The latest from Tim
Pension Tracing: How to Find Old or Lost Pensions
Finding an old pension can give your retirement income a welcome boost. What you need to do to trace it will depend on how much you remember about your lost…
95% Mortgages: Getting a Mortgage With a 5% Deposit
95% mortgages only require you to have a 5% deposit. They are mainly used by first-time buyers, and sometimes by existing homeowners who are looking to move or remortgage but…
What is a Lifetime Mortgage?
A lifetime mortgage is an equity release scheme that allows you to access some of the wealth you have tied up in your home. With a lifetime mortgage you can…
What is a Let-to-Buy Mortgage?
A let-to-buy mortgage allows you to buy a new home and let out your existing property to bring in extra income. It can be useful if you can’t or don’t…
What is a Second Charge Mortgage?
A second charge mortgage allows homeowners to borrow against the equity in their property while still having an existing mortgage. These mortgages usually have higher interest rates than a standard…
Bridging Loans Explained: How do Bridge Loans Work?
A bridging loan can act as a bridge between the sale of one property and the purchasing of another. It is a short-term option that helps bridge a financial gap…
How to Defer Your Pension
If you are not ready to retire, want to build more retirement savings, or simply don’t need to claim your pension yet, you may want to defer taking your pension.…
What is a Final Salary Pension, and How do Defined Benefit Pension Schemes Work?
A final salary pension, or defined benefit pension scheme, is a type of workplace pension that will pay you a retirement income for life. The amount you will receive in…
What Negative Equity Means & What You Can Do
Negative equity means the value of your home is less than the amount you still owe on your mortgage. While this can make it difficult to remortgage or move house,…
House Equity: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
House equity is the difference between the market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage and secured loans. So it’s how much you own of…
Children’s Pensions Explained: Setting Up a Pension for Your Child
Set up a child’s pension and with tax relief payable on a £2,880 yearly allowance your kids will have a head start towards a better retirement. Here, we explain how…
What is a Standard Variable Rate Mortgage?
A standard variable rate, or SVR, is an interest rate set by your mortgage lender that you may be moved onto once your fixed, tracker or discount rate mortgage deal…
What is a Tracker Mortgage?
A tracker mortgage is where the interest rate you pay tracks another rate. Usually this will be the Bank of England base rate, though the rate you pay on a…
How Capital Repayment Mortgages Work
A capital repayment mortgage lets you pay back some of the capital you borrowed along with the interest you’re charged each month.
The Pension Tax-Free Lump Sum Explained
Pension tax-free lump sum is the name given to the amount of your pension pot that you can withdraw when you access your pension without needing to pay income tax.…