An Offset Mortgage simply allows you to set the balance of a savings account you might have against the outstanding loan balance when calculating interest charged on your mortgage.
If you have surplus savings then this has several advantages. First of all, with interest payable on savings currently so low, any interest you save on your mortgage is likely to be much more than any interest you might receive on your savings. Furthermore, the interest you receive on your savings, unless they are in an ISA, will be taxable, thus reducing this sum even further at your marginal tax rate, whereas savings in mortgage interest are not taxed. You will receive the entire benefit.
Some offset mortgages will even let you set other accounts against your mortgage balance when calculating interest. If your partner or perhaps your parents have savings that they are willing to associate with your mortgage then they can still draw down on their savings as they wish but your interest liability will be reduced accordingly. Of course, they are forfeiting their interest which whilst this may not be painful when savers are receiving such low returns, may become an issue when rates rise.
The big advantage to offset mortgages is that you can retain flexibility, Perhaps you want to keep £30,000 in savings just in case you lose your job or need to pay a large bill, but you’d like to reduce your interest liability whilst the cash stays in the bank. The self employed find the offset mortgage attractive for this reason.
It is worth noting that offset mortgages may incur larger charges and higher interest rates, so you must consider the package as a whole when comparing your options.
For more information contact us or call 01628 507477.
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