Effective from 16 May the Nationwide Building Society will have reduced interest rates on both two year and five year fixed rate mortgages.
The two year fixed rate mortgage will have a new rate of 5.95 percent with just a GBP599 arrangement fee. There is also a fee-free Nationwide Building Society two year foxed rate mortgage that will be available at 6.35 percent. These rates are for people moving house but there is also a remortgage offer, with rates of 6.15 and 6.55 percent respectively for the same mortgage offers as above.
The longer five year fixed rate mortgage can be had at 5.85 percent for house purchasers, again with a GBP599 fee, while the remortgage option is 5.95 percent. Customers coming to the Nationwide Building Society to change mortgage from a different company are also entitled to a special offer on a five year fixed rate mortgage, with no fee, at 5.95 percent.
After being unable to maintain the repayments on her GBP360,000 Northern Rock mortgage Christina Georgiou and her three children have been given just a month to vacate the property they once called home.
There are anticipated to be many thousands of people just like Ms Georgiou who have fallen behind on their mortgage repayments but the irony of Northern rock, effectively a government backed financial institution, throwing people out of their home is sure to stir up controversy.
A particularly relevant fact of this situation is that the Northern Rock lent the money not really knowing if the repayments were affordable. This is much like many other banks and building societies which will strike a sombre note for many observers who may now be expecting this scenario repeated across the country.
Some Abbey National mortgage customers, specifically those looking for fixed rate mortgages, are facing rate increases of up to 0.56 percent. This comes only a week after rates were reduced by the company.
The biggest increases are in the short term period fixed rate mortgages, with the 3 year one going up to 6.49 percent from 5.93 percent. The Abbey National is citing a major increase in swap rates for the rises, feeling they will force the Bank of England to increase the base rate.
An Abbey spokesman, aiming to explain the shifts in interest rate commented on their strong market position enabling them to reduce mortgage interest rates last week, but this latest news has forced them to increase them again.