Approximately 2.6 million interest-only mortgages will become due for repayment within the next decade and while nine out of ten people will have a clear plan in place to repay their mortgage, it’s thought that 10 percent do not. That’s about 260,000 people!

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have written a paper on the subject clarifying their stance. Here are their main findings and recommendations;

The FCA has published guidance to help set out what is expected of lenders and brokers when dealing with borrowers that have an interest-only mortgage. These measures include;

  • setting out options for the borrower.
  • firms must put in place a written strategy for dealing with interest-only loans they know of that might not have a strategy in place for being paid off at the end of the loan period.
  • firms must make staff aware of this strategy and train them accordingly.
  • firms must have a strategy for communicating their strategy with their clients.
  • firms must assess affordability of new loans or extended loans when they are necessary.
  • firms should have a plan in place which will result in existing customers having sufficient time to start putting in place alternative arrangements where necessary at the end of the interest-only loan.
  • firms must monitor and manage the effectiveness of this strategy.

The FCA will be monitoring progress closely and providing guidance and assistance to firms where it is needed.

In addition to advice on existing interest-only mortgages, there is also the growing market of Lifetime Mortgages which are also, in large part, interest-only. The Financial Times have written on the subject and we have our own views here.

For more information or to speak to a Maidenhead Mortgage expert, contact us on 01628 507477.

Download our Free First Time Buyers Guide

Recent posts

Getting on the property ladder is a big milestone in life, and is not something to take lightly. There are several things to take into consideration such as saving up for a deposit, finding your dream home, and finding the best mortgage product to suit you. Here we look at UK first time buyer statistics.

If you are struggling to get over the hurdle of saving enough deposit due to being in a rental property, but wish to purchase your own home, you may be able to with a 100% mortgage. You will need to meet certain requirements and be financially stable.

If you are looking at remortgaging your property but you are unsure whether it’s the right decision, we have listed five reasons why it might be for you.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, many people across the UK are struggling financially, many of whom are finding it hard to get debt-free.

According to research by StepChange, there are five common reasons people don’t seek help and advice with debt concerns.

Friyay Rate Reviews

6 Feb 2024

Every Friday our experts search the market for the latest rates from every lender saving our clients some serious £'s!

Looking to Extend?

2 Feb 2024

Are you looking to extend your property? There are many benefits to adding an extension to your existing home, here are a few. 

Put simply, Equity Release is where you can release equity (money) tied up in your home for any purpose you like. In this short article, we share some reasons why you may want to consider Equity Release.

The team at Mortgage Required may not be able to lower the prices in your local supermarket, but we have come up with a list of tips to help you lower your food shopping bill.