Whilst the global cr4edit crunch has hit all sectors of the mortgage industry extremely hard over recent months the news has been dominated by stories about how lenders and consumers have really suffered as a result of the effects of the credit squeeze. Lenders have found it increasingly hard to get finance for their mortgage [...]

A recent report has shown that the number of people in the UK who are at risk of losing their homes through repossession has rocketed by nearly 20% in the past year. Homeowners have been hit with a variety of rising costs over recent months, which have seriously affected the ability of many homeowners to [...]

According to a recent report the global credit crunch that has swept across the financial markets in the UK has resulted in a slump in lending levels in the mortgage markets, with a 17% year on year drop indicated in mortgage lending levels. In March the amount lent out in mortgage loans came to around [...]

Over recent months there has been a great deal of speculation over house prices in the UK, with the general consensus being that house prices are set to fall by as much as 20% over the next year or two. With house prices having soared by 200% over the past decade, this may seem like [...]

Over recent years with the property boom in full swing in the UK many of us have come across the expression gazumping, as potential buyers battled it out to get their hands on a property, trying to outbid one another as the seller rubbed his or her hands together in glee. However, with the downturn [...]

Most people are only too aware of how difficult and expensive it has become to get any sort of finance these days, with the global credit crunch maintaining its grip on the UK money markets and lenders exercising increased caution with regards to who they will lend to. Even finding an affordable personal unsecured loan [...]

Over recent months more and more of us have become aware of the importance of protecting our personal data, and the problems that can arise as a result of failure to do this. Personal data can include name, address, date of birth, national insurance details, banking details, etc. Some people have been cynical in the [...]

In the past getting an adverse credit loan could be difficult, and many people with damaged credit found it difficult to get some forms of finance. However, although many lenders would not consider lending to those with damaged credit in the past, and many others charged extortionate rates of interest on loans for those with [...]

A recent report has shown that a worrying number of lenders are failing to carry out important checks into the income of applicants that apply for unsecured finance, and there are concerns that this could lead to many people getting into unmanageable debt levels and could result in an increase in bad debt levels in [...]

It can be very tempting for those with a high level of debt and financial commitment to simply try and ignore their financial worries once difficulties set in. Many people think that burying in their heads in the sand and trying to ignore financial worries means that they will not get stressed over the situation, [...]

Over recent weeks the secured lender, First Plus, which uses the television star Carol Vorderman to advertise its loan products, has been advertising a new loan product, which offers consumers the chance to enjoy a low starting rate of interest on a secured loan. However, the company and the advertisement have come under fire from [...]

According to recent report first time buyers looking to get a footing on the property ladder in the UK are continuing to suffer, even through house prices have been falling, and are now lower than they were this time last year. Whilst many first time buyers may have hoped that falling property prices would at [...]

In April of this year the Bank of England cut the base rate for the third time since December of last year, cutting it by a further 0.25% and taking it from 5.25% to 5%. Following the rate cut the majority of analysts and economists predicted that there would not be a further interest rate [...]

According to a recent report an increasing number of people have decided to consolidate as a result of financial woes and worries in an increasingly difficult financial environment. Figures have been taken over the last several years, and officials claim that over the past three years around 6.5 million borrowers have decided to consolidate their [...]

An industry official has expressed concern that the Bank of England is effectively losing control of retail interest rates, stating that the recent base rate cuts by the central bank have often gone ignored by lenders, who have continued to raise their interest rates despite the base rate cut. Since December there have been three [...]

Recent figures show that mortgage approval levels have been plummeting over recent months, with the number of mortgage approval levels falling to 64,000 in March. This was a 44% drop from the same period a year earlier, and was the lowest level since records began in 1999. The falling figures have stemmed from the global [...]

The UK’s financial markets are in something of a mess as a result of the global credit crunch, which made its way across the nation last summer. All areas of finance have been affected, such as loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Consumer confidence has taken a dive, the economy has been adversely affected, and lending [...]

Over recent months the Bank of England and the Monetary Policy Committee have faced a tough decision when it comes to setting interest rates. This is because on one hand the central bank needs to be very cautious about cutting the baste rate because of rising inflation, but on the other hand the bank needs [...]

One of the traditional ways of finding a suitable mortgage for many people in the UK over recent years has been to go through a broker. Many people who were keen to find the most competitive deal tended to avoid gong from one lender to another in order to browse and compare deals, and get [...]

According to a recent report the first three months of this year have seen individual insolvency levels rise, with an increasing number of people entering into insolvency plans as a result of difficulties with household finances, which have been strained for millions over recent months. A combination of high mortgage repayments, rising bills, increased living [...]

The burden of keeping up with monthly mortgage repayments has really taken its toll on many households over recent months, and amongst the suggestions put forward by senior government officials such as Alistair Darling is the possibility of mortgage payments breaks to help those struggling to keep on top of their repayments. However, some industry [...]

Rising personal debt levels in the UK have resulted in many consumers seeking advice and debt management assistance from one of the number of debt advice companies and charities around, and many have entered into debt management plans through these firms. However, in the past they have experienced difficulties in terms of making arrangements with [...]

According to a recent report some consumers may now be better off using their credit cards as a form of finance rather than opting for a personal loan because loan rates have been hiked up by huge amounts since the onset of the global credit crunch. Credit cards are well known for the high rates [...]

The Nationwide Building Society recently joined a number of other lenders who have decided to try and recoup the losses incurred by the global credit crunch by asking for a larger deposit from mortgage borrowers. In the past some consumers were able to avoid paying a deposit by taking out a 100% mortgage, and in [...]

According to recent figures mortgage lending levels in the UK remain subdued, as the global credit crunch continues to wreak havoc in the financial markets. Figures were recently released by the Bank of England, and showed that mortgage lending levels were continuing to fall, with tighter lending conditions and fewer applications from cash strapped consumers [...]

According to a recent report the effects of the global credit crunch have gone much further than simply making it more difficult to get finance in the UK. Industry officials claim that many consumers are now committing higher levels of fraud on finance applications as a result of the credit crunch, as they think that [...]

As many people have already discovered getting any sort of finance these days has become far more difficult and far more expensive. The global credit crunch has really taken its toll since last summer, and consumers have had to bear the brunt of the difficulties that have come from the crunch. The cost of borrowing [...]

Following a recent meeting with banking and mortgage officials the government has announced that there will be help in place to assist struggling homeowners that are in danger of losing their homes due to mortgage arrears. This includes those that are coming off cheap fixed rate mortgage, many of whom could face losing their homes [...]

Anyone that needs to find suitable finance or credit can enjoy a number of options when it comes to finding the right finance package or financial product. Whilst it is certainly true that the number of different financial products, and access to these financial products, has decreased over recent months as a result of the [...]

Over recent months we have all heard about the various effects of the global credit crunch, which has created havoc in the UK’s money markets and has resulted in many changes. One of the major changes that most of us have heard about is the tighter credit conditions that have resulted from the credit squeeze. [...]

According to a recent report banking officials have warned MPs and the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, that the cost of mortgages may continue to climb over the coming months, despite the launch of a £50 billion mortgage rescue plan introduced by the government, where banks will be able to exchange mortgage assets for government bonds for [...]

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, has recently announced that he wants banks to do what they can to help the more vulnerable families in the country, stating that banks need to help struggling homeowners in order to reduce the risk of rocketing repossession levels. Both Darling and the Housing Minister, Caroline Flint, have stated [...]

It was in the summer of last year when most of us heard the expression ‘global credit crunch’ for the first time. At that time few of us knew just what a dominating force the credit crunch would be in the world of finance, but over eight months later this phenomenon continues to wreak havoc [...]

Over the past six months the mortgage markets have been thrown into turmoil in the UK, with lenders scaling back on their lending, and consumers facing ever increasing costs and difficulties when it comes to getting a mortgage or a remortgage. Many lenders have had to rein in their lending over the past six months, [...]

In a recent announcement the Internet arm of HSBC bank stated that it would be restricting its mortgage lending activities by no longer offering mortgages to those that are not customers of the bank already. Customers of first direct will still be able to access mortgages from the lender even if they do not currently [...]

In April of next year the government are introducing Debt Relief Orders, and these orders are a way for low income borrowers with debts to declare themselves bankrupt online without having to go near a bankruptcy court or deal with the traditional hassles of filing for bankruptcy. However, there are concerns amongst some officials that [...]

With an increasing number of households finding themselves under financial strain as a result of high living costs, tight credit conditions, and rising bills, it is little wonder that so many have decided to turn to consolidation in order to try and reduce their outgoings, reduce the number of debts that they have to deal [...]

An increasing number of households are currently trying to cope with rising debt problems, as rising bills, high mortgage repayments, and restricted access to credit all take their toll on our finances. As a result of this an increasing number of people are now seeking advice with relation to their debts, and the Citizen’s Advice [...]