Fully flexible mortgages make sense and normally come strongly recommended. Your circumstance may change through the life of a mortgage or you may want that bit of flexibility to take advantage of a commercial opportunity. Interest rates on savings are currently so low that your money is earning very little. It probably makes sense to [...]
About hortoris
What Sets Your House Price
Background to Cost and Price of your House Cost is not normally the same as price! The price of a house on the market may be £230,000 but who will pay the asking price? £200,000 may be the negotiated and agreed contract value and thus becomes the price. This ‘price’ will be registered with the [...]
How to Pay off your Mortgage Early
Most of us would like to pay off our mortgage early. In fact the average length of a mortgage is around 7 years even though the original term is significantly longer 25-30 years in most cases in the UK. If you are able to pay off your mortgage early, you can save yourself significant sums [...]
Mortgage Refusals in a Tight Market
‘Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water……..’ You think you have your mortgage ducks in a row but you still get a refusal. The reasons for many of the current mortgage refusals include the lenders own problems, a perception of your status problems or a property related problem. Above [...]
Economic Good News
‘Comparisons are as bad as cliches’ or so says the quote at the foot of my daily calendar on this last day of month one 2012. Not withstanding that I am in continued pursuit of good news for the economy and our personal finances. Good News In the Month The total amount of personal debt [...]
Personal Finance Mumbo Jumbo & Chips
A few pointers on personal finance may help you to dance around the Mumbo Jumbo and gobbledegook you get from professionals and advisers. Professionals carry baggage. They have a living to earn, standards committees to satisfy and a ‘been their done that’ attitude bordering on arrogance. Give me a committed amateur not a do as [...]
Core and Special Credit Cards February 2012
There are more credit card products on the market than ever before. The choice can be confusing and understanding the terminology can require at least A-level Finance qualifications Core Credit Card Types Purchase card is the plain vanilla variety that has been around for decades typified by the original pre Visa Barclaycard. It will have [...]
10 Questions to Ask When Buying Property Overseas
Whatever your reason for buying abroad there are some basics that need to be covered. A family retreat or holiday home in the sun, a retirement home, a rent producing investment or an upmarket city center crash pad the issues are similar. First Questions How easy or difficult is the buying process in your chosen [...]
Money Saving Personal Health Insurance
The good news is that in the UK you are able to benefit from the National Health Service and our welfare state. The bad news is that there are some reasons you may still wish to insure your health. Why You May Want Health Insurance NHS waiting times may be too long and you may [...]
One in Ten Mortgages
HSBC aims to grow the number of mortgages that it provides. They have £15 billion available to lend during 2012 and that should give them 11% of the market. First time borrowers will also benefit from this new found enthusiasm for lending by HSBC if their marketing blurb is to be believed. 90% mortgages for [...]
