‘Modest’ rise to base rate

According to financial service trade association UK Finance, 2.6 million first-time buyers will be experiencing their first ever rate rise this week.

The pound dropped by nearly one per cent against the dollar as the Bank of England raised the base rate today.

But Skinner is only assured of his rate for the next two years, after which his 95% deal will be up for renewal.

Lloyds, Barclays and Halifax did not raise savings rates despite increasing tracker and variable mortgage costs.

Between four and five million household in the United Kingdom are on a standard variable mortgage rate or tracker rate.

‘With the United Kingdom consumer still heavily indebted, via both mortgages and credit, at the same time as there is a real wage squeeze, we don’t think the near term outlook warrants materially higher rates’. “Further interest rate increases should be slow and gradual, but this is the first step along that road”.

However, further increases will be needed to make a real difference to pension funds.

Back then he observed rates could be raised again as swiftly as he had slashed them. But that’s not to say they can absorb more hikes in the short-term. Young people in that scenario would be facing 8% increases on their mortgage payments.

He described how someone on a £100,000 mortgage would likely be paying around £250 more a year.

In any event, rather than being concerned about such a minimal increase savers would do better to actually check what rate they’re being paid. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell throughout the week before settling around the current rate on Tuesday.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at City Index, said: “If you have a variable rate mortgage, like a lot of people do, then the increase in rates will be felt nearly immediately”.

To me, the sentence to note in the MPC’s statement is: “All members agree that any future increases in Bank rate would be expected to be at a gradual pace and to a limited extent”.

Mr Hegarty adds: “It comes with huge consequences to already squeezed household incomes facing falling disposable income and rising living costs ahead of Christmas”. However, it is “currently reviewing whether we will make any changes to variable rate products and will provide an update in the near future”.

TSB has confirmed variable rate mortgages will increased by 0.25% next month.

Its chief Robin Fieth said: “Rates remain very low and the impact on household budgets is not likely to be immediately significant for most”. Today’s rate increase could heighten the sense that borrowing is too expensive if you’re a small firm.

“We continue to see Australia’s lenders adjust the interest rates on their fixed rate products for both investors and owner-occupiers”, the CEO added.

“As consumers feel the pinch, it is vital that banks, lenders and utility companies offer help to at-risk customers to ensure they receive all the support they need to cope with this rise”.

Fixed-rate mortgages, while initially more expensive than variable mortgages, shield borrowers from changes to interest rates.