The remortgage market has returned to strength during the first two months of 2010, it has been reported. According to the John Charcol Index, purchases took only 47.3 per cent of mortgages sold by the

Over half of all investors have their money stored as cash, according to the Fair Investment Company. The firm reports that 25 per cent of investors are happy with their savings interest rates and will

Additional market competition has led to the emergence of cheaper mortgage rates, according to one lender. Andy Pratt, chief operating officer at Alexander Hall, said confidence is gradually returning

National Savings and Investments NS&I has launched a new savings account offering customers an easy way of managing their cash reserves. The institution is making its Direct Saver account, which

Housing market supply is once again outstripping demand, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics. The organisation says new instructions outpaced buyer interest for a second consecutive

Northern Rock has launched two new issues of its fixed-rate bond which offer guaranteed savings interest rates of at least 3.15 per cent. The state-owned bank offers the rate to one year bonds, or a higher

Savers who fail to use their Isa allowance are effectively giving money to the taxman, according to one financial commentator. David Kuo, director of the financial website Fool.co.uk, said consumers should

The increasing tendency among lenders to offer higher loan-to-values is a positive sign for those seeking cheap mortgage rates, it has been claimed. Ben Wilkie, editor of What Mortgage, said the market

The Icelandic population has voted overwhelmingly against repaying £3.3 billion worth of loans to the UK and Netherlands. In the country's first referendum as an independent nation, 93 per cent of

Homeowners on tracker deals should remain on cheap mortgage deals for at least another month after the Bank of England chose to freeze interest rates once again. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee held

Savers wishing to capitalise on their 2009-10 Isa allowance cannot afford to leave it until the last minute this year, it has been claimed. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have reminded consumers that the

Consumer saving dropped to the lowest level for over two years during the winter, it has been reported. According to National Savings & Investments' NS&I Savings Survey, people are now putting

It is worrying how many people are missing out on cheaper mortgage rates through ignorance over their current repayment costs, according to one expert. Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage

At least three million UK borrowers do not know the rate of interest at which they are currently repaying their mortgage, it has been reported. Post Office Mortgages reports that 28 per cent are ignorant

The Co-operative Financial Services has added a new two-year fixed-rate deal to its mortgage range. Available through both the Co-operative Bank and Britannia, interest rates of 3.19 per cent are accessible

Consumers need to be encouraged to save more following the recession, according to one MP. Mark Hoban, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said the UK economy has become too heavily reliant upon

Levels of individual savings account Isa business are set to surge when the increase tax-free allowance comes into force for all consumers, it has been reported. From April 6th 2010, all savers will

Homeowners seeking cheap mortgages can go one better with Santander this month, as the lender is offering lucky competition winners the chance to win free repayments for a whole year. Consumers applying

National Counties Building Society has launched a 45 Day Notice Cash Isa ahead of the new tax year. The cash Isa offers a variable interest rate up to 3.10 per cent tax-free AER for balances of £35,000

High street lender Santander has today launched a new range of fixed-rate bonds. The new products pay up to 3.75 per cent gross/AER, meaning they could be of interest to consumers seeking the best savings

Banks need to be more willing to lend if the availability of cheap mortgages is to improve, it has been suggested. According to Catherine Hearnden, director of MyMortgageDirect, increased loan-to-value

UK house prices have fallen for the first time since the second quarter of 2009, it has been reported. Latest figures from Nationwide indicate that prices fell by one per cent during February after nine

Cheap mortgages could soon be harder to come by for non energy-efficient properties, borrowers have been warned. According to the latest English Housing Survey released by the Department of Communities

Yorkshire Building Society has given a further boost to the UK property market by signalling its intention to step up its mortgage lending over the remainder of 2010. The country's second-largest mutual,

Around one in four Britons wish they had started putting money away earlier in life, new research has found. With millions still struggling financially as a result of the economic downturn, a study carried

The Fair Investment Company has launched a new funds service which allows customers to take control of their own Isas and other investments. Nick Scarrett, head of pensions and investment at the firm,

The Building Societies Association BSA has welcomed the announcement that Northern Rock's 100 per cent savings guarantee is to be removed. Earlier this week, the Treasury announced that from May 24th,

Updating existing legislation to allow more online estate agents to compete in the property market would create better deals for homeowners and buyers, it has been claimed. According to the Office of Fair

Plans to allow additional online competition in the mortgage industry have been backed by Briffy.com. David Amstell, founder of the property website, said such a development could help keep prices in check,

The 100 per cent savings deposit guarantee offered by Northern Rock is to be scrapped in three months time, it has been reported. According to the Treasury, the guarantee will be removed on May 24th, meaning

Many consumers could miss out on their tax-free allowance from the start of the new tax year, according to Barclays. The bank reports that 42 per cent of consumers are unaware that new limits - £5,100

Individuals looking for the best savings rates in possession of individual savings accounts ISAs should make the most of their allowance before the end of the tax year. This is the recommendation from

House buyers unable to secure cheap mortgages could be part of the reason for a future dip in the housing market. This is according to Kate Barker, policymaker and housing market expert at the Bank of

Individuals looking for the best savings rate should start by looking at individual savings accounts, commonly known as ISAs. This is the recommendation from totallymoney.com, which recommends ISAs because

The relatively weak level of mortgage lending in January has been met with little surprise from the British Bankers' Association BBA. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML revealed that

Savers should take the opportunity to pay off debts on mortgages and credit cards if they are unwilling to put money away at present, it has been suggested. According to Martin Bamford, chartered financial

Mortgage lending will recover in time, but it is likely to remain at current levels of decline for the next few months, one lender has claimed. Timothy Lambert, head of consulting at Ducalian, was commenting

High street lender Halifax has celebrated the 21st anniversary of the fixed-rate mortgage by launching a new product. The bank has introduced a new 21-month fixed-rate deal which allows homeowners to guarantee

UK consumers have wasted a combined £13 billion by failing to take advantage of individual savings accounts Isas. This is the major finding of new research conducted by Clydesdale & Yorkshire

The Post Office has announced the upcoming launch of a new range of 75 per cent loan-to-value LTV mortgages, aimed at enabling more first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder. The new range,

Gross mortgage lending stood at £9.1 billion for the first month of the new decade, newly-released figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML show. This represents a 32 per cent fall in lending

Around one in four women aged between 35 and 45 currently have no savings account to speak of, it has been revealed. Looking into the personal finances of this 'rudderless' demographic, the new study carried

The number of borrowers applying for mortgages is expected to keep on rising as confidence returns to the UK housing market. That is the picture painted by the latest Paragon Mortgages' Financial Adviser

Parents thinking of sending their children to university and supporting them as they get their feet on the housing and career ladders may need to put aside more money than they previously planned. According

Skipton International has launched a new fixed-rate sterling account paying 3.5 per cent gross per annum. The Guernsey-based savings and mortgages provider requires a minimum deposit of £10,000 to

Norwich & Peterborough Building Society N&P has introduced the third issue of its E-Saver account, which currently pays 2.55 per cent in interest. The savings account has a standard variable

Further criticism for proposed additional regulation in the buy-to-let market has been offered by the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML. The organisation has backed the Treasury's plan to extend regulation

One in ten under-16s has a part-time job to earn extra money, according to a new study. Research conducted by the Halifax indicates that the average weekly wage for children in employment is £17.93

The government should think again over plans to regulate buy-to-let mortgages, it has been suggested. According to the Building Societies Association BSA, any such move would be to the detriment of investment

More than half of all British consumers feel the recession had no negative impacts on their savings habits during 2009, it has been reported. Research conducted by Barclays indicates that 17 per cent of