Rates on 15 year fixed mortgage refinance

Young first-time buyers will be given a boost in next week's budget by the return of 95% mortgages. The new scheme, to be unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, will see more mortgages with deposits of just 5% made available. The Tories are trying to stimulate the housing market and get more younger people onto the housing ladder. Boris Johnson said he wants to "turn generation rent into generation buy". Mortgages with 5% deposits have been stopped by most banks during the Covid pandemic. The new scheme is to be a successor to the Help to Buy mortgage scheme introduced by David Cameron and George Osborne in 2013, and Treasury officials are hopeful it could have a big impact on the market, the Times reports. It comes as Mr Sunak also is expected to announce that the stamp duty deadline of March 31 is extended for up to three months longer. Currently all property purchases up to £500,000 are exempt from stamp duty, but the holiday is due to end next month, … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: First-time buyers to get major mortgage boost with return of 5% deposits

Covid infections are rising in one in five local authority areas in England, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this evening. Worrying Public Health England figures reveal cases are creeping up in several areas, with the public told in a stark warning: "Don't wreck this now." Yesterday The Mirror reported that 69 of England's 315 local authority areas had recorded a rise in cases in the previous seven days . Although cases have fallen dramatically since the start of lockdown, Brits were warned that the battle is far from over. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, told today's Downing Street briefing: "In some parts of the UK, case rates are changing, albeit slowly, but in the wrong direction. Why do you think rates are going up in some areas? Have your say in the comments below "This is not a good sign, and reinforces the fact that, I'm afraid, this battle at the moment is not won." Prof Van-Tam called on the public to stick to … [Read more...] about Coronavirus infections rising in one in five local authorities in England despite lockdown

MARRIED Ricky and Naomi Willis were once living on just A QUID a day and having to choose between eating or putting their youngest child in a nappy. But miraculously, they clawed their way back from being more than £40,000 in debt to become award-winning money-saving experts. Now Ricky, 42, and 37-year-old Naomi give out practical tips on their blog Skint Dad to help people live within their means and get financially fit for a rainy day – or a sunny one if they hope to save up to maybe get away this summer. Their tips, from clever online shopping tips to birthday freebies, are all about buying smart and avoiding overly complex deals, which is exactly how Ricky and Naomi have put their own house in order over the past eight years. A survey from broadband provider Plusnet has revealed how, due to complex pricing or puzzling language, the average household over the last year has paid £299 over the odds on a mortgage and £222 too much on fuel bills, thrown away £156 on … [Read more...] about Couple who wiped £40,000 debt share tips on stashing cash for fun after lockdown

A SAVVY couple managed to double the value of their house with a smart renovation - and it’s now worth £2 million. Mum Tracey Gill and her husband bought the house in a small village near East Sussex in 2016, and have been transforming it ever since. Tracey says her husband gave her a fairly wide brief when house-hunting, explaining he said: “Find a house ripe for transformation in the prettiest location. I knew I could change any house we bought so the important factor was the land and location.” The house, which they bought for £1.25million, dates back to 1730 in places and had low ceilings - not great for Tracey's 6ft4ins husband. Describing the state they bought it in, the mum-of-two said: “It was covered in cream pebble dash with concrete roof tiles, a north facing conservatory on the front of the house, modern leaded light windows, low ceilings, dark rooms, artexed walls, cheap fittings, decades old carpets, pink shag pile in the bathroom and an unimaginative … [Read more...] about Couple double the value of their house with stunning renovation and it’s now worth £2million

MILLIONS of people on Universal Credit and other benefits are still missing out on a bonus worth up to £1,200 from the Help to Save scheme. As part of Help to Save , you get 50p for every £1 you set aside into a special account, up to a maximum bonus of £1,200 over four years. To get the maximum bonus, you would need to save £2,400 over the four years. Around 264,800 people have opened a Help to Save account since its launch in September 2018 , according to new figures released by the government today. It means millions of people are still missing out on opening an account and cashing in on the tax-free bonuses. When the Help to Save scheme first opened, more than 3.5million people were estimated to be eligible for an account. Best savings accounts for your cash right now HELP to Save offers a higher effective rate of interest than what you'd earn with a regular savings account or bank account. For example, the top easy-access savings accounts right … [Read more...] about Millions on Universal Credit still missing out on Help to Save £1,200 bonus