Searching for your first home can be an overwhelming experience, but when it’s the biggest purchase of your life, you need to ensure that it’s right for you. There are so many things to consider, so to help you with one of the biggest decisions in your life, we have drawn up some helpful tips and guidance when finding your first home.

Start with an open mind

There is the danger of becoming too fixated on certain locations or certain properties. It’s important to be open when searching for your first home, ensuring that you’re considering a...

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered the next part of his plan: “a Budget for long term and sustainable growth”. Read on to find out who were the winners and losers from the 2023 spring Budget.

Winners

Over-50s returning to work
In his speech, the Chancellor said that “older people are the most skilled and experienced people we have”. So, he announced steps to make it easier for those over 50 to work for longer.

Firstly, the government announced an enhancement to the “midlife MOT” strategy – offering reviews to help individuals ta...

The average British family used to be 2.4 children, these days it’s 1.7 children (and half a dog). Whether your idea of a family is two adults and two children or just you and a dog creating a family budget is an essential step towards managing your finances effectively.

By gathering information about your income and expenses, categorizing your expenses, setting financial goals, determining your disposable income, and creating a budget plan, you can take control of your finances and achieve your financial goal.

1. Compare income and expens...

It’s important to regularly review your mortgage. If necessary, you may want to transfer to a new deal or a different lender when you come to the end of a fixed rate. If you’re worried about your options when you come to the end of your deal, talk to us. We can help by looking at our range of lenders to see what's right for you and we'll also consider what your current lender offers.

Many lenders allow us to secure a new fixed rate for you months in advance of your current rate ending. It’s important to start early and we can help you navig...

Taking out an offset mortgage enables you to use your savings to reduce your mortgage balance and the interest you pay on it.

Offset mortgages can help you save money over the course of your deal as there’s less interest to pay over the longer term. Interest rates on offset products can be higher than on an equivalent standard repayment deal, but thanks to the savings placed aside, these are charged on a smaller loan amount. This means you will pay less mortgage interest while the savings are offset.

An offset mortgage can help to lower...

Hardly a day goes by without the cost of living hitting the headlines. For many homeowners the increasing costs of owning and running a home is having a huge impact on household budgets. For those borrowers with a fixed rate mortgage, the recent increase in mortgage interest rates may not have an immediate impact. However, as mortgages are more expensive now than they were two years ago, you may see your mortgage payments rise when you next come to remortgage.

Overpaying on your mortgage now could save you more on interest down the line and...

After several months of economic and political uncertainty the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered his autumn statement.

With announcements relating to energy bills, Income Tax, the State Pension, tax allowances, and Stamp Duty, there are plenty of ways your finances could be affected in 2023 and beyond.

Here are the key points of the autumn statement and what they mean for you.

You may pay more Income Tax in 2023/4The chancellor’s announcements mean many millions of workers are likely to pay more Income Tax over the next few years...