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Last week, British banks agreed to provide homeowners who fall behind on mortgage payments with a one-year period before initiating foreclosure. Additionally, they pledged to safeguard the credit scores of borrowers who modify their loan terms. These actions were taken by the government in response to the increasing pressure of rising interest rates.
Following the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates to 5.0% to combat high inflation, Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt called for a meeting with representatives from British banks and other lenders. Hunt stated that these measures aim to alleviate concerns about high interest rates and provide support for those facing financial difficulties. Moreover, the new measures allow borrowers the possibility to alter the conditions of their mortgages, such as opting to only pay the interest amount.
The newly introduced measures also grant borrowers the potential to modify their mortgage terms, such as opting to pay only the interest or extending the repayment period. These changes can be made for a duration of up to six months without the lender needing to conduct fresh credit checks. However, this move could potentially pose risks for banks in the long term. According to sources from the finance ministry and British banks, implementing such measures may prove challenging in practice.
Furthermore, some of the measures announced by the government recently seem to duplicate policies that banks have already claimed to have in place. As per the finance ministry statement, the recently established “mortgage charter” with banks stipulates that they must provide information to customers whose interest rates are nearing the end of their term.
Over the past few months, major British banks have repeatedly assured both their customers and lawmakers that such assistance is available, urging those experiencing financial stress to reach out to them at the earliest opportunity.
Changes in the mortgage market of Britain have resulted in interest rate fluctuations having a less immediate impact on homeowners compared to the past. Currently, approximately 85% of mortgage holders have opted for fixed-rate agreements, a significant increase from less than 30% in the early 2000s.
However, it’s important to note that most of these fixed-rate deals only remain valid for up to five years. According to UK Finance, an industry organization, around 800,000 mortgages will require refinancing in the latter half of this year, followed by an additional 1.6 million in 2024. These figures are part of a total of approximately 9 million residential mortgages.
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