Achieve Success with Oportfolio

So, you’ve done it. You’ve taken the plunge, found your dream house, sorted the mortgage (hopefully through us!), found a buyer for your own property and contracts have been exchanged. All that’s left now is to sit back, put your feet up and wait for moving day. Well, that’s what you might do if you miss having unnecessary stress in your life. But if you’d like to wake up on the day of the move feeling calm about the 24 hours to come, there are some things you can start doing the moment the move is guaranteed to happen. Declutter, declutter, declutter! First of all, it’s time to get rid of what you don't need. This is particularly important if you’re downsizing, of course, but even for those of us who are trading up to something with more space, it pays – literally, in fact – to get rid of the things you can before you say goodbye to the home you’re in. Whether you hire a specialist removal company or plan to shift the contents of your old home yourself in a hired van, every single item you transport from one property to the other will cost you money – either in the cost of the box it gets packed in, the cost of the people who arrive to carry it in and out of the lorry or in the cost of the van you have to hire. And of course, everything you pack needs to be unpacked at the other end, so the more you take, the longer it will be before you’re shipshape in the new place. Bottom line, it makes no sense at all to move stuff you don’t need to keep – so use the time you have now to get rid of it. Declutter outside, too! If you’re decluttering the inside, do the same outside. Dispose of the things you won’t be taking with you, especially anything that might be hazardous, like old paint, weedkiller, caustic soda, old barbecue gas containers and so on (making sure to take them to a facility that can dispose of them safely – your local tidy tip will be able to give you advice on the best way to do this). The same goes for the things in the garage and sheds that won’t be making the trip with you – that rake with the missing or rusty tines, the leaf blower that no longer works, the bike that’s too small for your youngest child. The same applies here as it does inside the house – why spend time and money moving something you haven’t used in years and don’t need? Be organised Pack smart by labelling the boxes with the rooms they’re going to go in when they arrive at the other end, especially if it’s not immediately obvious from what’s in the box. It also makes sense to prepare matching labels for the rooms themselves at your new home – matching Joe’s Bedroom with a room labelled Joe’s Bedroom is a lot easier for the movers than trying to match Joe’s Bedroom with Bedroom 1 or, worse, with rooms that aren’t labelled at all. Be prepared As you go through the packing process, have an Essentials box into which you put everything you might need in the first few hours at your new place. This might include plates and cutlery, mugs, enough glasses for everyone, coffee, tea and sugar, a book, pet food if appropriate, a packet of biscuits or other snacks and just about anything else you could possibly need before you get stuck into the task of unpacking in earnest. Don't forget to look after yourself Finally, on the day, take time to be kind to yourself. In most cases, there’s no deadline involved in unpacking into a new home other than the deadlines we set for ourselves, so be realistic about what you can and will achieve. In fact, if you’re super-organised, you might even arrange your packing so you know which boxes are priority boxes and which aren’t. Moving home can be stressful enough without adding to the pressure by setting yourself impossible targets. On moving day, take time to stop for something to eat and drink and to enjoy the sensation of being in a new place. You’ve worked hard to get there – so allow yourself to savour the moment by doing the hard work early rather than leaving it to the last minute.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.    

  When it comes to making plans for the future, one option that many homeowners consider is looking for additional borrowing from their existing lender or, if the circumstances are right, re-mortgaging in order to raise the money needed for a home extension. According to a consumer survey earlier this year the prospect of carrying out home improvements rather than moving is very attractive – but the scope to build additional space is also often a key criterion for prospective buyers looking for a property where there’s potential to build up, down or out. Deciding to add value through construction is all well and good, but what happens if you then discover your home is in a Conservation Area? Conservation areas are protected by law from undesirable change because they’re deemed important either environmentally or architecturally. Every local authority has at least one of these conservation areas in the district it controls and there are now more than 10,000 of them in the UK. The nature of what is protected differs from place to place. In some cases it might be limited to a few buildings boasting unique or historically-relevant architecture, in others it could be that the area is populated with ancient trees or that the general landscape is in some way worthy of safeguarding. In all cases, the nature of any building work that can be carried out is limited in some way and knowing what you can or can’t do before you start the planning process can not only save you financially by helping you to avoid wasting money on professional and local authority fees for schemes that won’t be approved, but can also dial down the potential stress of being underprepared. Typically, conservation areas are found in older cities, towns and villages, but can also be applied to early housing estates for their historical significance in town planning as well as to landmarks and country estates (including privately-owned property within their grounds). If you’re not sure whether your home – or the home you intend to buy – is in a conservation area, the chances are the local planning authority will have a specialist Conservation officer who will be able to tell you if there are any restrictions that apply. Not all local authorities have a specialist officer and if that’s the case for the area you’re interested in, someone in the planning department will be able to give you the information you need. So, what does being in a conservation area actually mean in practical terms? Well, the principal benchmark that applies to planning applications in a conservation area is whether the intended work serves to either enhance or preserve the property and the surrounding environment. All planning applications are assessed against this basic principle. Once that test has been passed, the design element of your scheme will come under greater consideration than it would if the project were being proposed in an area not protected by Conservation Area status. Design, in this context, doesn’t relate to the size, position or mass of the intended completed property, but rather to the quality of the design and how it fits in to its surroundings. What planning officers aren’t looking at is style – something of a different style to neighbouring properties isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker as long as it protects or enhances the immediate area. Contemporary design is also fine as long as the project meets that basic enhance or preserve test overall. Don’t be sucked into a game of ‘well the house down the street has got X, Y or Z, so why can’t we?’ Many factors can determine what has happened in the past – from work undertaken under permitted development rules which didn’t require planning consent, to different planning officers taking a different view at a different time, to a conservation area being designated very recently. There is no ‘precedent’ in play, which means engaging early with your planning authority is a good strategy. Finding out what’s likely to be allowed will save wasted drawings and wasted time on a process that won’t deliver the result you want. If you use a local architect, he or she may well have a good understanding of the local authority view on the area. A good rule of thumb is to make a positive effort to enhance or improve what exists now, to commit to referencing the local area in some way (by using local materials, for example) and to take care over how you present your plans (think about 3D modelling or hand sketches rather than relying on conventional blueprints alone). Developing property in a conservation area isn’t a no-no – but it does require some thought and positive effort.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.          

With Theresa May having emerged from her Brussels trip with unanimous backing for her plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union and prepares for tomorrow's Parliamentary vote on it (assuming continued Cabinet concerns about the likelihood of a Commons defeat don't mean it's postponed), one of the big questions which has yet to be answered is what the future holds for interest rates and, more specifically, the mortgage market. There’s much speculation about the many and varied potential economic consequences of Britain’s departure from the union – from the thorny issue of what happens with the Irish border to inward investment from overseas and the effect a future without a European trade agreement might have on our supermarket shelves. But arguably the biggest concern for individuals and business alike has been the potential effect on interest rates and the housing market. According to the Office for National Statistics, the housing market is now growing at its lowest rate for five years and in September the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, warned that a no-deal exit from Europe might force a rise in interest rates. So with the Prime Minister now looking for Parliament to sign up to a deal viewed as acceptable to remaining members of the EU, but which has received a lukewarm reception from pro-Leave MPs in her own party, what is the likely effect of Brexit on the mortgage market. The honest truth, of course, is that no-one really knows, and the level of largely speculative white noise around the subject since June 2016 when the UK voted to leave has been unhelpful at best. The variables are many and varied – interest rates in a no-deal withdrawal, for example, may look very different than they would in a Norway- or Canada-style European Free Trade Agreement. And until Parliament meets to debate the proposed agreement, none of us really have any idea what might be in store in that regard. So if we don’t know the answer to the specific question about what interest rates might do in our new post-March 2019 world, what do we know right now about the housing market? The first absolute is that interest rates will affect most homeowners regardless of our European status. This is simple fact. If you currently have a mortgage and you expect to have a mortgage at the time we leave, then whatever happens to interest rates will affect you whether you do nothing, move house, extend your borrowing or remortgage. We also know that the reasons for moving will remain unchanged. People move home – and, therefore, move mortgage – for all sorts of reasons: downsizing, upsizing, a change in job circumstances and/or location, family commitments and health reasons can all play a part. So, the motivation to move will be no different. It’s also probably fair to assume that the mortgage market will continue to be competitive. That doesn’t mean rates won’t go up, but such is the competition for business within the mortgage sector that it’s reasonable to guess that whatever context they have to work within – whether that’s against a landscape of increased rates or not – lenders will be doing whatever they can to offer the most attractive rates possible. In short, lenders’ profitability will depend on continuing to generate new business. We can probably also have confidence that the Bank of England will be doing its utmost to take a measured approach to how it responds to changing economic factors. The Bank regularly stress tests lenders’ ability to cope with changing demands and any rise in interest rates is likely to be agreed only where there is a longer term advantage to be gained in protecting the UK’s overall economic health. Whilst you can never say never, a return to the knee-jerk policies on interest rates we saw towards the end of the 1980s and which led to explosive rises in base rates overnight seem highly unlikely in the context of what the financial sector has learned in the decade since the economic crash of 2008. The question for most people is likely to be about whether it makes sense to extend their borrowing, either through an additional loan from an existing lender or a new mortgage from a new lender, until the picture becomes clearer. That will be a greater consideration for you depending on affordability – and that’s where the FCA and Bank of England rules on lending should help anyway, weeding out those applications which fail tougher lending criteria. If you’re considering a change in your mortgage for whatever reason, our advisers can help you to assess your personal situation and finances and advise you on the best course of action according to your circumstances.     To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.          

The world we live in is increasingly on-demand and technology has made it possible for us as consumers to easily get what we need from multiple sources. Personal finance advice and products are no different. But is that the best way to make important financial decisions about your future? When it comes to entertainment, the world is no longer linear. The very idea of having to plan a night’s television viewing, for example, is preposterous. TV shows, film and music is now just a download away, allowing us to build our viewing and listening experiences into the demands of modern life. Our online environment has made ownership of our personal finance environment similarly accessible. At the stroke of a key or click of a mouse, we can compare hundreds if not thousands of different personal finance products, from loans and credit cards to mortgages and insurance. And while that’s obviously very convenient, does it actually serve our best interests? If we visit a mortgage comparison website, we can see the interest rate and the repayment amount – but do we understand what that means in the context of our own lives? Some of us are savvy enough to be able to look at a range of mortgage products and take a step back to consider how our lives might change as the years pass, making decisions about our borrowing accordingly. Some people will be able to look at economic trends or industry patterns and make calculated decisions about their long-term employment prospects, and that will help them to make key decisions about the level of income protection they might need. Many people will know there’s a difference between standard buildings and contents insurance and the property insurance they might need if they rent out their property. Similarly, there are lots of people who can look at their family medical history and draw pragmatic conclusions about their own long-term health and the advantages of having health insurance in place. But does everyone possess this ability? Is everyone able to take a long pace back and look at their financial options in the context of their own lives? More importantly, do you have the knowledge and objectivity to do that – and to get it right? Part of the problem with living in an on-demand world is that price becomes the key to everything. Type ‘health insurance’ into Google and at the top of the results page that comes back will be a load of adverts from price comparison sites. And that’s the problem – price comparison sites are not benefit comparison sites. They don’t know you and they can’t tailor the product to you. All they can do is present you with a list of products, starting with the cheapest. And that isn’t the same as presenting you with the best, even if price is likely to be a factor in your decision. The same is true of any similar search around mortgages, property insurance, or income replacement cover. The online market is geared to giving you choices that are defined by cost first and benefit second. That carries an obvious risk: that in choosing the cheapest product available, you’ll be buying a product that doesn’t actually offer you the cover or benefit you expected it would. And if that happens, the chances are you’ll find out when it’s too late. There are all sorts of products that are directly available online or promoted as part of a price comparison service that could be said to be relatively low risk: car insurance, pet insurance and appliance cover are three that spring easily to mind. That’s not to say choosing the wrong cover in those cases isn’t costly. On the contrary, in fact – an error can be painfully expensive. But borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a property, insuring its value or being able to pay your bills and keep your home in the event of being unable to work is a step up from those kinds of annual policies where relatively small – or at least well-defined – sums of money might be involved. That’s why asking advice from a professional adviser is always a good idea. A professional mortgage or insurance provider will be able to offer you advice ‘in the round’ – in other words, advice that’s informed by your complete financial circumstances. He or she will recommend policies or options that will give you the peace of mind and certainty you need, without jeopardising your financial security or your ability to meet your financial obligations. Taking decisions in isolation by yourself is a right and privilege that comes with digital empowerment. It has many positive things to commend it. But it can also be a dangerous environment that can have a serious impact on your future security. No reputable adviser will charge you for an initial chat, so you have nothing to lose by calling a professional individual or business you trust and fin ding out how they can help. If you’d like to talk about your own circumstances and needs, we’re listening.   Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

It’s been a few months since I last wrote about Brexit and its likely impact on interest rates, the mortgage sector and the residential property market. That was not long after the deadline for the UK to leave the EU was extended to the end of October. So, now that we’re roughly halfway between the last deadline and this one, what’s changed? On the one hand, nothing much has changed at all. There’s no more clarity now on how we’ll leave the bloc (or even, perhaps, if we’ll leave) than there was three months ago. But politically-speaking, on the other hand, everything has changed. We have a new Prime Minister working with an even more slender majority than his predecessor and leading a party that, if anything, is more divided than it has been at any point since the EU referendum. He chairs a cabinet that is loudly pro-Leave and, publicly at least, completely aligned to taking the UK out of Europe on October 31 come what may. Outside the inner sanctum of the cabinet, former senior ministers warn of chaos ahead if Britain is allowed to crash out of Europe without a deal, while the apparatchiks of central and local government ramp up their preparations for No Deal. Labour is said to be planning a vote of no confidence in a bid to force a General Election. The Liberal Democrats have a new leader in Jo Swinson, and her fiercely pro-Remain party is attracting membership applications from former Tory MPs, disillusioned with their brief stint as part of the Change UK party. All in all, things have certainly been better within Great Britain PLC. But what does the uncertainty mean if you’ve got a mortgage or you’re thinking of buying and/or selling your home? Naturally, it depends on what you read, who you listen to and whether you’re on the Winnie the Pooh or Eeyore side of the optimism/pessimism divide. But amid the more outlandish crystal ball-gazing, there have been some interesting and well-informed hypotheses doing the rounds recently. The general consensus seems to be that a No Deal Brexit would substantially increase the chances of an economic downturn. Some commentators have stopped short of predicting a full-on recession, but others haven’t been quite as shy. According to the Guardian’s personal finance and consumer correspondents, this may not be a bad thing for homeowners where interest rates are concerned. Their joint article talks of mortgage interest rates returning to their sub-1% levels of 2016 and even of the Bank of England imposing a zero rate to ease the transition to a new trade arrangement with the rest of the world. Such a move would undoubtedly be welcomed by homeowners who suddenly find their mortgage rates significantly reduced. But the other side of that coin, of course, is the resulting misery for savers and investors. As for house prices and whether now is the time to buy or sell, the same article suggests that trying to predict whether to move before or after October 31 is more likely to be a lottery. Having said that, the fact remains that if you consider your finances to be insulated from the immediate impact of Brexit – whether with or without a deal – then when you move is less of an issue. The only question at that point is whether you can sweeten the process by winning out on the price at which you agree to buy and securing the market value of the house you sell. The Daily Mail’s financial website This Is Money reports that there’s been a growth in the appetite for long-term mortgage deals, including the recently-trending 10 year fixed product some lenders are offering. As I said in our recent article on whether you should fix your mortgage rate, we’d advise caution when it comes to locking on to a long-term deal. They tend to be more expensive and if rates do come down – which is a distinct possibility over a period of a decade – then you’re going to lose out in the long run. There are circumstances where a long-term fixed product might be right for you – but I would strongly advise getting advice from a professional mortgage expert before you commit. And then  there are the conflicting calls in the Express and Times for the Bank of England to either raise interest rates and demonstrate its commitment to – and confidence in – Brexit (Express), or cut rates ahead of Brexit to ease the impact on the economy (Times). So, even the papers are divided on the best approach to fiscal policy. The fact is, we won’t have true clarity until October 31 arrives. In the meantime, the world keeps turning and life goes on. My advice is always that you should take any long-term financial decision – such as buying a house – in the context of your long-term financial security, and ultimately that comes down to the answer to the question of whether your potential financial exposure is controllable. Any investment is a risk – but calculated risks, where you’ve looked at the worst-case scenarios and demonstrated you can survive them, are always going to be preferable to walking into a commitment blind. The best thing you can do if you’re thinking about moving in the next three months is get some advice from a professional broker and a financial adviser – and factor that advice into your decision.     Need more information about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Anyone who’s looking to get their foot on the first rung of the housing ladder or has just managed to find their way onto it will know that being a first-time-buyer can be an extremely challenging and stressful time. You’d almost have had to have been living under a rock to have missed the fact that the turbulence of the last post-financial crisis decade has made the lending environment a darned sight tougher than it was for the previous two or three generations. But it’s not just the rigour of affordability tests that you’ll have to contend with as a first-time-buyer. You’re also going to feel hamstrung by your lack of experience in the market, and that’s something that many people underestimate when they set out to buy their first house. But first things first. Let’s deal with the first obstacle. Deposit & Affordability The simple fact is that whether this is the first house you’ve bought or the fiftieth, you’re going to have to prove to prospective lenders that you can pay back the money you want to borrow. This is the first and most important hurdle you’ll need to clear – if your lender decides you can’t afford the repayments, then everything else is immaterial. And if you can’t buy the house on your own? Well, there are still options available to you. Some lenders now offer products that allow a family member to guarantee or underwrite the repayments. Or, it could be that you know other people who might be prepared to buy the property jointly with you and view their share of the ownership as a long-term investment. In both cases, though, it’s wise to get professional advice to make sure you don’t find yourself under pressure to sell quickly and unexpectedly in the future. There are now more mortgage products on the market that will allow you to borrow the entire cost of a property – these are known as 100% mortgages. But attractive as these may be, consider them carefully because there are downsides (e.g. it’s easier to fall into negative equity if you have no capital tied up in your home). In any event, the more attractive mortgage products that will be available to you are likely to require you to put up some of the cost yourself in the form of a deposit – and having something to put down also reassures the lender that you recognise scale of the financial commitment you’re making. Making a mortgage application You could apply for your mortgage online or in a lender’s branch. But it would probably serve your best interests to talk to an independent mortgage broker to get access to products you won’t be able to find yourself. There are very clear benefits to working with a professional mortgage broker. At Oportfolio, for example, we’ll advise you on affordability, the best way to structure your loan and the benefits of each product you might want to consider – but we’ll also look after your application from the point you start to the point you receive your mortgage offer and beyond. You’ll need to have quite a bit of personal information to hand to complete your application, but your broker will walk you through that, too. If you’ve already found a property you love, the estate agent you’re dealing with may push you to make an appointment with their in-house or preferred mortgage adviser. The only thing to know here is that there’s no obligation for you to do that unless you want to. It’s a good idea to get a mortgage offer in principle before you start house hunting. Most agreements in principle are valid for between 60 and 90 days, giving you a good amount of time to find a property and make an offer. Making an offer So, you’ve got a mortgage agreed in principle and you’ve found your dream home. How do you work out what to offer? To some extent, of course, you’re going to be constrained by the amount you’ve been told you can borrow. If you’re like most of us, you’ll probably have been including in your search properties that are slightly out of your budget in the hope you might be able to get a lower offer accepted. This is where your agreement in principle comes in handy, because as a first-time-buyer with no chain and a mortgage already approved, you’re going to be more attractive to a seller who needs to shift their property to get the upper chain moving. To get a real sense of how much the house you want is worth, do some research. Find out what similar properties in the area have sold for in the recent past. What motivates a homeowner to sell is hard to guess. They may need to sell their property at the very top of its value to make their own step up the ladder. They may have priced their home to sell quickly because they’ve seen something they like and want to move fast. Or they may just be testing the market and are prepared to wait for the right offer. In the end, though, a house is only ever worth what someone’s prepared to pay for it – so knowing your own limit will allow you to make a confident offer. Oh no – my offer has been rejected! You really want the house, but the current owner has said no to your offer. Although this is disappointing, it’s not the end of the world. You have two options – either increase your offer if you can afford to (but it’s good practice to know the price beyond which you will not go) or walk away and find something else you love. The survey suggests there’s a problem This can be a minefield. If the problem is serious, it may prevent you from securing your mortgage (which will have been offered in principle on the basis the property you want to buy is sound). If it’s not a problem so serious as to be a dealbreaker, then can you afford to make the necessary repairs? Alternatively, can you use the problem to renegotiate your offer and then talk to your mortgage lender to see if you can use part of the loan agreed in principle to carry out the repairs. Again, a professional mortgage broker can help you here. There are few problems which are insurmountable in a property deal, but knowing how to circumnavigate the bumps in the road is easier when you have sound advice to work with. Remember, too, that you will need to appoint a solicitor or specialist conveyancer to take care of the legal stuff related to your purchase. Your mortgage broker will probably know someone they’re happy to recommend – but also ask for recommendations from friends and family. Above all, enjoy yourself – finding and buying your dream home should be an adventure, not a chore! Watch our video for first-time buyers and get a headstart on the things you need to consider when you start looking for your first home.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

The world we live in is increasingly on-demand and technology has made it possible for us as consumers to easily get what we need from multiple sources. Personal finance advice and products are no different. But is that the best way to make important financial decisions about your future? When it comes to entertainment, the world is no longer linear. The very idea of having to plan a night’s television viewing, for example, is preposterous. TV shows, film and music is now just a download away, allowing us to build our viewing and listening experiences into the demands of modern life. Our online environment has made ownership of our personal finance environment similarly accessible. At the stroke of a key or click of a mouse, we can compare hundreds if not thousands of different personal finance products, from loans and credit cards to mortgages and insurance. And while that’s obviously very convenient, does it actually serve our best interests? If we visit a mortgage comparison website, we can see the interest rate and the repayment amount – but do we understand what that means in the context of our own lives? Some of us are savvy enough to be able to look at a range of mortgage products and take a step back to consider how our lives might change as the years pass, making decisions about our borrowing accordingly. Some people will be able to look at economic trends or industry patterns and make calculated decisions about their long-term employment prospects, and that will help them to make key decisions about the level of income protection they might need. Many people will know there’s a difference between standard buildings and contents insurance and the property insurance they might need if they rent out their property. Similarly, there are lots of people who can look at their family medical history and draw pragmatic conclusions about their own long-term health and the advantages of having health insurance in place. But does everyone possess this ability? Is everyone able to take a long pace back and look at their financial options in the context of their own lives? More importantly, do you have the knowledge and objectivity to do that – and to get it right? Part of the problem with living in an on-demand world is that price becomes the key to everything. Type ‘health insurance’ into Google and at the top of the results page that comes back will be a load of adverts from price comparison sites. And that’s the problem – price comparison sites are not benefit comparison sites. They don’t know you and they can’t tailor the product to you. All they can do is present you with a list of products, starting with the cheapest. And that isn’t the same as presenting you with the best, even if price is likely to be a factor in your decision. The same is true of any similar search around mortgages, property insurance, or income replacement cover. The online market is geared to giving you choices that are defined by cost first and benefit second. That carries an obvious risk: that in choosing the cheapest product available, you’ll be buying a product that doesn’t actually offer you the cover or benefit you expected it would. And if that happens, the chances are you’ll find out when it’s too late. There are all sorts of products that are directly available online or promoted as part of a price comparison service that could be said to be relatively low risk: car insurance, pet insurance and appliance cover are three that spring easily to mind. That’s not to say choosing the wrong cover in those cases isn’t costly. On the contrary, in fact – an error can be painfully expensive. But borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a property, insuring its value or being able to pay your bills and keep your home in the event of being unable to work is a step up from those kinds of annual policies where relatively small – or at least well-defined – sums of money might be involved. That’s why asking advice from a professional adviser is always a good idea. A professional mortgage or insurance provider will be able to offer you advice ‘in the round’ – in other words, advice that’s informed by your complete financial circumstances. He or she will recommend policies or options that will give you the peace of mind and certainty you need, without jeopardising your financial security or your ability to meet your financial obligations. Taking decisions in isolation by yourself is a right and privilege that comes with digital empowerment. It has many positive things to commend it. But it can also be a dangerous environment that can have a serious impact on your future security. No reputable adviser will charge you for an initial chat, so you have nothing to lose by calling a professional individual or business you trust and fin ding out how they can help. If you’d like to talk about your own circumstances and needs, we’re listening.   Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

It’s always lovely when the values you promote as a business are recognised publicly, so there was open delight at Oportfolio when the company’s founder, Oliver Whitehead, was named Best Overall Adviser at the recent Primis awards ceremony. It was Oliver’s third year of success at the awards, which recognise and celebrate the best UK mortgage and protection advisers and are organised by Primis – one of the biggest networks of financial services brokerages in the UK. His award this year saw him retain the Overall Adviser award he won in 2018, a year after being named Top Mortgage Adviser in 2017. The accolade serves as a ringing endorsement for the very simple principle that underpins Oliver’s approach to Oportfolio, a business he started 11 years ago following a decade in financial services, running his own mortgage brokerage and as a Director at Alexander Hall. Oliver said: “Ultimately what we strive to do is look after people in the same way we would want to be looked after ourselves. It’s that ethos of wanting to help people and to go the extra mile in doing it.” In the end, this month’s award is ongoing reward for a seed which was planted back in 1998 when Oportfolio first opened its doors and welcomed its first client – that the values and ethics that the company is built on should run through the veins of everyone who has ever worked there or will ever work there. Building a company in your own image is no easy feat and, as Oliver himself observes, providing high quality service has become something of a dying art for many companies. But by doing things the right way from the start, the process has got easier as the business has grown and its client base has increased. There’s also the fact that Oliver insists that the first contact the company has with a potential client is as good as the last contact. He makes a point of responding personally and immediately, wherever possible, to an initial query. You might think that’s obvious, yet this proactive approach isn’t as common as you might imagine. What that translates into in most cases is a sense in the person on the other end of the phone that they’re being looked after and are in safe hands. “I know that when people get in touch with us, what they’re really looking for is reassurance. They simply want some love and to know that the people they’re talking to not only know how to help them, but actively want to help them. “In the end, that’s what my business has always been about – the desire to help people and to do that in the right way.” Oliver concedes that his own determination and commitment to deliver a consistently superior level of service is partly behind not just the awards success, but also Oportfolio’s continued growth and high client retention rates. “That has to be a part of it, yes,” he admits. “although you can never completely replicate yourself in other people. “But experience and knowledge also plays a big part. The whole team here is completely aware of the process that lies behind applying for a mortgage. We know it can be an anxious or worrying time – but our job is to take that worry away, to reassure them that with our help it wont be as stressful as it may seem to them.” Knowing the market inside out and understanding which banks will be prepared to lend what amount under what circumstances is a big part of being a successful brokerage, of course. But it’s where circumstances aren’t straightforward that is where Oliver expects Oportfolio to earn its stripes. “That’s where the hard work is done,” he says. “In finding solutions to the problems we come across so that the people we’re helping still achieve what they set out to achieve.” All of which means that the awards that currently sit on Oportfolio’s shelves are much appreciated by Oliver and his team – but are really symbols of the hard work done in the past, and a reminder that the same level of commitment to the great service is required today, tomorrow and beyond.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

At Oportfolio, we know that success in life is only really possible when you have financial security – and in a competitive and challenging economic environment, that can be hard to come by. Having financial protection is one way of making sure you can meet your commitments when life throws you a curve ball and you find yourself unable to work whether through a change in employment circumstances or illness. But with so many different products on the market – and so many providers to choose from – working out which product is the right one for your potential needs isn’t always terribly easy, particularly since it’s impossible to predict exactly what your circumstances might be at any given time in the future. Two of the most familiar insurance products that protect your personal finances are critical illness cover and income protection insurance. So how do you make the choice between the two? Unless you have some specialist knowledge of the market, trying to evaluate and compare products yourself can risk making a choice that doesn’t really achieve what you wanted. The simple answer, of course, is to use a professional broker who can advise you on the best solution according to what you think you might require and can access a wide range of products to give you flexible options. What’s the difference between critical illness cover and income replacement? Understanding what you’re paying for and the way in which it might benefit you is the obvious first step when it comes to buying any product, whether that’s a dishwasher, a coat or an insurance policy. So let’s start there. Critical illness cover is an insurance policy which will pay out a fixed lump sum should you be unfortunate enough to contract one of a number of specified illnesses listed in your policy that stop you from earning. Crucially, if you contract a serious illness which isn’t listed on the insurance schedule, the policy will not pay out. Once a policy pays out, cover ends – so in most cases this type policy is valid for a single claim. Income protection cover is an insurance product that will replace your regular monthly income should you find yourself unable to work either permanently or temporarily for any reason as defined by the policy. If you’re able to return to work, the payments will cease; however, cover (and premiums) will usually continue, meaning that most policies of this type allow for multiple claims. What’s the cost? Inevitably, when it comes to both policies the cost depends on your circumstances, salary and the level of cover you require. The cost of replacing a salary of £80,000 is clearly going to be costlier than a policy that protects and income of £30,000, assuming all other circumstances are the same However, as a very broad rule of thumb, a report from FT Adviser suggests that to provide an income of £250,000 over 5 years (whether in instalments via income protection or a lump sum as critical illness), the cost of critical illness cover is about three times that of income protection. So, if income replacement is generally cheaper, is that a better option? Not necessarily, no. Critical illness outsells income replacement by roughly 5 to 1 in the UK because many people prefer to have a lump sum that will allow them to juggle their immediate priorities in a more flexible way. But although a lump sum will allow you to pay off, say, your mortgage, that’s of little use if you can’t then meet your other financial commitments. One also needs to come to a judgement over how and when you’re most likely to claim on either policy. Recent data, from the same FT Adviser report quoted above, suggests 60% of all income replacement claims are made as a result of accidents, stress or musculoskeletal conditions – none of which would be covered by a critical illness policy. By contrast, cancer – which is one of the conditions specified within a critical illness policy – accounts for only 15% of income replacement claims So, it’s clear that understanding the risks as well as the benefits are a fundamental part of choosing the right insurance product, and that’s why it makes sense to speak to a specialist professional adviser before you commit. It all seems very complicated. Why do I need income protection at all? While many companies offer some level of financial support for employees when they can’t work, very few provide that assistance beyond a year (and for many more, it’s much less). There are state benefits which are designed to offer some sort of help, but these would be unlikely to cover the financial commitments of a high earning individual. At Oportfolio, we’ll work closely with you to help you to identify the advantages and disadvantages of both types of insurance and recommend the best solution for you personally. Knowing you and your family are protected when times get tough is great for protecting your success in life – but deciding the best way of doing that requires expert knowledge and advice.   To find out more about our friendly service why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063 Please note for these insurance products terms and conditions apply. This information is a summary only. You will receive a full policy document upon application. This policy will set out the terms, conditions and limitations of cover provided under the plan Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

The world we live in is increasingly on-demand and technology has made it possible for us as consumers to easily get what we need from multiple sources. Personal finance advice and products are no different. But is that the best way to make important financial decisions about your future? When it comes to entertainment, the world is no longer linear. The very idea of having to plan a night’s television viewing, for example, is preposterous. TV shows, film and music is now just a download away, allowing us to build our viewing and listening experiences into the demands of modern life. Our online environment has made ownership of our personal finance environment similarly accessible. At the stroke of a key or click of a mouse, we can compare hundreds if not thousands of different personal finance products, from loans and credit cards to mortgages and insurance. And while that’s obviously very convenient, does it actually serve our best interests? If we visit a mortgage comparison website, we can see the interest rate and the repayment amount – but do we understand what that means in the context of our own lives? Some of us are savvy enough to be able to look at a range of mortgage products and take a step back to consider how our lives might change as the years pass, making decisions about our borrowing accordingly. Some people will be able to look at economic trends or industry patterns and make calculated decisions about their long-term employment prospects, and that will help them to make key decisions about the level of income protection they might need. Many people will know there’s a difference between standard buildings and contents insurance and the property insurance they might need if they rent out their property. Similarly, there are lots of people who can look at their family medical history and draw pragmatic conclusions about their own long-term health and the advantages of having health insurance in place. But does everyone possess this ability? Is everyone able to take a long pace back and look at their financial options in the context of their own lives? More importantly, do you have the knowledge and objectivity to do that – and to get it right? Part of the problem with living in an on-demand world is that price becomes the key to everything. Type ‘health insurance’ into Google and at the top of the results page that comes back will be a load of adverts from price comparison sites. And that’s the problem – price comparison sites are not benefit comparison sites. They don’t know you and they can’t tailor the product to you. All they can do is present you with a list of products, starting with the cheapest. And that isn’t the same as presenting you with the best, even if price is likely to be a factor in your decision. The same is true of any similar search around mortgages, property insurance, or income replacement cover. The online market is geared to giving you choices that are defined by cost first and benefit second. That carries an obvious risk: that in choosing the cheapest product available, you’ll be buying a product that doesn’t actually offer you the cover or benefit you expected it would. And if that happens, the chances are you’ll find out when it’s too late. There are all sorts of products that are directly available online or promoted as part of a price comparison service that could be said to be relatively low risk: car insurance, pet insurance and appliance cover are three that spring easily to mind. That’s not to say choosing the wrong cover in those cases isn’t costly. On the contrary, in fact – an error can be painfully expensive. But borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a property, insuring its value or being able to pay your bills and keep your home in the event of being unable to work is a step up from those kinds of annual policies where relatively small – or at least well-defined – sums of money might be involved. That’s why asking advice from a professional adviser is always a good idea. A professional mortgage or insurance provider will be able to offer you advice ‘in the round’ – in other words, advice that’s informed by your complete financial circumstances. He or she will recommend policies or options that will give you the peace of mind and certainty you need, without jeopardising your financial security or your ability to meet your financial obligations. Taking decisions in isolation by yourself is a right and privilege that comes with digital empowerment. It has many positive things to commend it. But it can also be a dangerous environment that can have a serious impact on your future security. No reputable adviser will charge you for an initial chat, so you have nothing to lose by calling a professional individual or business you trust and fin ding out how they can help. If you’d like to talk about your own circumstances and needs, we’re listening.   Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

None of us like to dwell on the unpleasant things that life might throw at us. Whether it’s planning for death or illness, humans seem to generally prefer to postpone the bleaker considerations in life. Yet, planning for the problems you could face is vital if you want to have peace of mind over your future and the financial security of the people who matter to you. You’ve probably already got life assurance to cover things like the remainder of your outstanding mortgage debt in the event you or your partner dies before the loan is repaid. You might even have critical illness cover, which will pay out a lump sum on diagnosis of a specific range of illnesses. The insurance product you probably don’t have – but might be wise to have – is income protection cover, also known as income replacement cover. There are various levels of income replacement cover, but in simple terms income protection guarantees you a monthly sum of money – usually up to 80% of your salary – if you suddenly find you’re unable to work. Income protection should not be confused with payment protection insurance (PPI), though it often is. PPI, now at the centre of probably the largest mis-selling compensation process in UK financial services history, was supposed to guarantee your payments on debts to lenders and was often sold to consumers with a loan, hire purchase agreement, credit card, overdraft or mortgage. That meant any payment from a PPI claim went directly to your creditor and not to you personally. Conversely, income replacement or protection does what it says on the tin: it replaces your income to a specified level and for a specified period of time when you’re not earning, giving you financial support with all of your living costs rather than just your debts. The question is, do you need income protection? The short answer is that it depends on your individual circumstances and you should always seek professional advice before making any investment decision. An adviser will be able to help you judge whether or not you’ll benefit from the policy. One good idea is to find out whether your current employer offers a form of income replacement as part of its employee benefit scheme. It may also be that your employer offers a generous sick pay package which might cover your outgoings if you had an extended illness. But for many people, income replacement offers peace of mind in an uncertain world. The truth is, we usually buy insurance products in the hope that we’ll never need to claim against them. However, none of us knows what’s around the corner, and so prudent planning is a sensible step. Income replacement or protection could be useful if you’re forced to take an extended leave of absence through illness or if you lose your job through compulsory redundancy, for example. There are generally three categories of income protection: policies that cover activities of daily living, suited occupation or own occupation and although the specific terms of each may vary from provider to provider, they generally cover the following eventualities: Activities of daily living: the lowest and cheapest form of cover, this policy only pays out if specified activities – perhaps lifting or walking – become impossible for you. The benefits of this cover are generally regarded as limited. Suited occupation: if you have this level of cover, you’re unlikely to receive a pay out if your insurer thinks you are able to perform a role that is similar to the one you held when you became unable to work. An example might be a nurse who is unable to work in a private health clinic but who could be employed within the NHS. Own occupation: this cover insures you for the specific role you were in when you became unable to work. It is, not surprisingly, the most expensive of the three, but offers the highest level of cover. You’ll need to think about other things, too: whether or not to take out a policy that’s index linked to inflation – meaning any pay out will also rise with it (remembering that your premiums will also rise with it) what deferral period you need before a claim is paid out – the longer you’re prepared to wait between making a claim and receiving an income, the lower your premiums are likely to be (your employer’s policy on sick pay could inform this choice) Will your premiums be fixed for the life of the policy, or will they be reviewable, meaning they could rise every few years? When would you want the policy to finish? It’s common for the end of a policy to coincide with planned retirement – but if you’re likely to be working beyond state retirement age, you may require a longer policy, which may well increase the cost of your premiums. At Oportfolio, our friendly team is always happy to talk you through your options and, if you decide you need to protect your income, we can help you find a policy that best suits your needs.     Want to know how other clients felt about working with Oportfolio? Watch Gus and Selena’s video story!   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

At Oportfolio, we know that success in life is only really possible when you have financial security – and in a competitive and challenging economic environment, that can be hard to come by. Having financial protection is one way of making sure you can meet your commitments when life throws you a curve ball and you find yourself unable to work whether through a change in employment circumstances or illness. But with so many different products on the market – and so many providers to choose from – working out which product is the right one for your potential needs isn’t always terribly easy, particularly since it’s impossible to predict exactly what your circumstances might be at any given time in the future. Two of the most familiar insurance products that protect your personal finances are critical illness cover and income protection insurance. So how do you make the choice between the two? Unless you have some specialist knowledge of the market, trying to evaluate and compare products yourself can risk making a choice that doesn’t really achieve what you wanted. The simple answer, of course, is to use a professional broker who can advise you on the best solution according to what you think you might require and can access a wide range of products to give you flexible options. What’s the difference between critical illness cover and income replacement? Understanding what you’re paying for and the way in which it might benefit you is the obvious first step when it comes to buying any product, whether that’s a dishwasher, a coat or an insurance policy. So let’s start there. Critical illness cover is an insurance policy which will pay out a fixed lump sum should you be unfortunate enough to contract one of a number of specified illnesses listed in your policy that stop you from earning. Crucially, if you contract a serious illness which isn’t listed on the insurance schedule, the policy will not pay out. Once a policy pays out, cover ends – so in most cases this type policy is valid for a single claim. Income protection cover is an insurance product that will replace your regular monthly income should you find yourself unable to work either permanently or temporarily for any reason as defined by the policy. If you’re able to return to work, the payments will cease; however, cover (and premiums) will usually continue, meaning that most policies of this type allow for multiple claims. What’s the cost? Inevitably, when it comes to both policies the cost depends on your circumstances, salary and the level of cover you require. The cost of replacing a salary of £80,000 is clearly going to be costlier than a policy that protects and income of £30,000, assuming all other circumstances are the same However, as a very broad rule of thumb, a report from FT Adviser suggests that to provide an income of £250,000 over 5 years (whether in instalments via income protection or a lump sum as critical illness), the cost of critical illness cover is about three times that of income protection. So, if income replacement is generally cheaper, is that a better option? Not necessarily, no. Critical illness outsells income replacement by roughly 5 to 1 in the UK because many people prefer to have a lump sum that will allow them to juggle their immediate priorities in a more flexible way. But although a lump sum will allow you to pay off, say, your mortgage, that’s of little use if you can’t then meet your other financial commitments. One also needs to come to a judgement over how and when you’re most likely to claim on either policy. Recent data, from the same FT Adviser report quoted above, suggests 60% of all income replacement claims are made as a result of accidents, stress or musculoskeletal conditions – none of which would be covered by a critical illness policy. By contrast, cancer – which is one of the conditions specified within a critical illness policy – accounts for only 15% of income replacement claims So, it’s clear that understanding the risks as well as the benefits are a fundamental part of choosing the right insurance product, and that’s why it makes sense to speak to a specialist professional adviser before you commit. It all seems very complicated. Why do I need income protection at all? While many companies offer some level of financial support for employees when they can’t work, very few provide that assistance beyond a year (and for many more, it’s much less). There are state benefits which are designed to offer some sort of help, but these would be unlikely to cover the financial commitments of a high earning individual. At Oportfolio, we’ll work closely with you to help you to identify the advantages and disadvantages of both types of insurance and recommend the best solution for you personally. Knowing you and your family are protected when times get tough is great for protecting your success in life – but deciding the best way of doing that requires expert knowledge and advice.   To find out more about our friendly service why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063 Please note for these insurance products terms and conditions apply. This information is a summary only. You will receive a full policy document upon application. This policy will set out the terms, conditions and limitations of cover provided under the plan Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

The world we live in is increasingly on-demand and technology has made it possible for us as consumers to easily get what we need from multiple sources. Personal finance advice and products are no different. But is that the best way to make important financial decisions about your future? When it comes to entertainment, the world is no longer linear. The very idea of having to plan a night’s television viewing, for example, is preposterous. TV shows, film and music is now just a download away, allowing us to build our viewing and listening experiences into the demands of modern life. Our online environment has made ownership of our personal finance environment similarly accessible. At the stroke of a key or click of a mouse, we can compare hundreds if not thousands of different personal finance products, from loans and credit cards to mortgages and insurance. And while that’s obviously very convenient, does it actually serve our best interests? If we visit a mortgage comparison website, we can see the interest rate and the repayment amount – but do we understand what that means in the context of our own lives? Some of us are savvy enough to be able to look at a range of mortgage products and take a step back to consider how our lives might change as the years pass, making decisions about our borrowing accordingly. Some people will be able to look at economic trends or industry patterns and make calculated decisions about their long-term employment prospects, and that will help them to make key decisions about the level of income protection they might need. Many people will know there’s a difference between standard buildings and contents insurance and the property insurance they might need if they rent out their property. Similarly, there are lots of people who can look at their family medical history and draw pragmatic conclusions about their own long-term health and the advantages of having health insurance in place. But does everyone possess this ability? Is everyone able to take a long pace back and look at their financial options in the context of their own lives? More importantly, do you have the knowledge and objectivity to do that – and to get it right? Part of the problem with living in an on-demand world is that price becomes the key to everything. Type ‘health insurance’ into Google and at the top of the results page that comes back will be a load of adverts from price comparison sites. And that’s the problem – price comparison sites are not benefit comparison sites. They don’t know you and they can’t tailor the product to you. All they can do is present you with a list of products, starting with the cheapest. And that isn’t the same as presenting you with the best, even if price is likely to be a factor in your decision. The same is true of any similar search around mortgages, property insurance, or income replacement cover. The online market is geared to giving you choices that are defined by cost first and benefit second. That carries an obvious risk: that in choosing the cheapest product available, you’ll be buying a product that doesn’t actually offer you the cover or benefit you expected it would. And if that happens, the chances are you’ll find out when it’s too late. There are all sorts of products that are directly available online or promoted as part of a price comparison service that could be said to be relatively low risk: car insurance, pet insurance and appliance cover are three that spring easily to mind. That’s not to say choosing the wrong cover in those cases isn’t costly. On the contrary, in fact – an error can be painfully expensive. But borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a property, insuring its value or being able to pay your bills and keep your home in the event of being unable to work is a step up from those kinds of annual policies where relatively small – or at least well-defined – sums of money might be involved. That’s why asking advice from a professional adviser is always a good idea. A professional mortgage or insurance provider will be able to offer you advice ‘in the round’ – in other words, advice that’s informed by your complete financial circumstances. He or she will recommend policies or options that will give you the peace of mind and certainty you need, without jeopardising your financial security or your ability to meet your financial obligations. Taking decisions in isolation by yourself is a right and privilege that comes with digital empowerment. It has many positive things to commend it. But it can also be a dangerous environment that can have a serious impact on your future security. No reputable adviser will charge you for an initial chat, so you have nothing to lose by calling a professional individual or business you trust and fin ding out how they can help. If you’d like to talk about your own circumstances and needs, we’re listening.   Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Although we’re loath to use the C-word when the sun hasn’t even dimmed on summer, there are occasions when it’s unavoidable – and for those people hoping to be in a new home before Santa arrives, this is one of them. So if this is the first time this year that you’ve seen Christmas mentioned, we apologise. It may be you’ve already found your new perfect home, in which case you’re already some of the way to collecting the keys. But in all likelihood, house-hunting is something you’re probably putting off until the holidays are over or the kids are back at school. Being prepared is half the battle in any house move, but Christmas is often a milestone moment in the moving calendar – and if being in your new home by then is your goal then you’re going to need to get serious about it in the coming few weeks. The thing many would-be movers overlook is the need to get a mortgage lined up. Even if you don’t need to upsize your existing debt to finance your new property, unless you’re a cash buyer it’s a near-certainty that you’ll have to apply to your lender to take your current mortgage with you. For most of us, though, it’s a case of having to apply for a new mortgage to buy our dream property, and while it may be tempting to use price comparison websites to find potential mortgage products, there are definite benefits to be gained from using a professional mortgage broker. One distinct advantage is that a broker like Oportfolio will have access to mortgages you won’t be able to see or buy online or on the high street. That means a wider choice of rates and terms. A broker will also be able to offer tailored advice to identify the mortgage best suited to your needs – something you wouldn’t get by going to a lender directly. Also, many estate agents now have brokers tied in to their service. Remember that you’re not obliged to use their services – though you may want to talk to them, too – and whether you intend seeking their help or not shouldn’t have any impact on your chances of having an offer accepted on a property being marketed by the agent. So, think carefully before you plump for a mortgage you’ve found while searching online. Calling a broker and finding out what they can offer won’t cost you anything – and it could save you time and money. Once you’ve chosen a broker or a mortgage, get a mortgage agreed in principle with your lender. That’s often a golden ticket for both buyers and estate agents. Knowing you’re dealing with someone who already has finance in place gives you greater negotiating power and means your offer on a new house is more likely to be accepted – even if it’s not at the asking price. Next, when it comes to finding your new home and selling your current one, use estate agents that have signed up with all the major selling portals like Zoopla and Rightmove. Not only will you have more property to choose from, your existying home will also reach the widest possible market. If your current home is a bit cluttered and tired – as well-lived-in homes can tend to be – then have a good clear out from top to bottom and freshen things up with a lick of paint, sticking to neutral colours as much as possible. Making sure you’re sale-ready is vital if you want the best chance of getting your home moving. In terms of pricing, keep it real. Some estate agents will dazzle you with promises of a sale figure at the very limit of your imagination, but if it’s not realistic you’ll end up wasting valuable time reducing the asking price to something the market will support. Look at similar properties that are for sale or have sold recently and pitch your price appropriately. If you’re lucky enough to have multiple offers on your home, plump for a buyer who’s ready to move or is a good way down that road. It’s sometimes worth accepting a slightly lower offer in return for confidence the deal will go through, rather than a higher offer that may fall through halfway through. Unless you’re buying a new build, which is guaranteed for ten years, you’ll need a surveyor and a solicitor. Find professionals who are readily available and who can demonstrate they’re efficient and reliable. In the case of your solicitor particularly, keep on top of things. Make sure they are aware of your timetable and believe they can meet it – and then make sure communication is good and that everything is being done as quickly as possible. Now you just need to get an agreement on a quick turnaround on completion. Typically, this happens a couple of weeks or so after exchange of contracts, but these days, if everything is organised well, both elements can be concluded on the same day. Finally, once everything’s agreed, you can book a removals company and start to pack up in an organised way that happens at your own pace. Just don’t forget to put the Christmas decs on the van last so they can go up the moment you move in!   Need more information about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.    To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

It’s been a few months since I last wrote about Brexit and its likely impact on interest rates, the mortgage sector and the residential property market. That was not long after the deadline for the UK to leave the EU was extended to the end of October. So, now that we’re roughly halfway between the last deadline and this one, what’s changed? On the one hand, nothing much has changed at all. There’s no more clarity now on how we’ll leave the bloc (or even, perhaps, if we’ll leave) than there was three months ago. But politically-speaking, on the other hand, everything has changed. We have a new Prime Minister working with an even more slender majority than his predecessor and leading a party that, if anything, is more divided than it has been at any point since the EU referendum. He chairs a cabinet that is loudly pro-Leave and, publicly at least, completely aligned to taking the UK out of Europe on October 31 come what may. Outside the inner sanctum of the cabinet, former senior ministers warn of chaos ahead if Britain is allowed to crash out of Europe without a deal, while the apparatchiks of central and local government ramp up their preparations for No Deal. Labour is said to be planning a vote of no confidence in a bid to force a General Election. The Liberal Democrats have a new leader in Jo Swinson, and her fiercely pro-Remain party is attracting membership applications from former Tory MPs, disillusioned with their brief stint as part of the Change UK party. All in all, things have certainly been better within Great Britain PLC. But what does the uncertainty mean if you’ve got a mortgage or you’re thinking of buying and/or selling your home? Naturally, it depends on what you read, who you listen to and whether you’re on the Winnie the Pooh or Eeyore side of the optimism/pessimism divide. But amid the more outlandish crystal ball-gazing, there have been some interesting and well-informed hypotheses doing the rounds recently. The general consensus seems to be that a No Deal Brexit would substantially increase the chances of an economic downturn. Some commentators have stopped short of predicting a full-on recession, but others haven’t been quite as shy. According to the Guardian’s personal finance and consumer correspondents, this may not be a bad thing for homeowners where interest rates are concerned. Their joint article talks of mortgage interest rates returning to their sub-1% levels of 2016 and even of the Bank of England imposing a zero rate to ease the transition to a new trade arrangement with the rest of the world. Such a move would undoubtedly be welcomed by homeowners who suddenly find their mortgage rates significantly reduced. But the other side of that coin, of course, is the resulting misery for savers and investors. As for house prices and whether now is the time to buy or sell, the same article suggests that trying to predict whether to move before or after October 31 is more likely to be a lottery. Having said that, the fact remains that if you consider your finances to be insulated from the immediate impact of Brexit – whether with or without a deal – then when you move is less of an issue. The only question at that point is whether you can sweeten the process by winning out on the price at which you agree to buy and securing the market value of the house you sell. The Daily Mail’s financial website This Is Money reports that there’s been a growth in the appetite for long-term mortgage deals, including the recently-trending 10 year fixed product some lenders are offering. As I said in our recent article on whether you should fix your mortgage rate, we’d advise caution when it comes to locking on to a long-term deal. They tend to be more expensive and if rates do come down – which is a distinct possibility over a period of a decade – then you’re going to lose out in the long run. There are circumstances where a long-term fixed product might be right for you – but I would strongly advise getting advice from a professional mortgage expert before you commit. And then  there are the conflicting calls in the Express and Times for the Bank of England to either raise interest rates and demonstrate its commitment to – and confidence in – Brexit (Express), or cut rates ahead of Brexit to ease the impact on the economy (Times). So, even the papers are divided on the best approach to fiscal policy. The fact is, we won’t have true clarity until October 31 arrives. In the meantime, the world keeps turning and life goes on. My advice is always that you should take any long-term financial decision – such as buying a house – in the context of your long-term financial security, and ultimately that comes down to the answer to the question of whether your potential financial exposure is controllable. Any investment is a risk – but calculated risks, where you’ve looked at the worst-case scenarios and demonstrated you can survive them, are always going to be preferable to walking into a commitment blind. The best thing you can do if you’re thinking about moving in the next three months is get some advice from a professional broker and a financial adviser – and factor that advice into your decision.     Need more information about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

The world we live in is increasingly on-demand and technology has made it possible for us as consumers to easily get what we need from multiple sources. Personal finance advice and products are no different. But is that the best way to make important financial decisions about your future? When it comes to entertainment, the world is no longer linear. The very idea of having to plan a night’s television viewing, for example, is preposterous. TV shows, film and music is now just a download away, allowing us to build our viewing and listening experiences into the demands of modern life. Our online environment has made ownership of our personal finance environment similarly accessible. At the stroke of a key or click of a mouse, we can compare hundreds if not thousands of different personal finance products, from loans and credit cards to mortgages and insurance. And while that’s obviously very convenient, does it actually serve our best interests? If we visit a mortgage comparison website, we can see the interest rate and the repayment amount – but do we understand what that means in the context of our own lives? Some of us are savvy enough to be able to look at a range of mortgage products and take a step back to consider how our lives might change as the years pass, making decisions about our borrowing accordingly. Some people will be able to look at economic trends or industry patterns and make calculated decisions about their long-term employment prospects, and that will help them to make key decisions about the level of income protection they might need. Many people will know there’s a difference between standard buildings and contents insurance and the property insurance they might need if they rent out their property. Similarly, there are lots of people who can look at their family medical history and draw pragmatic conclusions about their own long-term health and the advantages of having health insurance in place. But does everyone possess this ability? Is everyone able to take a long pace back and look at their financial options in the context of their own lives? More importantly, do you have the knowledge and objectivity to do that – and to get it right? Part of the problem with living in an on-demand world is that price becomes the key to everything. Type ‘health insurance’ into Google and at the top of the results page that comes back will be a load of adverts from price comparison sites. And that’s the problem – price comparison sites are not benefit comparison sites. They don’t know you and they can’t tailor the product to you. All they can do is present you with a list of products, starting with the cheapest. And that isn’t the same as presenting you with the best, even if price is likely to be a factor in your decision. The same is true of any similar search around mortgages, property insurance, or income replacement cover. The online market is geared to giving you choices that are defined by cost first and benefit second. That carries an obvious risk: that in choosing the cheapest product available, you’ll be buying a product that doesn’t actually offer you the cover or benefit you expected it would. And if that happens, the chances are you’ll find out when it’s too late. There are all sorts of products that are directly available online or promoted as part of a price comparison service that could be said to be relatively low risk: car insurance, pet insurance and appliance cover are three that spring easily to mind. That’s not to say choosing the wrong cover in those cases isn’t costly. On the contrary, in fact – an error can be painfully expensive. But borrowing hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a property, insuring its value or being able to pay your bills and keep your home in the event of being unable to work is a step up from those kinds of annual policies where relatively small – or at least well-defined – sums of money might be involved. That’s why asking advice from a professional adviser is always a good idea. A professional mortgage or insurance provider will be able to offer you advice ‘in the round’ – in other words, advice that’s informed by your complete financial circumstances. He or she will recommend policies or options that will give you the peace of mind and certainty you need, without jeopardising your financial security or your ability to meet your financial obligations. Taking decisions in isolation by yourself is a right and privilege that comes with digital empowerment. It has many positive things to commend it. But it can also be a dangerous environment that can have a serious impact on your future security. No reputable adviser will charge you for an initial chat, so you have nothing to lose by calling a professional individual or business you trust and fin ding out how they can help. If you’d like to talk about your own circumstances and needs, we’re listening.   Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Despite the uncertainty in the housing market, the prospect of buying a second property – or perhaps a third, fourth or fifth – to rent out is still attractive to a lot of people. Recent research comparing the England and London property rental sector with world economies places England above 159 nations – specifically, between Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. London alone, where the sector is worth £21 billion annually, would be placed above 124 countries, sitting above North Korea but behind Latvia. And with home ownership for first time buyers still a pinch-point for the market in spite of a number of High Street lenders recently announcing attractive mortgage products for first-time-buyers, the rental market is expected to continue to grow. There are, of course, considerations that any prospective landlord would need to consider carefully. As Money Week noted recently, changes to Stamp Duty, mortgage interest relief and lettings agency fees , have put challenges in the paths of amateur landlords who may otherwise have been attracted to ‘dabble’ in property as a source of income. That said, profitability is also partly down to that old estate agency maxim of location, location, location. If you own a rental property in a highly desirable area, particularly in London, it’s likely to be easier to let at a good rent. That doesn’t guarantee profit, of course, but a property in the right place is an obvious must if you’re to have any hope of making a decent yield on your investment. So, if you’re considering a buy-to-let investment and we assume you’ve got the basics right, what are the mistakes you need to avoid? Not minding your own business In the end, a rental property is a business. It may not be a business with massive turnover or huge margin, but at the most granular level, it needs to at least break even. That means being prudent over what you invest in it – both in terms of real costs and your own time and effort, both of which have a value. If decorating, building works or ground and garden maintenance is needed, that will eat into your margin, so be pragmatic about where and what you invest. If a cheaper own-brand paint will serve just as well as the high-end stuff, that’s what you should consider using. Similarly, if the time and effort you spend dealing with the management of the property is going materially reduce the amount you can earn from your day job, that needs to be factored in, too. There are a lot of landlords out there who failed as property entrepreneurs because they didn’t realise or remember their buy-to-let was a business – but if you keep the business side of your investment in mind, you’re less likely to become one of them. Failing to understand your responsibilities As a landlord, you’ll have a lot of statutory responsibilities and if you don’t understand what you have to do (and what you don’t have to do), life can get tricky. Your contract with your tenant and the rental agreement they have with you depends on both of you doing certain things. Among many other things, you’ll need to get certificates and undertake responsibilities for certain repairs – your tenants will be required to give you access on an agreed arrangement, pay the rent on time and keep the property in good order. If you – or they – fail to do what you’re required by legislation to do, someone could be in breach of contract. Failing to get the right cover This is a crucial thing to get right. The simple fact is that ordinary household insurance is highly unlikely to cover your property. Because your property is occupied by people who may not treat it with the same respect you would as the owner, and because there’s a chance it will be vacant at times (for example, between lets), insurers consider buy-to-let property to be a different type of risk to that of an owner-occupied home. You’ll need to get specialist landlord insurance to cover your building (and, if you’re letting a furnished property, its contents – if it’s unfurnished, the tenant will be responsible for insuring their own possessions). We can help you to find a suitable product that offers you the best cover for your needs. Call us on the number below to speak to a member of our friendly team and find out more. Not planning to plan Inevitably, a buy-to-let will generate expense. It’s likely you’ll have to do repairs to the property that you may choose not to do – or to delay – if it were your main residence. The boiler might need to be replaced. The property will almost certainly need redecorating from time to time – and probably more frequently than you would do if you were living in it. Most of the expenses you currently associate with your own home will crop up in some form at your buy-to-let, so it makes sense to ensure you’re budgeting for those over the long-term so you aren’t hit with any nasty surprises. Getting your buy-to-let investment right doesn’t need to be an arduous process – and it can save you money and time in the long run if you start as you mean to go on. If you’re considering buying an investment property and want to generate an income from it, come and talk to us about how our expert mortgage and insurance advice can give you the peace of mind of knowing you’re set up for the best chance of success. Want to know how other clients felt about working with Oportfolio? Watch Gus and Selena’s video story!       To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063.  Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.  Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Every client we see among the many hundreds we deal with each year is unique. They all have different priorities, different circumstances, different needs, different things to consider and different ways of approaching the decisions they need to make. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the important things in life. There never has been. At Oportfolio, we understand this. It’s a philosophy that has been the foundation of our success over our decade in business, because when you walk through our door or call us for the very first time, we treat you like we treated our very first client all those years ago. It’s how we’ve treated everyone who has come to us before you, and it’s how we’ll treat the next person to come to us after you. And the one after that. And the one after that. Whether it’s a mortgage, health and personal insurance or cover for their home or investment property, the only thing we’re really interested in is what matters to you right now. That doesn’t mean we can’t offer professional advice that will help you think about tomorrow – we can, and do; but first and foremost, we make it our priority to understand yours and then meet it if we can. You might be a first-time buyer looking for their first step on the property ladder, a seasoned mover aiming to make a move into your forever home, a homeowner looking for a better mortgage deal or an investor interested in expanding their buy-to-let portfolio. You may have a young family and are looking to safeguard their future by protecting your income or guarding against ill-health. Or you could be looking for tailored specialist insurance cover to help protect your home, contents or investment property. Today’s markets for all of these products and more besides is highly competitive, and the wealth of choice available can be overwhelming and confusing. Moreover, you won’t always be able to access the most suitable mortgage or insurance products online or in the High Street. At Oportfolio we’ve been established for a long time and we work with a carefully-selected panel of providers to ensure we can offer competitive products at prices tailored to your individual budget and what you can afford. In the end, how we can help you with any and all the products and services we offer ultimately comes down to the same thing: what matters to you? We’ll spend time working alongside you to understand that and to advise you on how best to fit the mortgage or insurance cover you need to your unique and individual circumstances. And then we’ll be with you every step of the way to help you achieve success. Because what matters to you is really the only thing that matters to us. To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063.   Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.