TSB to boost ALL its mounted mortgage charges as Middle East fallout continues
- It is one of a raft of lenders which have increased their prices in recent days
Mortgage brokers are warning that mortgage rates below 4 per cent could disappear by next week, after three more lenders hiked rates in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Most notably, TSB is putting its rates up across all its fixed rate deals by 0.5 percentage points from tomorrow.
Yesterday TSB was offering some of the best rates on the market, including a 3.64 per cent two-year fix for those buying with a 40 per cent deposit and a 3.74 per cent rate for those with a 25 per cent deposit both with a £995 fee.
These went up at 8pm yesterday to 3.79 per cent and 3.89 per cent respectively, and are now set to be hiked again from Wednesday 11 March.
Someone needing a £200,000 mortgage, on a two-year fix and 25 year repayment term, could have locked in yesterday and paid £1,016 a month. From tomorrow that would rise to £1,088 a month.
Big increase: TSB will raise rates across all its fixed deals on Wednesday
Alongside TSB, Santander will also be hiking rates tomorrow by up to 0.24 percentage points.
The high street bank currently offers some of the lowest rates including a 3.72 per cent two-year fix and a 3.87 per cent five-year fix for those remortgaging with 40 per cent equity.
‘Market conditions are clearly getting more serious now and unfortunately we do not know when this is going to end,’ said Aaron Strutt of mortgage broker Trinity Financial.
‘Any borrowers holding off locking into a new deal or selecting a new product transfer rate shouldn’t be because rates are likely to keep rising for a while.’
With events in the Middle East stoking inflation fears due to soaring oil and gas prices, traders are now betting on a base rate rise by the Bank of England this year.
This has narrowed margins for lenders and means they may not be able to offer sub-4 per cent rates for much longer if the situation continues.
Nicholas Mendes of broker John Charcol said: ‘If the trajectory continues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the remaining sub-4 per cent mortgage deals disappear over the next week or so.
‘Lenders can only hold those headline rates while funding costs allow, and when swap markets move sharply it tends to feed through into mortgage pricing quickly.
However, Mendes says the outlook is still highly dependent on what happens across financial markets over the coming days.
He added: ‘If geopolitical tensions ease and oil prices settle further from the earlier spikes, swap rates could stabilise and that would relieve some of the pressure on lenders.’
First mover: Halifax upped rates today. The lender is often referred to as the ‘barometer’ of the high street by brokers
The moves by Santander and TSB followed Halifax, which earlier today also upped rates across its fixed and tracker deals.
Halifax is often seen as the ‘barometer’ of the high street by brokers.
Jamie Alexander, mortgage director at Romsey-based Alexander Southwell Mortgages said: ‘Halifax increasing rates is a clear signal that the calm we saw in mortgage pricing may be fading.
‘Swap rates have moved higher in recent days, and lenders are reacting quickly to protect margins.
‘For borrowers, it’s a reminder that mortgage rates can change quickly when financial markets become unsettled.
‘Anyone considering a purchase or remortgage may want to secure a rate sooner rather than later, as most lenders will still allow a switch to a cheaper deal if pricing improves before completion.’
Riz Malik, independent financial adviser at Southend-on-Sea-based R3 Wealth added: ‘Lenders are panicking as markets are moving at an alarming pace. It’s carnage in the mortgage market right now and is starting to feel like 2022 all over again.
‘I pray this is short-lived, otherwise housing and households will suffer significantly.’
