Remortgaging

Homebuyers and those looking to remortgage can now take out a five-year fixed deal that charges less than 5% interest. It's the lowest shorter-term fixed rate for new customers we've seen in a month and suggests rates have peaked following recent turbulence. Below we explain how the new deal works and how it compares. 

The cost of fixed-rate mortgage deals has started to fall, despite the Bank of England's base rate rise last week, as the volatility caused by the Government's mini-budget in September looks to have eased. Variable-rate mortgages are rising, though – here's what you need to know if you're looking to get a new deal.

Even if you are locked into your mortgage you might be able to get a new rate at today's prices with several major lenders increasing how far in advance existing borrowers can tie into new deals. The change comes as interest rates are on the rise with the base rate hitting 2.25% in September.

Mortgage broker Tembo has taken down misleading online adverts encouraging people to remortgage to repay their student loans after pressure from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE). Two pages on the firm's website have also been removed after we told Tembo we'd report it to the financial regulator as the advice could have left many worse off. 

Mortgage affordability rules are set to be relaxed to allow homeowners to switch to a cheaper deal more easily, the financial regulator has announced. The move would also help free tens of thousands of mortgage prisoners, in an important victory for MoneySavingExpert.com's long-running campaign.

The Financial Conduct Authority has been accused of having no "sense of urgency" as it grapples with how to help 30,000 so-called 'mortgage prisoners' who have been told they can't afford to switch to a cheaper deal.

Tesco Bank has launched the new lowest five-year fixed-rate mortgage on the market – at 1.68% with a £995 fee if you borrow 60% of your home's value when you remortgage.

Yorkshire Building Society has taken the lead in the race to offer the lowest mortgage rate after cutting its two-year deal to a head-turning 0.89% – but you'll need a hefty deposit to qualify and the lender could decide to increase the rate during the term.

If you've a mortgage that's due to renew in 2017, your biggest financial risk may well be that rates will rise rapidly. They've been at historic lows and we've got used to that. Yet some of the cheapest deals, such as HSBC's 0.99% 2yr fix, have been axed this month. And the City's swap rates, one of the factors banks use to decide their fixed rates, have risen - eg, 5yr swaps are up from 0.35% in September to 0.87% now. This has all fuelled fears of further mortgage hikes.