RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Countdown to new mortgage lending rules

14th April 2014 Print

In two weeks the way people in the UK get a mortgage will change. New rules from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which come into force on 26 April 2014, will make sure a common sense approach is taken for every lending decision.

To ensure that people only get a mortgage they can afford, and to prevent a recurrence of the irresponsible lending practices of the past, every borrower will now have to prove that they can afford the repayments both now and in the future.  The FCA has produced a short guide that explains the changes. About half a million copies will be given out to prospective borrowers in branches of high street lenders, mortgage advisers, and estate agents.
 
Martin Wheatley, the FCA’s chief executive, said: “In the past too many people got a mortgage by simply telling their lender they would have no problem repaying their debt, and that was that.  Getting a mortgage can be one of the biggest financial decisions people will ever make, so it needs careful consideration.
 
“Our new rules will hard-wire common sense into mortgage lending, and the guide we have created will help explain those changes to borrowers.”
 
The mortgage industry has been busy getting ready for the changes for about 18 months and many firms are using the new approach already, so some borrowers will not notice the difference.
 
The FCA has also updated its consumer information pages on its website.
 
Mortgage market statistics

The total market was worth about £1.3tn in 2013

Of which,  the total outstanding mortgages to owner occupiers (i.e. excluding BTL): £1.06bn

Total number of mortgages in existence: 9.6m

New loans in 2013: 0.9m (892,392)
 
Average size of new mortgage:

for first time buyers: £137,000

for remortgagers: £144,500

For more information, visit fca.org.uk.