Lenders cut more mortgage rates

Published 26th Aug 2008

Another round of rate cuts has been announced by the Halifax, one of the UK's biggest mortgage lenders.

Several of its most popular fixed or tracker-rate deals are being cut by an average of 0.25%, for borrowers who can put down a deposit of at least 25%.

The changes apply to deals arranged through mortgage brokers.


The new rates highlight the trend of recent weeks in which many lenders have made a succession of small reductions to cut headline rates to 6% or less.

"We are simply passing on the recent cut in swap rates [the cost of borrowing between banks]," said a Halifax spokeswoman.

Wider range
In the past week, other lenders, such as the Newcastle building society, Yorkshire building society and the nationalised Northern Rock, have also reduced the cost of some of their deals.

"Most lenders have been cutting selective rates rather than everything," said Ray Boulger of mortgage brokers John Charcol.

Other lenders, such as the Bristol & West, Woolwich and the Coventry building society, have also started to widen the range of mortgage deals they offer.

For instance, the Coventry, and also the Britannia building society, now offer their best deals to customers who can put down a deposit of at least 50% of a property's value.

Mr Boulger said lenders now appear to have become a bit more relaxed about lending than they were earlier in the year, with the cost of loans where customers put down a 10% deposit also becoming cheaper.

"More lenders will come in with cheaper fixed rates in the next week or so," he predicted.

Source: ' BBC News '

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