Money Magic

Borrowers with good credit records should have very little trouble being approved for a loan, one broker predicts.

Andy Pratt, spokesperson for Alexander Hall, remarks that people should not be intimidated by reports that lenders in the mortgage sector are tightening their lending criteria.

The effects have mostly been felt by the sub prime sector of the industry. Self-cert mortgage availability has not suffered as a result of the recent credit crunch, he says.

Self-cert mortgages are available to self-employed individuals across Britain.

Pratt maintains that mainstream lenders have seen very little negative fallout. It is non-conforming lenders who have been hit the hardest by the current economic climate.

“All those clients who would have got a self-cert mortgage before have been able to get them even with the credit crunch,” he says.

Self-employed people comprise 13% of the working population.

Evidence collected from a recent survey by British lender Abbey indicates that a large majority of Britons are “financially overweight.”  The study indicates that a mere 1 percent are in top form when it comes to how they manage their personal finances. 

According to Abbey, a substantial number manage their banking affairs and credit card debt in an irresponsible, slack manner and do not take time to comparison shop. 

The results of the survey were ranked according to a “financial fitness” scale, with extreme financial fitness at 0 and “financial obesity” at 100. 

While only 1 percent scored under 10, the results showed an alarming 46 percent of women and 41 percent of men overweight. 

Sue Hayes, Director at Abbey, encourages people to review their financial portfolio before they begin to pack on the additional weight of holiday expenditures.  She recommends that consumers shop around to find the most advantageous rates and deals.

She points out that, just like a physical work-out, the benefits of financial toning are well worth the effort. 

Abbey’s results indicate that Wales and the southwest are the least financially flabby (42 percent overweight), while the north of England had the highest level of financial weight trouble (46 percent).