In a fix over mortgage renewal

In a fix over mortgage renewal

You wrote to me before the Financial Services Authority revealed plans to ban self-certification loans – where lenders do not check the income that applicants say they earn. UCB, now part of Nationwide, has not sold new home loans for the past year and says when your fixed rate ends you will revert to the standard variable rate, or you can switch product or to a new lender. You had to take a self-certified mortgage in the first place because you had just returned from abroad without any income record. You can now show three years' proved earnings, have a good repayment record and can put down more than 10%. A month before your fixed rate ends, speak to the Nationwide, but also look at what other lenders are offering. Interest rates have fallen since you returned to the UK so your mortgage payments should be a lot lower.

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