Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio

What Do Mortgage Brokers Actually Do?
When buying a home or remortgaging, you will be told to "speak with a mortgage broker", but what do they do and how can they help? At Oportfolio, our work as mortgage brokers is to take a complex process and make it simple and give you the best chance of mortgage...

TSB Increases Maximum Loan-to-Income Ratio for Self-Employed
TSB Bank has announced a significant change to its mortgage lending criteria, increasing the maximum loan-to-income (LTI) multiple for self-employed applicants. From today, self-employed individuals seeking a mortgage may be eligible to borrow up to 5.5 times their...

Best London Neighbourhoods for First-Time Buyers in 2025
Buying your first home in London can be an exhilarating but daunting process. With house prices varying so wildly across the capital, it's important to find a location that balances affordability, transport links, facilities, and growth potential just right. Day in,...
Accord Mortgages Announces Reduction in Buy-to-Let Rates
Accord Mortgages has announced a significant reduction in rates across its Buy-to-Let New Business product range. The adjustments, set to take effect on Friday the 10th of November 2023, come in response to the volatile mortgage market conditions in the UK, with...
The Mortgage Lender Economic Update
In a recent economic update sent out to mortgage brokers, The Mortgage Lender (TML) painted a sobering picture of the current economic landscape, highlighting several challenges that are impacting the mortgage market and the broader economy. As part of the PRIMIS...
Skipton Increases Mortgage Rates While Others Lower Them
This week, we have witnessed a fascinating shift in the mortgage market, with Skipton increasing its rates for certain borrowers while other major lenders, including Halifax, Coventry, HSBC, and Virgin Money, are reducing rates for various mortgage products. Why have...
Is There a UK Mortgage Crisis?
The UK is on the brink of experiencing the slowest two-year mortgage growth in a decade, that is according to a recent report by Ernst & Young Item Club. High-interest rates and restrained economic expansion are expected to dampen the enthusiasm of prospective...
NatWest Buy-to-Let Stress Rates Slashed
Mortgage lender NatWest (one of the big six lenders in the UK) has announced significant cuts to landlord stress rates and reduced buy-to-let and residential mortgage rates, offering new competitive options for new and existing borrowers. In a move that is sure to...
Barclays Announces Improved Loan-to-Income Multiples
Before their recent shift from a hard to a soft credit footprint before the submission of mortgage applications, Barclays is introducing two significant enhancements to their loan-to-income (LTI) policy. These changes, set to take effect from Thursday the 26th of...
Is Remortgaging A Good Idea?
More than a fifth of mortgage payers won't shift to a new lender, and more than a third haven't changed their mortgage in the past five years, according to research from YouGov. Despite a variety of new deals coming to the market and mortgage interest rates dropping,...
Coventry and Accord Announce Mortgage Product Changes
Coventry Building Society and Accord Mortgages are set to make significant adjustments to their mortgage products, providing new and existing borrowers with more competitive mortgage product offerings. These changes are scheduled to take effect at the end of October...
Virgin Money: An Ideal Choice for Large Mortgage Loans?
When it comes to securing a substantial mortgage loan, choosing the right lender can make a world of difference. In places like London, properties sell for much higher than the rest of the country, which means that large mortgage loans are almost an essential in a lot...
Santander Mortgage Cuts On Residential and Buy-To-Let Loans
In an exciting development for prospective homeowners and property investors, Santander mortgage cuts have been announced on a selection of residential and buy-to-let mortgage products. These changes, scheduled to go into effect on the 24th of October 2023, are set to...
TSB Unveils New 3-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage at 4.99% Interest
In a move that promises to provide much-needed relief for homebuyers and existing mortgage customers, TSB has announced a series of rate reductions on its mortgage products, effective from this Friday. This includes the launch of an attractive 3-Year Fixed Rate...
What Is The Difference Between Hard and Soft Footprint Credit Checks?
When it comes to getting a mortgage, understanding the nuances of credit checks is paramount for borrowers seeking new home finance. Recent developments from Barclays Bank have brought significant changes to the credit checking process for mortgage applicants. In this...
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