Keeping Control of your Household Energy Bills Could Help you to Afford a Bigger Mortgage

The global financial crisis represented a watershed moment in consumer borrowing as it changed the way many of us look at borrowing and it changed the way lenders now think when it comes to granting new finance deals, especially mortgages.

Keeping control of your personal finances and avoiding over-stretching yourself has always been the right approach to take but now more than ever, the household bills you have and how much you pay have a big impact on your ability to buy your home with a mortgage.

Tighter lending criteria

The era of cheap and easy loans is over and mortgage lenders in particular are exercising a far greater level of caution when it comes to the amount that they agree to lend so that you can buy a property or move to bigger one.

Borrowers who already have a family to look after are now finding that mortgage lenders are sometimes penalizing couples with children and reducing the amount they are prepared to lend in these circumstances.

One of the questions on an application form has always been to ask how many dependants you have and depending on who the lender is, if you confirm that you have children it could trigger a reduction in what they offer you by as much as between 10% and 20%.

The key to getting the loan you want in today’s financial climate is to have as high a credit score as possible and to reduce the perceived financial impact of raising children by keeping a tight control of your household finances, so you can demonstrate financial prudence and lower outgoings.

Your credit rating

The Money Advice Service has a useful guide as to what affects your credit score and how it also affects the overall cost of borrowing and how much you are offered by a lender.

Credit scoring for a mortgage application works on a number of factors such as the information contained on your application form and also what your past payment performance and credit history looks like.

Paying your credit card, water and gas and electric bills on time is an important thing to do if you want to get the best possible rates and the maximum loan amount available for your income.

Household finances

A good way to get your financial house in order and keep your financial commitments as low as possible is to try and get the best possible deal for your energy bills, as these are a major expenditure in household budgets.

An energy comparison site like UK Power can help you to find the best possible deal so that you minimise the impact of rising prices on your finances and also your credit score.

If you can demonstrate stability it can boost your credit score, so make sure you are on the electoral register so that your residency can be confirmed and shop around to get the best deals on not just your energy bills but also other borrowing costs such as credit cards and personal loans.

Keeping good control of your household bills and finances can certainly help boost your chances of getting a bigger mortgage.

Scott Byrom is an experienced writer and often provides tips and advice to help consumers keep their finances in order and reduce their outgoings and bills.

Nothing is More Interesting Than Insurance

Well, if you take that literally most people would find that doing nothing is indeed more interesting than sorting out things like insurance. However, it is one of those things we need to do or risk the consequences. With so many insurance providers and products on the market how do you know which ones are right for you?

Comparison sites

Many people now sort out all their insurance needs online. There are lots of comparison websites available which will give you quick quotes and compare policies that are available from different providers based on the criteria you submit. While these sites can not advise you on what is the best policy for you, they can filter a lot of information very quickly which saves you a lot of time. Always read policy details carefully and make sure you are clear about how much the 'excess' is, which is the cost you will have to pay towards any claim. Beware of special introductory offers which might tie you in to longer renewal contracts at higher prices.

Have you got everything covered?

There are lots of types of insurance available for different things you own or do: car insurance, home insurance for building and contents, travel insurance for luggage loss, health care or extreme sports. What is covered by each type of insurance can vary from one policy to the next so you need to check what you are getting for your money. For example, some personal items are not always covered by home contents insurance and if they are they may only be covered while they are in the insured home. So you need to read carefully through the features of your policy and never assume that something is covered. It might be too late when you find out that it isn't.

Policies based on your needs

Often your own circumstances can dictate the cost or terms of insurance policies available to you. Car insurers, for example, commonly identify age, postcode and the number of previous claims/accidents as risk factors which would determine the detail or cost of a policy. You may find that you belong to a particular demographic group which has insurance policies tailored specifically for your needs. Similar things can be said about contents insurance with a different range of packages available in the market. For example, AgeUK provides a range of insurance policies designed for over 50's. Click here for more information on AgeUK contents insurance.

Help is at hand

So, with so many options available, searching for insurance and making sure you get the right policy can be a bit of a minefield. Do not worry, you won't be alone if you need to ask for help. Impartial advice is available from the Money Advice Service online, over the phone or face to face. The Money Advice Service was set up in 2010 (although it started life under a different name) to help increase the public's knowledge and understanding of financial matters with the view to enabling them to better manage their own financial affairs.