Mortgage Advice

Is the bank the best place to get mortgage advice?

Most lenders will provide free mortgage advice – but your bank isn't going to recommend a competitor's products, and if they don't provide the right mortgage for you they might well try to persuade you to pick a less suitable product instead. It pays to ask around.

When you consider the size of the typical mortgage, even a difference of half a percent can make a massive difference to the amount of money you pay for your property. It's essential to shop around, and it's essential to get good mortgage advice. But where do you get it?

Most lenders offer free advice, but it's important to recognise their limits. If Nationwide is offering the best mortgage in the world, don't expect the Royal Bank of Scotland to tell you about it; similarly if the right mortgage for you isn't in the lender's product range, don't expect to be told "all our mortgages are crap – try this lot instead." Lenders' own advice is limited to their own product range, but if you want to get advice about all the options then you'll need to look elsewhere.