Mortgage Types
The following is a guide to the main mortgage types, but you should take expert advice before before deciding. Call us on 0800 23 000 23 for free independant advice.
Repayment Mortgages
A repayment mortgage is the typical type of mortgage and guarantees that you own the property at the end of the mortgage term. The monthly repayment is structured into capital repayments and interest repayments; this is the repayment of the amount you borrow and the repayment of the interest charged.
Interest Only Mortgages
An interest only mortgage means you only pay off the interest on the loan, the capital debt is repaid by simultaneous monthly repayments into an investment fund (such as an endownment policy). The benefit of this type of mortgage is that the fund may grow enough to enable you to pay the capital at the end of the repayment term and be left with a surplus. However, recently many homeowners have been left with a huge endowment shortfall due to underperforming policies. Failure to repay the capital at the end of the term may put you at risk of losing your home.
Fixed Rate Mortgages
This option allows you to set a fixed interest rate owed on your home for a set period of time, after this period the rate reverts back to a variable rate set by the lender. The fixed rate mortgage means you know exactly what you owe.
Variable Rate Mortgage
These are based on the standard interest rate set by the Bank of England. The interest you pay is the base rate plus the variable rate set by the mortgage lender. This means if the standard base rates drop then so will your interest repayment.
Tracker Mortgage
The tracker mortgage will always follow the Bank of England base rate for the whole of the mortgage term. This has the same benefits as the variable rate mortgage enabling you to benefit from the change in interest rates. However, base interest rates can change for the worse and increase monthly repayments.
Buy To Let
The buy to let mortgage allows you to purchase a property with the repayments being made from the rental income of the property. This option is particular popular as a retirement fund and is becoming more common.

