Mortgages
A mortgage is a loan taken out with a bank or building society to buy a house or other property. The mortgage is usually for a long period, typically up to 25 years, and you pay it back by monthly instalments. When you sign the mortgage agreement you agree to give the property as security. This means if you don’t keep up with the repayments, the lender has the right to take back and sell the property. But they can’t do this without first going to court.
For more about what to do if you run into problems paying your mortgage, in England and Wales see Mortgage problems. In Scotland, see Mortgage problems
Types of mortgages
- repayment mortgage, where your regular repayment goes towards the amount you borrowed (the capital) and the interest so that the whole loan is paid off by the end of the mortgage
- interest only mortgage, where your regular repayment goes towards the interest only. At the end of the mortgage you repay the capital in a lump sum. Usually this will be from savings or an insurance policy you took out at the same time as the mortgage. For example, an endowment or pension.
The cost of the mortgage depends on the interest rate. There are lots of different types of interest rates such as fixed rate or variable rate. It’s worth taking some time to compare types and decide what suits you best – you can use the mortgage comparison tool on the Money Advice Service website.
Secured loans
You can get additional loans secured on your home for things like home improvements. This may be called a second mortgage, second charge or further charge. They all mean the same thing.
All secured loans give the lender similar rights to repossess your home if you don’t keep up repayments. (more…)