Housing deposits remain a "major problem" for potential first-time buyers, even when cheap mortgage rates are available, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. Bernard Clarke, communications... read more

Just 37 per cent of UK taxpayers subscribed to a cash Isa in 2008-09, a new report has indicated. According to Scottish Widows, consumers lost an estimated £15.5 billion in unnecessary tax payments... read more

More than half of all cash investors plan to fully utilise their increased stocks and shares Isa allowance from next year, it has been reported. A study conducted by The Share Centre indicates that six... read more

House purchase loans fell by more than three times the decline in remortgages in January, latest figures have indicated. Latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML clearly highlight the... read more

The Dunfermline has launched two new cash Isa products, as the deadline for using the 2009-10 tax-free allowance draws near. Consumers in Scotland can take advantage of a one-year account at a savings... read more

Lloyds Banking Group has launched a new scheme allowing all homeowners to overpay on their mortgage by up to 20 per cent without incurring a penalty charge. The bank says it will run the scheme for one... read more

Britannia and The Co-operative Bank are to jointly launch a new three-year tracker and a five-year capped rate mortgage. The banks, which are making the deals available from Friday March 19th, have described... read more

National Savings and Investments NS&I is to release new issues of its Index-linked Savings Certificates. The new issues, sold in three and five-year terms, will be available to consumers from Wednesday... read more

The UK property market is experiencing its slowest March in recorded history, Rightmove has claimed. Prices have reached a virtual standstill, the firm has reported, with new sellers asking for just £216... read more

Women tend to be more adept at budgeting than their male counterparts, it has been claimed. Jasmine Birtles, founder of Moneymagpie.com, said female professionals tend to be better at controlling income... read more

The vast majority of UK savers believe current rules on individual savings accounts Isa are unfair and penalise those wishing to minimise investment risks, it has been reported. According to research... read more

A drop of £300 in income would cause one in four people to default on their mortgage payments, it has been reported. Research conducted by Callcredit, which interviewed professionals in the 35-44... read more

Norwich & Peterborough N&P Building Society has announced the launch of a new Six Month E-Bond, plus an increase to the savings interest rate paid on its One Year E-Bond. The bonds, which offer... read more

A new mortgage product range has been launched by The Mortgage Works – a subsidiary of Nationwide Building Society – which allows a guarantor to cover up to 30 per cent of the purchase loan. The... read more

Santander has reduced rates by up to 0.40 per cent across its four-year fixed-rate mortgages, increasing the options available to homeowners. The bank is now offering a four-year fix at 4.49 per cent with... read more

The remortgage market has returned to strength during the first two months of 2010, it has been reported. According to the John Charcol Index, purchases took only 47.3 per cent of mortgages sold by the... read more

Over half of all investors have their money stored as cash, according to the Fair Investment Company. The firm reports that 25 per cent of investors are happy with their savings interest rates and will... read more

Additional market competition has led to the emergence of cheaper mortgage rates, according to one lender. Andy Pratt, chief operating officer at Alexander Hall, said confidence is gradually returning... read more

National Savings and Investments NS&I has launched a new savings account offering customers an easy way of managing their cash reserves. The institution is making its Direct Saver account, which... read more

Housing market supply is once again outstripping demand, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics. The organisation says new instructions outpaced buyer interest for a second consecutive... read more

Northern Rock has launched two new issues of its fixed-rate bond which offer guaranteed savings interest rates of at least 3.15 per cent. The state-owned bank offers the rate to one year bonds, or a higher... read more

Savers who fail to use their Isa allowance are effectively giving money to the taxman, according to one financial commentator. David Kuo, director of the financial website Fool.co.uk, said consumers should... read more

The increasing tendency among lenders to offer higher loan-to-values is a positive sign for those seeking cheap mortgage rates, it has been claimed. Ben Wilkie, editor of What Mortgage, said the market... read more

The Icelandic population has voted overwhelmingly against repaying £3.3 billion worth of loans to the UK and Netherlands. In the country's first referendum as an independent nation, 93 per cent of... read more

Homeowners on tracker deals should remain on cheap mortgage deals for at least another month after the Bank of England chose to freeze interest rates once again. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee held... read more

Savers wishing to capitalise on their 2009-10 Isa allowance cannot afford to leave it until the last minute this year, it has been claimed. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have reminded consumers that the... read more

Consumer saving dropped to the lowest level for over two years during the winter, it has been reported. According to National Savings & Investments' NS&I Savings Survey, people are now putting... read more

It is worrying how many people are missing out on cheaper mortgage rates through ignorance over their current repayment costs, according to one expert. Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage... read more

At least three million UK borrowers do not know the rate of interest at which they are currently repaying their mortgage, it has been reported. Post Office Mortgages reports that 28 per cent are ignorant... read more

The Co-operative Financial Services has added a new two-year fixed-rate deal to its mortgage range. Available through both the Co-operative Bank and Britannia, interest rates of 3.19 per cent are accessible... read more

Consumers need to be encouraged to save more following the recession, according to one MP. Mark Hoban, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said the UK economy has become too heavily reliant upon... read more

Levels of individual savings account Isa business are set to surge when the increase tax-free allowance comes into force for all consumers, it has been reported. From April 6th 2010, all savers will... read more

Homeowners seeking cheap mortgages can go one better with Santander this month, as the lender is offering lucky competition winners the chance to win free repayments for a whole year. Consumers applying... read more

National Counties Building Society has launched a 45 Day Notice Cash Isa ahead of the new tax year. The cash Isa offers a variable interest rate up to 3.10 per cent tax-free AER for balances of £35,000... read more

High street lender Santander has today launched a new range of fixed-rate bonds. The new products pay up to 3.75 per cent gross/AER, meaning they could be of interest to consumers seeking the best savings... read more

Banks need to be more willing to lend if the availability of cheap mortgages is to improve, it has been suggested. According to Catherine Hearnden, director of MyMortgageDirect, increased loan-to-value... read more

UK house prices have fallen for the first time since the second quarter of 2009, it has been reported. Latest figures from Nationwide indicate that prices fell by one per cent during February after nine... read more

Cheap mortgages could soon be harder to come by for non energy-efficient properties, borrowers have been warned. According to the latest English Housing Survey released by the Department of Communities... read more

Yorkshire Building Society has given a further boost to the UK property market by signalling its intention to step up its mortgage lending over the remainder of 2010. The country's second-largest mutual,... read more

Around one in four Britons wish they had started putting money away earlier in life, new research has found. With millions still struggling financially as a result of the economic downturn, a study carried... read more

The Fair Investment Company has launched a new funds service which allows customers to take control of their own Isas and other investments. Nick Scarrett, head of pensions and investment at the firm,... read more

The Building Societies Association BSA has welcomed the announcement that Northern Rock's 100 per cent savings guarantee is to be removed. Earlier this week, the Treasury announced that from May 24th,... read more

Updating existing legislation to allow more online estate agents to compete in the property market would create better deals for homeowners and buyers, it has been claimed. According to the Office of Fair... read more

Plans to allow additional online competition in the mortgage industry have been backed by Briffy.com. David Amstell, founder of the property website, said such a development could help keep prices in check,... read more

The 100 per cent savings deposit guarantee offered by Northern Rock is to be scrapped in three months time, it has been reported. According to the Treasury, the guarantee will be removed on May 24th, meaning... read more

Many consumers could miss out on their tax-free allowance from the start of the new tax year, according to Barclays. The bank reports that 42 per cent of consumers are unaware that new limits - £5,100... read more

Individuals looking for the best savings rates in possession of individual savings accounts ISAs should make the most of their allowance before the end of the tax year. This is the recommendation from... read more

House buyers unable to secure cheap mortgages could be part of the reason for a future dip in the housing market. This is according to Kate Barker, policymaker and housing market expert at the Bank of... read more

Individuals looking for the best savings rate should start by looking at individual savings accounts, commonly known as ISAs. This is the recommendation from totallymoney.com, which recommends ISAs because... read more

The relatively weak level of mortgage lending in January has been met with little surprise from the British Bankers' Association BBA. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML revealed that... read more

Savers should take the opportunity to pay off debts on mortgages and credit cards if they are unwilling to put money away at present, it has been suggested. According to Martin Bamford, chartered financial... read more

Mortgage lending will recover in time, but it is likely to remain at current levels of decline for the next few months, one lender has claimed. Timothy Lambert, head of consulting at Ducalian, was commenting... read more

High street lender Halifax has celebrated the 21st anniversary of the fixed-rate mortgage by launching a new product. The bank has introduced a new 21-month fixed-rate deal which allows homeowners to guarantee... read more

UK consumers have wasted a combined £13 billion by failing to take advantage of individual savings accounts Isas. This is the major finding of new research conducted by Clydesdale & Yorkshire... read more

The Post Office has announced the upcoming launch of a new range of 75 per cent loan-to-value LTV mortgages, aimed at enabling more first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder. The new range,... read more

Gross mortgage lending stood at £9.1 billion for the first month of the new decade, newly-released figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML show. This represents a 32 per cent fall in lending... read more

Around one in four women aged between 35 and 45 currently have no savings account to speak of, it has been revealed. Looking into the personal finances of this 'rudderless' demographic, the new study carried... read more

The number of borrowers applying for mortgages is expected to keep on rising as confidence returns to the UK housing market. That is the picture painted by the latest Paragon Mortgages' Financial Adviser... read more

Parents thinking of sending their children to university and supporting them as they get their feet on the housing and career ladders may need to put aside more money than they previously planned. According... read more

Skipton International has launched a new fixed-rate sterling account paying 3.5 per cent gross per annum. The Guernsey-based savings and mortgages provider requires a minimum deposit of £10,000 to... read more

Norwich & Peterborough Building Society N&P has introduced the third issue of its E-Saver account, which currently pays 2.55 per cent in interest. The savings account has a standard variable... read more

Further criticism for proposed additional regulation in the buy-to-let market has been offered by the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. The organisation has backed the Treasury's plan to extend regulation... read more

One in ten under-16s has a part-time job to earn extra money, according to a new study. Research conducted by the Halifax indicates that the average weekly wage for children in employment is £17.93... read more

The government should think again over plans to regulate buy-to-let mortgages, it has been suggested. According to the Building Societies Association BSA, any such move would be to the detriment of investment... read more

More than half of all British consumers feel the recession had no negative impacts on their savings habits during 2009, it has been reported. Research conducted by Barclays indicates that 17 per cent of... read more

The cold snap in January contributed to a fall in completed property transactions, it has been reported. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics, buyer interest and instructions... read more

High street lender Santander has reduced the rates on its five-year fixed mortgages by up to 0.25 per cent. Aiming to offer cheap mortgage rates, the firm has made its 70 per cent loan-to-value LTV product... read more

More than half of all British consumers feel the recession had no negative impacts on their savings habits during 2009, it has been reported. Research conducted by Barclays indicates that 17 per cent of... read more

The Nationwide Savings Index has reported a rise in the number of occasional and regular savers in the UK. According to the latest statistics, the total rose to its highest level since September 2008 –... read more

UK consumers should still be looking to increase the amount of money they save, it has been reported. Anna Sofat, director of ADDIDI Wealth, said new figures from Nationwide pointing to an increase in... read more

Buy-to-let remortgaging activity continued to decline during the final quarter of 2009, it has been reported. According to research conducted by Paragon Mortgages, 30 per cent of landlords remortgaged... read more

Tracker rates fell to a record low during January, offering a boost to consumers seeking cheap mortgage rates. According to the Bank of England – which began keeping records on the product in 1997... read more

Money worries are leading some UK consumers to neglect their love lives, a new study has indicated. According to research conducted by Scottish Widows, one in eight people are too busy worrying about their... read more

Platform - the intermediary mortgage specialist of The Co-operative Bank - has reduced the rates on both its fixed and tracker deals. The lender is now offering two-year fixed rates from 3.59 per cent... read more

The Co-operative Financial Services has reduced its mortgage rates by up to 0.55 per cent, it has been announced. From Wednesday February 10th, customers of both Britannia and The Co-operative Bank will... read more

A new one-year fixed-rate savings bond has been launched by first direct, it has been reported. The bond, available to consumers who invest between £2,000 and £49,999, offers a rate of 2.75 per... read more

The Mortgage Works has launched a new range of stepped buy-to-let tracker mortgage products. Unique to the buy-to-let market, the deals offer cheap mortgage rates from the Bank of England base rate plus... read more

Spanish bank Santander increased its net mortgage lending in the UK to £7.6 billion last year and estimates that this represents a net market share of 69.1 per cent. However, the firm's share of the... read more

Newcastle Building Society has launched a range of fixed-rate Isa and bond products, which may interest consumers seeking the best interest rates on savings. The new accounts, which are available to any... read more

The number of 90 per cent loan-to-value LTV mortgages on the market has increased by 26 per cent in the past month, it has been reported. Research conducted by Moneyfacts indicates that there were 144... read more

The decision of the Bank of England to freeze its base rate is "good news" for mortgagees on tracker and standard variable rate deals, it has been suggested. Yesterday it was announced that interest... read more

The mortgage market could be left with a £300 billion shortfall in funding by 2014, it has been claimed. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML, the gap is currently being filled by government... read more

Leeds Building Society has launched a new two-year fixed-rate mortgage offering a rate of 3.45 per cent. The deal – which is available at up to 60 per cent loan-to-value LTV - has no higher lending... read more

Investors aged over 50 have more than doubled lump sum contributions to share-based individual savings accounts Isas, it has been reported. According to research conducted by Virgin Money, income funds... read more

A new range of competitive fixed-rate bonds has been launched by Santander and Alliance & Leicester. The new offer, which is available at any of the banks' branches, could see interest accrue at up... read more

The average price of houses across the UK is predicted to rise by more than six per cent this year, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research. It claims that by 2014, prices are likely... read more

Santander is launching two new 70 per cent loan-to-value LTV mortgages, it has been announced. Two-year tracker and two-year fixed rate deals are now available at all branches, offering rates of 2.49... read more

The Council of Mortgage Lenders CML has predicted a slow January and February in terms of housing market activity. According to the organisation, the end of the stamp duty concession appears to have... read more

Coventry Building Society has launched the fourth issue of its popular 1st Class Postal account. The account offers variable-rate, easy-access postal savings with a best-buy return of 3.15 per cent AER. Consumers... read more

The UK witnessed a slight dip in the number of mortgages approved for home purchase during December 2009. According to the Bank of England, approvals stood at 59,023, down from 60,045 in November - but... read more

House prices rose for the ninth month in a row during January, latest figures have indicated. In news of interest to consumers seeking cheap mortgage rates, Nationwide found that the average UK house price... read more

UK consumers are saving 136 per cent more compared to the same period last year, it has been reported. According to a new study conducted by Birmingham Midshires, Britons saved an average of £776... read more

Investors over the age of 50 have more than doubled their contributions to share-based Isas since the government increased the tax-free allowance, it has been reported. In the Budget 2009, published last... read more

The proposals to protect mortgage holders in arrears are "very reasonable", according to one mortgage lender. Earlier this week, the Financial Services Authority FSA announced measures including... read more

The house price rises seen throughout the last decade are unsustainable, it has been claimed. According to a new report from Halifax, the average property increased in value by 105 per cent in the 2000s,... read more

Consumers must continue to use individual savings accounts Isas, it has been claimed. Jason Butler, a partner at Bloomsbury Financial Planning, said savers should not be put off by slim returns on their... read more

Female consumers are cutting back on retail therapy in favour of saving as a result of the downturn, it has been reported. According to the Co-operative Bank Savings, three-quarters of women have attempted... read more

The Nottingham has offered a new high-interest savings account designed for those looking to save 'a little and often'. Launched last week, the Fixed Rate Regular Saver offers a guaranteed interest rate... read more

Mortgage lending strengthened slightly in December, the British Bankers' Association BBA has reported. The organisation says gross lending was inflated by some borrowers pushing through purchases ahead... read more

A package of measures designed to ensure fair treatment for mortgage holders in arrears has been set out. The Financial Services Authority FSA has reinforced its tough stance in the battle against mortgage... read more