No account, no mortgage, says Halifax

by Money Doctor Monday 12 May, 2008

Yet again we find ourselves talking about the Halifax.

And with the current condition of the mortgage market, we thought it was only be a matter of time before we saw a bank making this sort of decision.

Halifax, Britain's biggest mortgage lender will now make those of you with small deposits that do not use a broker, open a current account before you can get a mortgage.

  • What does this mean?
Firstly, it means that thousands of you that are first time buyers will have to switch your banking to the HBOS-owned lender if you want the best rates.

Secondly, Halifax will also raise rates for direct business, even though the Bank of England kept interest rates on hold last week. (Alliance & Leicester also raised their rates on some deals).

  • What does the account look like?
If you are a borrower with a deposit of less than 10% you will have to open a High Interest current account, in which you need to deposit at least £1,000 per month. The account pays 5.12% on credit balances of up to £2,500, although above that the rate drops to just 0.1%.

Other lenders such as HSBC and Alliance & Leicester offer you preferential rates if you have a current account with them; however, Halifax has upped the ante by refusing to lend to you at all unless you have one.

A Halifax spokesman explained their decision:

"Wholesale money continues to be significantly more expensive than a year ago. Unfortunately, this increased cost needs to be passed on to new customers."
Sounds as if Halifax is worried they won't make as many billions in profit this year; oh dear.
  • Is the account any good?
A very good question!

The account has one of the highest rates going and there is also a concern that those of you taking out a Halifax mortgage would be forced to upgrade to expensive fee-paying accounts which generate huge revenues. (As an example, of the 1 million HBOS customers who opened current accounts last year, 75% took out the Ultimate Reward account, which charges you £120 a year).

On the other hand, Halifax still has some of the best mortgage rates going and was offering a 3 year fixed rate mortgage last week at 5.74% with a fee of £999. You won't have to open a current account if you arrange it through a mortgage adviser; however, the rate you would pay on the above deal is higher at 6.49%.

  • What other mortgages can I get?
Mortgage brokers, who normally account for 70% of all lending and are popular if you want to search the market for the best mortgage deals, can get access to only 2 of the top 20 deals, according to Moneyfacts.

The big mortgage lenders such as Nationwide, Cheltenham & Gloucester (C&G), and the Halifax are all bypassing brokers as part of a strategy to reduce their lending volumes during the credit crunch. However, brokers argue it is simply a way to deter so-called "rate tarts" ; those of you who regularly switch your mortgage at the end of the cheap initial term.

According to Moneyfacts, HSBC, which only offers its mortgages direct to you, has the best fixed rate and tracker mortgages.

Its 3 year fixed mortgage at 5.53% has a fee of £999 for those of you possessing a 10% deposit and its lifetime tracker at 5.63% has a fee of £599, requiring a 10% deposit. Monthly repayments would be £1,231 and £1,243 respectively on a £200,000 loan.

If you are using a broker, the best tracker mortgage available is Alliance & Leicester's tracker mortgage at 5.89%, with a whopping 2% fee and requiring a 25% deposit. This would cost you £1,275 a month; an extra £1,056 over two years, compared with going direct to HSBC.

So, is the move by Halifax unfair or are they just protecting themselves against loss?

Do you think other banks will follow suit and make you take a current account to get a mortgage? Why not let us know what you think?

(Please note that articles on Money Hospital do not constitute regulated financial advice. The articles are intended to provide general personal financial information. We urge you to consult an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) before making any important decisions about your finances. All rates are correct at time of printing but are subject to change without notice.)

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