Call:07964332223

Reviews and Ratings for Financial adviser Scott Austin, Rochester

Blog Post

MAKE BIG SAVINGS WITH AN OFFSET MORTGAGE

Scott Austin • March 30, 2021

Fixed, tracker, variable or ..........OFFSET?

CHOOSING THE RIGHT type of mortgage can save you thousands of pounds in the long term. If appropriate to your particulate situation, one of the less common types of mortgage worth considering is an offset mortgage.

Offset mortgages (and their predecessors, current account mortgages) have permanently changed the way that many Britons think about their mortgage. They can either help you reduce your monthly payments or shorten the term and help you get mortgage-free sooner. Typically, you may want to consider offsetting if you have savings that you require access to but are unhappy with the punitive interest rates offered by easy access accounts. 

Higher rate taxpayers may also want to consider offset mortgages as their savings will attract no interest and they will not have to declare this as taxable income. In other words, because you are effectively putting interest earned from savings or from a lump sum of money earned towards your mortgage; it is tax-free.
Applicants who are self-employed can use money set aside to pay their tax bill to offset and landlords can have their rental income paid into a savings account linked to their own residential offset, which can help reduce their own mortgage interest so is also very useful.

WHAT IS AN OFFSET
MORTGAGE?
A smart and tax-efficient way to cut borrowing costs An offset mortgage is a homebuying loan that’s linked to your savings account to let you reduce how much interest you are charged. Any cash savings you have in that account are offset against the amount you owe. Lenders deduct this amount from your mortgage balance and only charge you interest on the remaining amount.
For example, if you have a £200,000 mortgage but you have £20,000 in savings, you will only pay interest on £180,000 of the mortgage. The more savings you have, the less interest you’ll have to pay on your mortgage.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
REDUCE YOUR MORTGAGE
INTEREST?
Interest can add up a lot over the full term of your mortgage. For example, if you were to repay a £200,000 mortgage over 25 years, at an interest rate of 3%, you’d pay over £80,000 in interest.
Anything that reduces the amount of interest you must pay – like an offset mortgage – can help you save a significant amount of money over the long-term.

DO YOU STILL HAVE ACCESS
TO YOUR SAVINGS WITH AN
OFFSET MORTGAGE?
Yes. One of the main advantages of an offset mortgage is that you can still use your savings if you need to. The money is still yours and you aren’t obligated to use it to pay off your mortgage at any point. You just need to remember that, if you withdraw a significant amount of your savings, your monthly mortgage repayments will go up.

CAN YOU STILL ADD TO YOUR
SAVINGS WITH AN OFFSET
MORTGAGE?
Yes, you can still add to your savings, and this is often a sensible decision. The effect is the same as if you were to overpay on your mortgage, in that it will reduce the balance that you’re paying interest on.
However, the added benefit is that you can change your mind later and withdraw that money again if you need it. It isn’t usually possible to do this if you have overpaid your mortgage.

DO YOU STILL EARN
INTEREST ON YOUR
No, you won’t earn interest on your savings. It’s important to bear this in mind, as over a long period (like a 25-year mortgage) inflation will reduce the buying power of your savings. But the interest you save on your mortgage should add up more than the interest you would earn on your savings.
You just need to compare the interest rates available to you for both mortgages and savings accounts to see if you’ll benefit.

WHY NOT USE YOUR
SAVINGS AS A BIGGER
DEPOSIT?
Using your savings to increase your deposit has the same effect as choosing an offset mortgage – it reduces the amount that you’re paying interest on.
The advantage of choosing an offset mortgage is that you can still access your savings later if you need to, whereas if you use them as a deposit, they are no longer accessible. There are two advantages of using your savings as a bigger deposit. Firstly, you’ll have access to a wider range of mortgages, as offset mortgages are less common than other types. Secondly, you’ll be borrowing at a lower loan-to-value ratio (LTV). Because of these two factors, you might
be able to find a mortgage with a lower interest rate than the offset mortgages available. The best option for you depends on your circumstances, and you might want to check with a mortgage broker to help you compare your options.

WHAT ARE THE
ADVANTAGES OF OFFSET
MORTGAGES?
• You can pay lower monthly repayments
• Or you can overpay and be mortgage-free sooner
• You will still have access to your savings if you need them
• You won’t pay any tax on your savings as they are not
earning interest
• You’ll usually save more in mortgage interest than you lose in savings interest

WHAT ARE THE
DISADVANTAGES OF OFFSET
MORTGAGES?
• You won’t earn any interest on your savings
• Offset mortgages typically
have a higher interest rate
than other mortgage types
• There is a limited range of offset mortgages to
choose from • You can sometimes be better off using your savings to increase your mortgage deposit.

Book an appointment to discuss further. 

Share This Blog

By Scott Austin October 13, 2023
Here are our Tips. Why customers succeed in getting a mortgage.
By Scott Austin October 7, 2023
The culinary world is glamorous, but behind the scenes...
By Scott Austin September 26, 2023
The culinary world is ever-changing. Top 5 trends
By Scott Austin September 26, 2023
Getting onto the property ladder with ease.
By Scott Austin September 15, 2023
Lets get cooking on your credit score!
By Scott Austin May 25, 2023
Know your rights!
By Scott Austin May 17, 2023
100% Mortgages now available.
By Scott Austin August 27, 2021
Opening the door to owning your first home
By Scott Austin July 5, 2021
So, here we are half way through 2021 and the property market is still going crazy, I heard a story the other day about a first time buyer that went to view a flat in London and there were 10 other couples waiting outside, now that might not seem like much but it might just put you off selling up and moving. So, if you are going to "stay put" then it is time to think about if you can get a better rate for your current mortgage. With rates at all time lows and not much indication that they are going up anytime soon, this is your opportunity to save money. So if you are on a fixed rate that is going to end in the next 6 months then now is the time to get in touch and see if a better rate is available to you. If you are on the standard variable rate or a tracker and you want to see if a fixed rate is now worth it because the rates are so low then we can help to. We can even help you stick with the same lender and get you a better rate than the standard variable, so if you need quick action we can help there too. Contact Zoom Mortgage telephone 0800310121 email contactus@zoommortgage.co.uk .
By Scott Austin July 2, 2021
This story + many more are available in our 1st edition of the Zoom Mortgage and Property Magazine. Available for you for free here https://zoommortgage.lpages.co/zoom-mortgage-property-magazine THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) pandemic led to the virtual disappearance of mortgages that only required a 5% deposit. But the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced on 3 March a new initiative during his Budget 2021 speech. The government-backed mortgage guarantee scheme is open to first-time buyers and home movers across the UK and is aimed at encouraging banks and building societies to offer 95% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages again. The announcement is tremendous news for first-time buyers looking to get on the property ladder at a time when, for many, owning a home may seem an impossible dream as they would otherwise not be able to find a large deposit to secure a mortgage deal. GETTING ON THE HOUSING LADDER The announcement aims to stimulate the housing market and get more people onto the housing ladder. The Chancellor said there was good evidence that ‘this will help those that are getting on the housing ladder disproportionately to other home movers.’ He said: ‘We know from the previous time we did it, it helped 100,000 people buy a home and the average value of a home bought under the scheme was £160,000, compared to the average price of a home which at that time was more like £225,000. ‘And 80% were first-time buyers, so it feels like it is a policy that is quite well targeted to help people get on the housing ladder.’ ACROSS THE UK The government introduced the scheme for new mortgage applications which commenced from April and provides a guarantee to lenders across the UK that offer mortgages to people with a deposit of five per cent on homes with a value of up to £600,000. This scheme is for any ‘creditworthy’ household struggling to save for a higher deposit. These will be standard residential mortgages – so no second homes or buy-to- lets. If the borrower gets into financial difficulty and their property is repossessed, the government will cover that element of the lender’s losses. The scheme opened for new mortgage applications from April and will be open to new applications until December 2022. Several of the country’s largest lenders, including Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Barclays and HSBC, are offering these 95% mortgages, with others to follow shortly after. The mortgages must be on a repayment basis, not interest-only. And borrowers will need to be credit checked and meet the standard rules on affordability. All lenders under the scheme will also offer mortgages fixed for at least five years, providing options for buyers with smaller deposits who want the security and predictability of a mortgage with a fixed rate over a longer term. Eligible mortgages guaranteed under the scheme will need to: • be a residential mortgage (not second homes) and not buy-to-let • be taken out by an individual or individuals rather than an incorporated company • be on a property in the UK with purchase value of £600,000 or less • have a loan-to-value (LTV) of between 91% and 95% of the value of the property • be originated between the dates specified by the scheme • be a repayment mortgage and not interest-only • meet standard requirements in terms of the assessment of the borrower’s ability to pay the mortgage, for example, a loan-to- income and credit score test LIFELINE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS Thanks to soaring house prices and tighter rules on mortgage approvals, the first rung of that famous property ladder can be very hard to reach. So the new government backed mortgage guarantee scheme will be a lifeline for those first-time buyers trying to get on the housing ladder. >> GET AN ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH YOU COULD BORROW << Are you ready to buy a property? You’ve dreamed of owning a home for as long as you can remember, or maybe you’re looking to move to another property. Now the new government-backed mortgage guarantee scheme could make it a reality. To discuss your options and get an estimate on how much you can borrow, contact Zoom Mortgage – telephone 0800310121 – email contactus@ zoommortgage.co.uk
Show More
Share by: