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Latest News from Simplicity Financial Services
Interest Rates Update
15th May 2008
UK interest rates
have been held at 5% as the Bank of England decided to focus on inflation
risks, despite signs that the economy is slowing. We had expected the rate
freeze, although many analysts...
House Prices – who knows what happens next?
15th May 2008
With
much speculation (and remember, it is all speculation) happening since the
Credit Crunch, where do we currently stand on property prices?
For a
long time it was believed that the effects of...
Are you getting impartial advice for your finances?
15th May 2008
Currently, high street banks offer ‘advice’ on
issues such as pensions, investments and life cover, frequently offering a
choice of their own products only. Such advice is currently...
Credit Record:
15th May 2008
Much
of mortgage lender’s decision making process is dependent on your credit score,
particularly with the sub-prime market in the US effectively causing the now-
infamous Credit Crunch. With...
Simplicity Hits The Headlines
15th April 2008
As Simplicity grows as an authority figure within the mortgage industry, our esteemed Mortgage Director, and “Young Mortgage Broker of the Year” Matthew Harris made his television debut on ITN...
House Prices
15th April 2008
Whenever people talk about the property market they are talking about the UK market as a whole and not the little micro-economies that appear up and down our great nation. With that in mind a...
Mortgage Rates
15th April 2008
Following the drop in the Bank of England Base Rate to 5% on Thursday, are we going to finally see the decreasing rates passed on by mortgage lenders?Probably not. Most of the better fixed rate deals have...
It's simple - Isa's are more flexible
15th April 2008
Savers and investors will able to stash more money in individual savings accounts (Isas) and gain more freedom about what they do with their cash under new rules.
The government says the shake-up is...
Whirlow Farm
15th April 2008
Spring has really sprung at Whirlow Hall Farm Trust. Of our 285 ewes, 235 have given birth now so the barn and the fields are full of lambs playing together whenever the sun comes out. We time...
Private Eye Property could be your new best friend ...
15th April 2008
With Simplicity Financial Services ever expanding and the London branch becoming busier, we're delighted to introduce a fantastic new company that could save you a lot of time and...
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee
14th March 2008
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has this month voted to hold the base rate at 5.25% following last months cut.
We are now seeing lenders scaling back on loan to value ratios dramatically...
First Time Buyers
14th March 2008
With all the talk in the press regarding the demise of the 125%
mortgage, horror stories of the impossibilities of making that first step onto
the property market and a general
feel of utter doom and...
The Budget by Alistair Darling
14th March 2008
For those
looking for a brief look at how Alistair Darling’s recent budget affects the us, read
on:
Comments on
the recent budget have largely suggested that Alistair Darling hasn’t...
Pre-year end tax planning for individuals – tax year ending 5 April 2008
14th March 2008
Tax planning may help to reduce your tax liabilities and therefore improve your overall financial
position. Listed below are some planning ideas to consider prior to the end of
the tax year on 5 April...
Whirlow Hall Farm
14th March 2008
Simplicity’s charity
of choice – Whirlow Hall Farm, bring you news of what’s happening in the coming
months.
Our second round of lambing begins on 1st April - we
have...
Buy-to-let market still thriving
27th February 2008
The buy-to-let property market is still thriving, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).The number of buy-to-let loans rose by 23% last year, taking their number to 1,038,000 and accounting...
Bank voted 8-1 for cut to 5.25%
27th February 2008
The Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by 8-1 to cut interest rates to 5.25% earlier this month, minutes have shown.The bank decided to lower rates by a quarter of a...
Young buyers are forced to produce a deposit, This is the end of 100% mortgages
20th February 2008
<p>Mortgages which let people borrow more than the value of their home were radically
scrapped yesterday. </p>
<p>Before Christmas, a third of lenders offered mortgages of 100 per...
Bank of England Reduces Bank Rate by 0.25 Percentage Points to 5.25%
7th February 2008
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee today voted to
reduce the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves by 0.25
percentage points to 5.25%.
The prospects for output...
Bank cuts interest rates to 5.25%
7th February 2008
The Bank of England's rate-setting committee has cut
interest rates to 5.25% from 5.5% amid signs that the UK economy is
slowing down.
Analysts had widely predicted the move, which followed
recent...
FSA 'failed over Northern Rock'
29th January 2008
The Financial Services Authority is guilty of a
"systematic failure of duty" over the Northern Rock crisis, a key
parliamentary committee has said.
The Treasury committee said the UK's financial...
Record mortgage lending in 2007
29th January 2008
Last year saw the strongest gross mortgage lending to
date, but the market is weakening, the Council for Mortgage Lenders
(CML) has said.
CML figures showed gross lending reached £362bn in...
House prices in 2008 - up or down?
29th January 2008
House prices could be even more of a talking point than usual in 2008.
For the first time since 1995, this could be a year in which property prices actually fall.
However, that is not what most...
FSA mulls price comparison site regulation
29th January 2008
The Financial Services Authority could review how it regulates
insurance price comparison websites as a result of new research from
the British Insurance Brokers’ Association. BIBA
urged the FSA...
Fed drops base rate to 3.5%
29th January 2008
The US Federal Reserve has today slashed the base rate by 0.75%, bringing the official interest rate to 3.5%.The Federal Open Market Committee says it took the action in consideration of the weakening...
House prices slide 0.3% in January
29th January 2008
House prices fell 0.3% in January, data for the month so far from Hometrack has revealed.January’s
fall was the fourth consecutive monthly drop in average house price
values, although year-on-year...
Helping your children buy their property
15th January 2008
With property prices already out of reach for
many, and uncertainties around interest rates, first-time buyers often
struggle to get their foot on the property ladder.
"The Bank of Mum and Dad" is...
Abbey Mortgages urges Britons to prepare for changes
10th January 2008
Abbey Mortgages is advising people to make sure they are financially prepared to meet unexpected changes in the coming year.<br /><br />According to research from Abbey Mortgages, 62 per cent...
The lowdown on property taxes
9th January 2008
An increasing number of people are facing tax charges on the sale of their homes where they own more than one property or are selling off land for property development. However, profits made on the sale...
Libor falls to lowest level since credit crunch
9th January 2008
Is property in the UK heading for a crash? Or can we still prosper,
despite the wobble? In the first of three special reports on the
housing market in 2008, Phil Thornton pinpoints the issues...
Look beyond the low rates of mortgage 'bargains'
9th January 2008
SHOPPERS can save thousands of pounds on a mortgage in
the New Year sales, but they should consider more than just the
headline rate or it may cost more than they expect.HSBC
is offering a two-year...
Your survival guide to the year ahead
9th January 2008
<h2>Is property in the UK heading for a crash? Or can we still prosper,
despite the wobble? In the first of three special reports on the
housing market in 2008, Phil Thornton pinpoints the issues...
Lenders ''should automatically pass on rate cuts'' - buy to let mortgages
24th December 2007
Mortgage lenders should immediately transfer the benefits of base rate
cuts to their customers rather than delaying or passing on partial
cuts, moneysupermarket.com has said.<br /><br />The...
Options open to avoid repossession
20th December 2007
Homeowners who fall behind on their mortgage repayments still have options available to them but they must take action, it has been claimed.According to the Repossessions Advice Centre, homeowners must...
Rics predicts 2008 housing market
20th December 2007
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has predicted that house prices will remain broadly unchanged in 2008 but acknowledged that the market could face short-term weaknesses.Following the...
A borrower’s guide to Mortgages
17th December 2007
<p>Perhaps it's not surprising we're all so concerned when oneconsiders that the housing market is something that affects us all,whether we're already homeowners or are considering our fist...
Rate cut costs homeowners £10m a month
17th December 2007
<p class="story">Homebuyers are paying about £10m a month more than
they need to in mortgage repayments because lenders are refusing to
pass on the latest cut in interest...
First-time buyers not put off
5th November 2007
Not to be put off by the recent slow downs in the property market, first-time buyers are fighting back, according to new research.Fairinvestment.co.uk has found the number of first-time buyers making...
Borrowers feeling the pressure
22nd October 2007
Following five interest rate hikes, borrowers are feeling the pinch and cutting down on savings, a survey has revealed.According to Alliance & Leicester's latest figures the appetite for unsecured...
Buy and rent-back is 'disaster'
22nd October 2007
Firms that buy homes at knock down prices and then rent them back to the occupier have been criticised by the Citizens Advice Bureau.Some companies pay less than 60 per cent of a home's market value and...
Hips still not popular
12th October 2007
The public remain unconvinced by Home Information Packs (Hips) according to London & Country.The fee-free mortgage broker believes most of the public do not understand what you actually get when...
Darling Raises IHT But Ignores Stamp Duty In Pre-Budget Report
11th October 2007
The Labour government is being accused of stealing Tory policy in their pre-budget report yesterday. The Chancellor raised the threshold for inheritance tax, closed the loopholes for wealthy...
Mortgage Market Report
11th October 2007
Mortgage Market Report 11 September 2007
Market Commentary
Economic Background
- Inflation
Credit Cards
...
Flooding swells insurance costs
9th October 2007
Home insurance costs have risen at their fastest rate since 1994 after this summer's widespread flooding, according to the AA.
Buildings premiums jumped by 3% in the past quarter, reflecting the...
Act now to beat mortgage squeeze
11th September 2007
The turmoil in the global financial markets may soon force up certain home loans so borrowers should move quickly to snap up the best deals
Hundreds of thousands of borrowers coming to the end of cheap...
Buy-to-let alive and well
11th September 2007
Buy-to-let investors are continuing to pile into the property market in spite of rising interest rates, lured by strong rises in rents, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said today.
Demand...
Base rate held for second month running
7th September 2007
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have voted to freeze the Bank of England Base Rate at 5.75 per cent.
By holding interest rates at their current level for the second consecutive month, the MPC have...
Homeowners to give HIPs the slip
21st August 2007
Research by Abbey Mortgages has found that millions of homeowners plan to exploit a Home Information Pack (HIP) loophole.
As many as 4.5 million homeowners with a four-bedroomed property are planning on...
US sub-prime woes could hit UK homebuyers
17th August 2007
The US sub-prime crisis could lead UK borrowers with credit troubles to have problems securing a mortgage, claims the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR).The fall-out of the sub-prime crisis...
Hips go live
1st August 2007
Home Information Packs (Hips) went live today in England and Wales.The packs, providing details of local searches, evidence of title and an energy performance certificate, will first apply to homes coming...
Government green paper to help first time buyers
23rd July 2007
The Government is
expected to announce plans today for a new 17.5 per cent government equity loan,
designed to make it easier for people to get on to the housing ladder by owning
less than a fifth...
First-time buyers missing basic checks
18th July 2007
At this time of year a lot of young people, particularly graduates, will be starting employment, earning money and looking to make that first leap onto the property ladder. However, new research suggests...
Prices continue to rise for now
18th July 2007
Annual house price growth reached 11 per cent in June, according to figures released by Assetz.
This was a 0.3 per cent increase in the rate of growth from the previous month (10.7 per cent)....
Homes to transform in next 20 years, says A&L
16th July 2007
Environmental pressures, changing demographics and technology will pave the way for futuristic four-up-two-down, three-generation family homes within the next 20 years, according to Alliance &...
B2l returns increase 13% over year
16th July 2007
Buy-to-let returns have increased 13% over the past year, Birmingham Midshires b2l bi-annual review reveals.The review covers property prices and rental values for buy-to-let properties both at national...
Broad welcome for PM's housing proposals
12th July 2007
Industry commentators have welcomed Gordon Brown's proposals to increase housing supply and review mortgage funding flexibility.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders welcomed the proposals. It has said...
Industry reacts to revised timetable
12th June 2007
The government has laid out its plans for the revised implementation of Home Information Packs (HIPs).
Ruth Kelly has offered fresh reassurance for home buyers and sellers that the Government remains...
UK inflation slows to 2.5% in May
12th June 2007
The UK's rate of inflation slowed in May to the weakest level in seven months, official figures have shown.
Consumer price inflation fell to 2.5% last month, against 2.8% in April, the Office for...
UK interest rates remain at 5.5%
7th June 2007
The Bank of England has held UK interest rates at 5.5% following its latest meeting, but analysts say a rate rise later this year remains likely.
The decision to freeze rates had been expected, to give...
Home info packs delayed to August
23rd May 2007
The introduction of Home Information Packs is to be delayed until 1 August - when they will be brought in for sales of homes with four bedrooms or more.
The packs were due to become compulsory for all...
The Islamic Mortgage Market
1st August 2005
The Islamic mortgage market is set to grow by 47% a
year and could be worth £1.4bn by 2009, market research
group
Datamonitor has said.
There is a growing demand from the UK's 1.8...
SimpliComic Relief?
10th March 2005
Little Britain has a lot to answer for. After ruling out pink lycra, the Simplicity team could not think further than dressing as ladies. We stumbled past Victorian dresses, liked the idea of beards and...
Simplicity Financial Services Website
7th March 2005
They say that things happen quickly on the internet. You should try launching a compliant financial services website. After 6 months of development and a change in regulation we are delighted...
Bulgaria - a property investment opportunity
7th March 2005
Simplicity Financial Services are proud to announce that they are the sole selling agents in the UK for "SimpliBulgaria - the rural project".
Location
The location is close to Veliko Tarnovo in the...