What are your repayment plans?

What are your repayment plans?

12:54 PM, 6th December 2013, About 11 years ago 58

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Are mortgage lenders having a campaign to ask interest only mortgage borrowers “what are your repayment plans?”

In the last 24 hours I have been contacted by two people, with different mortgage lenders, both telling me a very similar and disturbing story.

The first was my plumber, he popped around to see me yesterday. He has a relatively small interest only mortgage with Bank of Scotland secured against his home. The mortgage has 5 years to run which will take him to age 60. He had been contacted the day before by Bank of Scotland who advised him they were recording the conversation and took him through security before asking him how he intended to repay his mortgage. This alone made him nervous! The purpose of the call was to establish how he was going to repay the mortgage in 5 years time. The reason he popped around to see me is that he felt quite intimidated because he didn’t know what to say to the bank and wondered whether he ought to refinance? However, he’s paying 1% over bank base rate and it would uneconomical to change. Is this what the bank wanted him to do? What are your repayment plans?

I asked him why he felt intimidated and what his plans are. He told the bank he didn’t know how he was going to repay the mortgage and made his excuses to get off the phone. When he had the time to reflect on the discussion he realised that what he had told the bank might trigger the alarm bells and became worried about what happen next.

He gave me the true picture which seemed perfectly feasible. The truth is that he has several options but hasn’t decided which to take. That sounded perfectly feasible to me so I asked him what his options are. He said …

  1. Downsize
  2. Sell up and live abroad
  3. Refinance

I said “so what’s wrong with that?”.

He said he felt under pressure to provide a definitive answer as the bank only seemed focussed on increasing his payments to a level whereby his mortgage would be cleared within 5 years. mmm!!!

This morning I received a readers letter from a lady who is a residential borrower of Mortgages Express. The scenario she described was very similar but she is worried because she also has several buy to let mortgages on an interest only basis with Mortgage Express.

I would be very interested to hear from anybody who has experienced something similar recently. Please leave a comment below and let me know which lender you were contacted by and whether your loans are personal mortgages on your home or BTL’s. I would also like to know what the outstanding term is because both people who have contacted me to share their stories have said their mortgages have 5 years to run.

I’m wondering whether these stories are pure coincidence in their similarities and timing or whether the mortgage industry have somehow colluded or been instructed to make these calls by their regulators and/or professional bodies.

My response to a call of this nature would be that “I have several options and will let you know which I decide to take in due course”. If the mortgage lender asked me to spell out what those options are my response would be “sorry, I don’t think that’s any of your business. However, what I will say is that I have always honoured my contract with you and intend to continue to do so”.

Over to you ….


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Simone Gilks (Mortgage Adviser)

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19:10 PM, 11th December 2013, About 11 years ago

One cant help being suspicious when receiving a call from your bank and lender, they are either trying to sell you something or get you to pay something off -

with over 1000 clients each having Buy To Lets, your story is now all too familiar which is why I have been reading your comments with sheer anticipation - Do you think they should have a cash reserve or pay down?

Well given that most of them are risk adverse which is why they gear themselves so high and spread the bet as they say, I doubt they would consider paying down the mortgage.

So cash reserves - I think most decent financial planners will always suggest you have some form of reserve for a rainy day but where on earth would you keep it - that's a question for an IFA I think?

Me - well I am fast becoming a fan of Buy To Let Offset Mortgages which are increasingly joining the market. This way not only can you enjoy your Interest Only mortgage and low rates, but you can offset your hard earned cash by keeping it in a current account which is attached to the loan. The balance is offset against the loan outstanding and you only pay interest on the difference, with immediate access to your cash should you need it. There is the option to pay down should you really really want to.

Thank you for listening

Simone Gilks

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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9:29 AM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Simone Gilks Adv CeMAP, CeCM" at "11/12/2013 - 19:10":

Conceptually offset mortgages are fantastic, however, can the lenders be trusted not to remove the drawdown facilities?

See >>> http://www.property118.com/barclays-offset-mortgage-customers-take-heed/38254/

Barclays are not the only ones to have done this, Bank of Scotland also closed down their cheque book mortgages facilities leaving many small in dire straights when they came to draw the money they were saving in these accounts to pay their tax bills.

My own strategy is to compartmentalise as much as possible, i.e. mortgages and savings with different organisations. Another point which has not been made yet is that no more than £85,000 should be saved with any one banking group as that is the limit of the financial compensation scheme should they ever go bust.
.

NewYorkie

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11:00 AM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Simone Gilks Adv CeMAP, CeCM" at "11/12/2013 - 19:10":

I don't know if I'm missing something with the offset approach, but when you can claim 100% of your mortgage interest against tax, apart from it being tied up, why would you want to sacrifice the interest your offset balance could be earning at 3% elsewhere?

Annette Stone

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11:26 AM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

I agree with the idea of compartmentalising. Have you noticed when you go to the Bank for something they always want to know what you have elsewhere; same with mortgage lenders. When I got to 50 I realised that a had had a pension since my 20s and my husband - an accountant, told me that I should cash it in as I could realise a tidy sum on which I could make more income than their piddly annuity. Before they would give me my money they sent someone to my home to basically interview me and try and convince me to keep paying into the pension. When I absolutely refused he gave me some forms to sign and said that before they gave me the money there was a 7 day cooling off period (for whom?) and then when the seven days were up he insisted on coming back to see me again with a file about 2 inches thick which he asked me to complete with all details of income and investments so he could "advise" me on my future. He was about 12 years old!!! After I stopped laughing I asked him if it was conditional upon my giving him details of my entire financial history to get my pension and he said - and I quote because I have never forgotten it "No, it's not compulsory but most people don't mind letting me know what they've got!!!" I quite politely told him I was not most people and I asked him to put in writing on the copy of the form he had given me regarding the pension that I would now get the funds in 10 days. He did this and I got the funds. The next day they devalued the pension payouts by about 20% and then they devalued again and again to the point that people are in now.

As strategy I think people should keep no more than six mortgages with any one lender, no more than £80,000 with any one bank/building society and your house mortgage away from any investment mortgages. Never borrow on your home to fund investments; do one deal at a time and take your profit, then do the next deal and after a little while you are playing with profit not your investment. Cautious I know but I have seen too many people fly and then come down to earth with a bump or a bang or a crash!!!!

As far as giving out information name, rank and serial no. does it for me!!! If it is a bank or financial institution calling me and then asking me to go through security I don't even acknowledge my name I just tell them to write to me

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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11:27 AM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Lou Valdini" at "12/12/2013 - 11:00":

I suppose it depend on what interest rate you are paying on the mortgage is lou. If it's 5% the maths suggests it's better in the offset account. HOWEVER, the trust in banks issue would still put me off.
.

NewYorkie

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13:38 PM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "12/12/2013 - 11:27":

Thanks Mark. Yes, the interest rate is key ...plus the 'trust' issue.

Simone Gilks (Mortgage Adviser)

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16:21 PM, 12th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Lou and Mark, thank you for your comments and yes I would of course not refer this idea had the client been on a very low mortgage rate.

I am merely explaining the fact that there are a number of variations in which a landlord could consider keeping funds freely available for a rainy day, as one would say.

Regards
Simone -

Howard Reuben Cert CII (MP) CeRER

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11:55 AM, 15th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Mark, your comment "My response to a call of this nature would be that “I have several options and will let you know which I decide to take in due course" " is excellent and of course if you (i.e. BTL mortgage borrowers in general) have extra long term mortgage deals to very senior ages, then this should also assist the planning and delay the need to repay into your 80's, 90's or older.

As we know, there are lenders who will agree to provide a BTL mortgage until ages 85, 90 or no max (eg the article http://www.property118.com/ageism-in-buytolet-mortgages/30658/ ) and as a Broker who has been asked to troubleshoot many mortgage accounts for Clients in their 70's who are being faced with 'pay now' attitudes from certain lenders - and as many readers / new Clients on Property118 will testify, w e have successfully extended the termination dates - the matter of being able to get the lenders to listen and for us to be able to negotiate is not an easy issue, but one that needs to be addressed in advance.

Even if a BTL borrower has 5 / 10 / 15 years left, why not secure the longest term now (whilst you can) and sleep well knowing your assets are covered for maybe another 20 / 25 or more years (protecting your family's financial security of equity growth and passive rental income) for as long as you can.

So, to answer the article's question of "what are your repayment plans?" for your BTL mortgages, why not simply answer (as Mark alluded to) "come back when I'm 90 and I'll discuss it with you then.

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