With a tracker mortgage, the rate of interest is linked to a specified index, usually the Bank of England’s (BoE) base rate of interest. Whenever the base rate changes, so does the tracker’s interest rate and therefore the borrower’s monthly repayment. Tracker mortgages are a type of ‘variable rate’ mortgages.
When interest rates are low, the borrower’s monthly repayment might be less than it would be on a different type of mortgage, such as a fixed-rate or standard variable rate mortgage. But when interest rates are high, the reverse is true. And as the rate is likely to vary, the borrower can never be sure exactly when or whether their monthly repayment may change.
Although the rate of interest on a tracker mortgage is linked to the Bank of England’s base rate, the actual interest rate charged on the mortgage will be determined by the lender and will usually be higher than the base rate due to the inclusion of the ‘margin’. The interest rate can be calculated as the ‘Base rate’ + ‘margin’. If the base rate is 2%, and the margin is 2%, the interest rate on a tracker mortgage will be 4%. If the base rate increases to 2.5%, the rate of interest will be 4.5% (2.5% base rates plus 2% ‘Margin’).
It is important to note that most ‘tracker’ rate mortgages have a minimum rate that will apply to the loan. For example, the mortgage may have a minimum rate of 3% so even if the base rate went below 1% (with a 2% margin) the mortgage rate wouldn’t decrease below 3%.
Although some tracker mortgages run for the life of the loan, most last for less than that — between one year and 5 years is not untypical. Once the tracker arrangement finishes, most lenders will switch the mortgage to a standard variable rate of interest.
What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?
For our mortgage application
How has Jenny Whittle helped you?
With the mortgage application and made the entire process so much easier and speedy.
Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?
Yes we were able to purchase our property within a two month period
What could they have done better?
Nothing as Jenny was excellent and I have since referred her to others
Jenny's reply
Thanks Linda and for recommending me to your friends! I will be in touch soon to discuss your remortgage.
What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?
We've used Jenny before to help secure a mortgage, so when our fixed term was coming to an end, we were happy to use her services again.
How has Jenny Whittle helped you?
she helped us renew our mortgage.
Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?
Yes, we're on the best fixed rate we could have achieved under the economic circumstances.
Jenny's reply
Thanks Kate for the review. I hope you have a fantastic special birthday celebration in July!
What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?
We initially contacted Jenny to find out about mortgage options for us.
How has Jenny Whittle helped you?
Jenny has gone above and beyond to support us in our first house purchase together. From navigating mortgage options that suit us and not pushing us into just any deal to thoroughly explaining all the different options when it comes to insurance and protection. She has also been incredibly helpful when our initial sale fell through. She kept us in the loop, every step of the way and responded to our queries and questions with lightening speed and has always been available when we needed her. She has given us exceptional service throughout.
Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?
Yes.
What could they have done better?
Nothing. Honestly, everything has been perfect.
Jenny's reply
Thank you Victoria and Graham for the lovely review. Fingers crossed for a smooth house move!
What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?
We was after some help in finding the best mortgage interest rates and advice on what type of mortgage to go for.
How has Jenny Whittle helped you?
Jenny helped us by explaining different types of mortgages and their pro’s and con’s. She also managed to find us mortgages that accept price work which was helpful. Jenny managed to get us a rate we was happy with.
Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?
Yes
Jenny's reply
Thank you James and Jasmine for the lovely review, it's been fantastic to work with you both. I hope the house move goes smoothly!
What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?
Remortgage
How has Jenny Whittle helped you?
Advised on available mortgages
Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?
Yes
What could they have done better?
Nothing
