5% in October, down from 1.7% the month before.

The main reason was due to electricity, gas and other fuels as a result of changes to the energy price cap.

More effects were due to furniture, household equipment/ maintenance plus recreation and culture.

For more information from the government  click here 

For more mortgage information go to Brighton Mortgage Broker – The Finance House

Many borrowers are confused about why they should remortgage, if at all.
Hopefully we can show you your options.

Research shows that there’s a lot of misinformation about How to remortgage a property, here are some of them:

• Remortgaging is a negative thing, it’s only done when you are desperate.
• It’s “embarrassing” to admit having done it.
• You only remortgage to borrow more funds.
• You must be desperate to remortgage.
• There is a limit to how many times a borrower can remortgage.
• You just remortgage to take on more debt,
• Remortgaging is only done to carry out renovations.
• People remortgage when they are failing to meet existing repayments,
• Remortgage is difficult so it’s not worth thinking about their deal every 2 years for the next 30 years.
• If you keep remortgaging, you will never pay off your debt because you start again.
• Remortgaging is expensive.

Although, in some circumstances, some of these may be relevant, they are not necessarily so.

So, lets look at the real facts about How to remortgage a Property.

• Remortgaging isn’t negative, although it may be done to help a negative problem.
• It is very common, certainly not embarrassing.
• You can re-mortgage for various reasons.
• Most people who remortgage aren’t desperate to do so.
• You can re-mortgage as many times as you want to.
• People often remortgage just to get a better rate.
• Some people remortgage to carry out home improvements, it is a cheap way to raise capital.
• Remortgaging can be one way to help improve your financial situation, speak to an advisor to review your options.
• Remortgaging can be complicated if you do it yourself as the regulations are changing all the time. A good advisor will do all the work for you.
• It is a common misconception that if you keep remortgaging you will never clear your debt. This is not true if you don’t add the debt each time.
• Remortgaging can be expensive if you get it wrong, a good broker will work out the best deal to ensure that it will save you money, or tell you not to proceed.

If you think remortgaging isn’t for you, this “switching inertia” may be costing you dearly.

Number of people on Standard Variable Rates shows their is borrower confusion

The huge number of borrowers on a higher rate than they need be shows that remortgaging is “greatly misunderstood”.

The best way to remortgage is to give yourself plenty of time before any deal is coming to an end and contact an independent, whole of market (and preferably free) mortgage broker who can demonstrate your potential savings by switching.  By starting about four months prior to your deal ending you have the best chance do let your broker do their market research, speak to the lenders, get their remortgage applied for and approved before you slip on to a costly Standard Variable Rate.

If your deal is coming to an end, contact The Finance House now on 01273 857 024, we are an independent, whole of Market, experienced and Free Mortgage Advisor (We receive a commission from the lenders).

You can check us on the Financial Conduct Authority website here.

Mortgage warning for homeowners

Homeowners whose two-year fixed rate mortgage deals are about to end have been warned they could see a bill shock if they fail to act.

Fixed Rate Mortgage

In September 2017, the average two-year fixed rate mortgage rate hit its lowest ever level at 2.17 per cent, according to Moneyfacts.

Borrowers can still swap to deals almost as cheap as that now, but those who do not remortgage and instead fall onto their lender’s default standard variable rate risk monthly payments rising substantially.

Today’s average standard variable rate sits at 4.89 per cent, and a shift to that from 2.17 per cent would see the average mortgage’s monthly mortgage payments jump by 26 per cent – adding £175 – as monthly payments rose from £680 to £855, according to Compare the Market.

The benefits of searching out a new mortgage deal promptly are shown by the fact that at today’s average two-year Fixed Rate Mortgage rate of 2.44 per cent, a homeowner with a £130,000 mortgage with 20 years left would only see bills rise £11 a month to £691 if they moved to that from 2017’s average rate of 2.17 per cent.

Moneyfacts finance expert Darren Cook said: ‘Borrowers who may be arriving at the end of their current two-year deal will probably have a high motivation to remortgage.

‘But they may need to look carefully to find a rate similar to the one they may have negotiated two years ago.’

Homeowners were warned not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the low interest rate environment, as lender’s default rates are considerably higher than new deals.

Compare the Market’s Mark Gordon said: ‘Rolling onto a standard variable rate mortgage can cost you thousands of pounds.

‘We may be in a “lower for longer” rate environment now, but that doesn’t mean interest rates will remain at rock bottom forever.

‘For those people on a standard variable rate mortgage, the additional costs should be a wake-up call.

‘Not only could your mortgage get more expensive if the base rate rises, but SVR mortgages tend to be much more expensive than fixed rate deals available.’

Check us on the FCA register here
For more information go to Brighton Mortgage Broker – The Finance House

Research from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) reveals that 1 in 12 UK workers are not getting their legal Holiday leave entitlement.

Holiday leave entitlement

The analysis estimates that 2.2 million employees are not getting the minimum paid Holiday leave entitlement they are due. And over half of this number (1.2 million) are not getting any paid leave at all.

Workers are losing out on nearly £3bn worth of Holiday leave entitlement a year. 9.2% of female workers and 7.2% of male workers are losing out.

The sectors in which workers are most likely to lose out are agriculture (14.9%), mining and quarrying (14.7%) and accommodation and food (13.9%).

Which sectors are missing out on their Holiday Leave entitlement

The sectors with highest numbers of staff losing out are retail (348,000), education (342,000) and health and social care workers (291,000).

Working people are entitled to a statutory annual minimum of 28 days paid leave (pro rata and including public holidays).

The main reasons people are missing out are:

• Workers being set unrealistic workloads that do not allow time to take leave.
  
• Employers deliberately denying holiday requests and managing out people’s leave.
  
• Employers not keeping up to date with the law.
  
• Minimum holiday entitlements are a vital part of reducing overwork, says the TUC. People who work excessive hours are at risk of developing heart disease, stress, mental illness, strokes, and diabetes, which also impacts on co-workers, friends, and relatives.
  

The TUC wants HMRC to be granted new powers to clamp down on employers who deny staff their statutory Holiday leave entitlement. This would include the power to ensure that workers are fully compensated for missed holidays.

The government has recently consulted on enforcing holiday entitlements but has yet to announce any plans. The TUC says ministers must guarantee all UK workers can take the holidays that they are entitled to.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“We’re now in peak holiday season. But while many workers are away enjoying time off with friends and family, millions are missing out. And that puts them at risk of burnout.

“Employers have no excuse for robbing staff of their well-earned leave. UK workers put in billions of hours of unpaid overtime as it is.

“The government must toughen up enforcement to stop bosses cheating staff out of their leave.”

For more details go to https://www.tuc.org.uk/
For details on our free mortgage finding service click here

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted unanimously to maintain the Bank of England Base Rate at 0.75%.

Bank of England Base Rate

 A lot of the MPC’s minutes concentrated on continued Brexit uncertainty, with the Committee stating that “entrenched Brexit uncertainties and slower global growth have led to the re-emergence of a margin of excess supply”.

The Committee also commented on that Brexit-related developments are making UK economic data more volatile, the GDP has fallen by 0.2% in Q2 and now expected to increase by 0.2% in Q3. The Committee judges that underlying growth has slowed, but is still slightly positive, and that a degree of excess supply appears to have opened up within companies.

For mortgage advice go to www.thefinancehouse.co.uk/

For more information on the BofE click here

Life Insurance for tenants not considered by UK renters

A study by Sainsbury’s Bank has found tenants are significantly less likely to have Life insurance for tenants or critical illness cover than homeowners.

Life insurance for tenants

Only a quarter of renters (26 per cent) are likely to have Life insurance for tenants or critical illness policy in place compared to almost half of homeowners (41 per cent).

But despite being less likely to have life insurance or critical illness cover, 54 per cent of renters are more concerned than homeowners (48 per cent) about the financial implications should they pass away before old age. One in five (21 per cent) of renters living in private accommodation worry about this situation on a weekly basis compared to 16 per cent of homeowners.

Survey for Life insurance for tenants

According to the government’s English Housing Survey, in the past 10 years, the number of households renting privately with children has risen by almost 800,000 to nearly 1.6 million.

Renters should consider what their partner or family would do if they unexpectedly needed to cover housing costs such as rent and other monthly outgoings if one partner was to become seriously ill or pass away.

According to Sainsbury’s Bank, based on the average weekly household expenditure in the UK (£572.60) the average renting family should have £687,000 worth of life cover as a financial safety net.

The survey found the top reason renters do not have Life insurance for tenants is they believe they don’t have enough equity or money to have a life insurance policy (29 per cent), in comparison to homeowners (11 per cent). Nearly one in five of renters (18 per cent) haven’t got round to it yet and 14 per cent said they had no dependents.

According to Sainsbury’s Bank, major life events are the top reasons people decide to buy protection products. Buying a house is the main reason people chose to purchase life insurance (34 per cent), followed by having a child (17 per cent) and getting married (12 per cent). Unfortunate experiences, such as becoming ill (9 per cent) also prompt people to take out a policy.

Karen Hogg, head of insurance at Sainsbury’s Bank, said: “As more people are raising families in rented accommodation, we need to shift our thinking in terms of life and critical illness cover only being relevant for people with a mortgage. That’s just not the case. All people need to consider what protection their partner and children may need should anything happen to them, including how to cover rent, bills and household essentials.

“Our research found that people are more likely to worry about the financial implications of their passing rather than taking action to alleviate any concerns and protect themselves for the future. Taking out a life insurance policy can help give you peace of mind and ensures you have the financial protection in place.”

For more information click here or ring 01273 857 024

Or check out Wikipedia here

Last minute ideas seem to be how everyone works nowadays.

Research from national building Society’s Payday Saveday marketing campaign shows that procrastination is costing humans about £449 every 12 months. Almost £30,000 (£29,200) during their lifetime. The country wide ballot of 2,000 adults within the United Kingdom suggests that 57% were hit financially by putting off things to the last minute. Almost 2 in 3 (63%) self-perceive themselves as procrastinators. Adults have paid the price – literally – usually by leaving it to the last minute.  To get presents(50%), not putting cash into a financial savings account (38%) and last minute holiday planning (30%).

Last minute ideas

Technology has a large influence on our habit of us putting things off until later.  Checking phones (24%), looking at the TV (22%) and surfing social media (20%) are the top things humans do to procrastinate. On the other hand, deadlines coming up (36%) and encouragement from other people (26%) snapped people out of procrastinating.

We get wiser as we get older with Last minute ideas!

Better news is that we get wiser as we become old with regards to making plans. 2 in 5 (40%) of those aged fifty five or older describe themselves as procrastinators.  Compared to 87 per cent of 16-24s and 78% of 25-34 year olds. But only 32% adults of fifty five and older say they have been caught out leaving matters too late.  Compared to 71% of 25 to 34-yr olds. Men are worst at leaving matters to the last minute, which costs them, on average, £571 a year, compared to only £325 pa for women.

The research also discovered that saving money was top of the list of habits that people would really like to discover (35%). Before having a healthy diet (33%), taking exercise (32%) and getting up earlier(32%). nearly half (48%) of people aged 25-34 wanted to discover ways to save cash regularly – the most of any age group.

Nationwide’s studies many felt guilty about delaying activities. Over 1 in 3 people (36%) regret delaying exercising. Next was saving money (29%) and eating a healthy diet (29%).

For more information go to Brighton Mortgage Broker – The Finance House
For the FCA go to Register Home Page (fca.org.uk)

Moving Home can be costly and stressful.

Moving Home

Summer is normally the most common time of year for moving home. Research uncovers the real expense of moving home over the UK, revealing glaring differences between towns. Research from Barclays Mortgages indicates the typical upfront cost of moving home in the UK, including estate agent, conveyancing and surveyor fees, land registry, EPC and SDLT, is £7,641, plus the buying price. On top of that, the average unforeseen costs can total £1,690, home movers are paying up £9,331 in costs.

The most frequent unexpected costs consist of purchasing new furniture that wasn’t the right size for the new home (43%), decorating (34%) and takeaways for the first few weeks after moving when the kitchen isn’t working correctly. (26%). The research also revealed that almost half (47 per cent) of homebuyers admitted to not being prepared for moving financially, underestimating the overall costs involved. This has resulted in 54 per cent admitting to needing to lean on family members for financial support to deal with the unexpected costs of moving – putting additional strain on a family.

Actual cost of moving home

Actual cost of moving home can be quite large here are some things we forget.

You have the keys, time to have spares cut.

Liverpool buyers will pay only £2,787 to move home, but £22,417 in London.

Estate agent fees as expected are the most of course, a seller in Oxford pays £5,783 but £1,780 in Glasgow.

HMRC removed stamp duty for 1st-time buyers on the first £300,000 of a purchase up to £500,000, this can actually make it cheaper for buyers looking for a lower priced property.

Stamp duty can equally cause a financial headache for those looking to move. In London, where the average house price is currently £482,200, housebuyers will pay an average of £14,110 in stamp duty.

Those looking to buy in the north, say in Liverpool, where the average house price is £123,000, may avoid the fee completely, with most properties below the current threshold of £125,000.

Also home insurance costs can be about £107 and a recommended survey, could be another £550. You can find a RICS surveyor in your area here

An EPC is a legal requirement which adds another £90 on average.

On top of these expenses, many home buyers are hit with other fees, like childcare, self-storage, decorating and pet-sitting fees.

Don’t forget to take into account

Van removals service, Transport between properties, fitting costs for new technology (eg Wi-Fi, TV etc), Costs for changing utility providers, furniture, bedding, kitchen utensils, Cleaning costs for rented properties, storage space, Post redirection costs, Childcare on the day you move, Parking costs, Decorators, Pet-sitting, Council tax costs.

If you require a mortgage for your new home, we are independent, free and whole of market. For more information click here