Trinity help judge 2018 Moneywise Mortgage Awards

by Aaron Strutt

May 30 2018

Trinity Financial provided the shortlist of lenders for the Moneywise Mortgage Awards 2018.

Trinity's Aaron Strutt assessed the lenders with the leading rates and he was one of the judges who voted for winners and runners-up, looking at rates, fees, early repayment charges, flexibility, service and treatment of new and existing customers. 

Moneywise Winners 

Trinity provided comment to Moneywise magazine about a selection of the winners. The first lender was HSBC. Click here to view the awards.

Best lender for fixed rates: HSBC

Aaron Strutt said: “HSBC has consistently offered great fixed rates with competitively priced arrangement fees. The bank has been targeting borrowers with different deposit sizes and eased its acceptance criteria to ensure more applicants qualify. He adds: “The lender always has one eye on the best buy tables when it launches a new fixed rate and this helps drive down prices across the market. HSBC has also recently introduced a new processing system and employed more staff to manage demand.”

Best lender for discounted mortgages: Yorkshire BS

Mr Strutt says: “Yorkshire Building Society has regularly provided leading discounted rates that undercut the price of fixed rates. The lender has a huge discount off its standard variable rate (SVR) and is tempting borrowers who want the lowest monthly repayments rather than longer-term payment security.”

Best lender for offset mortgages: Scottish Widows Bank

Best lender for buy-to-let: Barclays

Mr Strutt says: “There is a lot of competition in the buy-to-let market and lenders need to work very hard to attract new customers. As well as offering super-cheap rates, Barclays takes personal income into account, as well as the rental income, to ensure more borrowers secure the loan size they need.”

Best lender for first-time buyers: Nationwide

Best lender for first-time buyers with support: The Family BS

Mr Strutt explains the lender's innovative proposition. “The Family Building Society has a range of options for younger borrowers who are relying on the bank of mum and dad to get on the property ladder. This includes guarantor mortgages, where parents can use their income to boost the application, also joint borrower sole owner options where the parents’ names go on the mortgage and not the deeds.”

Best lender for lifetime trackers: First Direct

Best lender for remortgages: Barclays

Best lender for larger loans: Barclays

Best lender for new builds: Halifax

Mr Strutt says: “Halifax has a bespoke range of products available for borrowers looking for new-build mortgages, and a specialist team to manage applications. The bank offers shared equity and shared ownership applications and government housing schemes. There is the option to extend mortgage offers if the new-build completion time overruns.”

Best lender for older borrowers: The Family BS

“The Family Building Society helps a lot of older borrowers and has acceptance criteria designed to make it easier to qualify if you have pension or investment income. The lender also takes earned income into account up to the age of 70 and has a common-sense approach to mortgages to get applicants agreed.”

The recommended mortgage providers were based on best buy data over 12 months (supplied April 2018). 

Call Trinity Financial on 020 7016 0790 to secure a mortgage