Mortgages extending into retirement

June 22, 2015

Data from the Council of Mortgage lenders reveals that a third of new mortgages being taken out today will extend beyond their 65th birthday, this situation is being created because some buyers are entering the property market at an older age and the duration of some mortgages is longer term.

The new figures were revealed at a conference last week focusing on the issue of ‘pension tension’, helping to crystallise the distinction between borrowing into retirement, and borrowing by customers in retirement.

The loans that do extend into retirement are expected to be repaid shortly after their 65th birthday, in fact 80% are expected to be repaid before the age of 70.

Borrowing in retirement occurs on a much smaller scale and has been in decline since 2007, except for a small increase last year attributed to strong growth in lifetime lending.

Saga the over 50’s group pointed out that many older homeowners are still being blocked from accessing more competitive mortgage deals. The Financial Ombudsman Service upheld a customer complaint in April this year after HSBC refused to give a mortgage on the grounds that the consumer would have been over 65 at the time of the term end.

A Saga spokesperson reportedly said: “Whilst a lucky few may have been able to take out a mortgage to move home at an older age, we’re still hearing from people who are stuck in uncompetitive mortgages who are unable to move to a better deal simply because of an arbitrary age limit, financial institutions need to change. Lending decisions should not be based on somebody celebrating a birthday; it should be about an individual’s ability to pay.”

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

First-Time Buyers Prioritising ‘Forever Homes’

A third of first-time buyer purchases are semi-detached properties, as young people turn to ‘forever homes’   Barclays mortgage data shows semi-detached properties rose in popularity in August, accounting for 33.5 per cent of first-time buyer purchases Four in 10 Barclays first-time buyer customers chose mortgages allowing them to complete their repayments over a 30+…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Closing the gap on client relationships and recommendations

New research from iamproperty has highlighted the growing disconnect between what buyers and sellers want from their agent and what they experience, which could be killing recommendations from happy clients. iamproperty’s quarterly consumer survey revealed that only a third of respondents (32%)¹ would recommend their agent following their experience. With many agents relying on recommendations…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Northern Ireland to expect over 25,000 new home movers

Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis has revealed that Northern Ireland is to welcome an estimated 25,000- 30,000 new arrivals from the UK and Europe over the next five years, as migration to the region reaches its highest levels in more than a decade. Recent figures show that 11,700 people relocated from other parts of the…
Read More →
Breaking News

Red tape and rising costs stifling new-build availability across the capital

The latest analysis from London estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed how protracted building timelines are preventing the capital’s housebuilders from delivering the level of new-build housing stock required to meet demand, with new homes currently accounting for just 7.5% of all properties listed for sale across London. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

UK’s new wave of ‘second cities’ offers strongest yield growth for property investors

The latest research from West One Loans has found that whilst investors may continue to favour the nation’s key cities such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, a new wave of ‘second cities’ is delivering the strongest growth in rental yields. These emerging markets are offering investors the chance to achieve attractive returns, driven by rising…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Decline in change of use further constricting housing supply

Jonathan Samuels, CEO of Octane Capital, believes that a decline in conversion projects could ultimately prevent the Government from hitting its ambitious housing delivery targets, as the firm’s latest analysis has revealed that the number of homes created through change of use has fallen sharply in the last five years. Octane Capital analysed official Government…
Read More →