With a tracker mortgage, the rate of interest is linked to a specified index, usually the Bank of England’s (BoE) base rate of interest. Whenever the base rate changes, so does the tracker’s interest rate and therefore the borrower’s monthly repayment. Tracker mortgages are a type of ‘variable rate’ mortgages.
When interest rates are low, the borrower’s monthly repayment might be less than it would be on a different type of mortgage, such as a fixed-rate or standard variable rate mortgage. But when interest rates are high, the reverse is true. And as the rate is likely to vary, the borrower can never be sure exactly when or whether their monthly repayment may change.
Although the rate of interest on a tracker mortgage is linked to the Bank of England’s base rate, the actual interest rate charged on the mortgage will be determined by the lender and will usually be higher than the base rate due to the inclusion of the ‘margin’. The interest rate can be calculated as the ‘Base rate’ + ‘margin’. If the base rate is 2%, and the margin is 2%, the interest rate on a tracker mortgage will be 4%. If the base rate increases to 2.5%, the rate of interest will be 4.5% (2.5% base rates plus 2% ‘Margin’).
It is important to note that most ‘tracker’ rate mortgages have a minimum rate that will apply to the loan. For example, the mortgage may have a minimum rate of 3% so even if the base rate went below 1% (with a 2% margin) the mortgage rate wouldn’t decrease below 3%.
Although some tracker mortgages run for the life of the loan, most last for less than that — between one year and 5 years is not untypical. Once the tracker arrangement finishes, most lenders will switch the mortgage to a standard variable rate of interest.
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FAQ'S
We offer a free no-obligation initial consultation, which will allow us to identify your financial planning needs and to determine what services are most suitable for you.
On this meeting, we will provide you with and discuss our Terms of Business brochure. This document clearly details our fees for all areas of advice we provide. We understand individuals’ have different needs and objectives and after our consultation we will be able to confirm our fees. At no point will any chargeable work be undertaken until you are made aware of any associated fees. We are always happy to answer any questions about how and when our fees are payable, however we may not be able to confirm the exact fee until we have completed an initial consultation.
Yes, of course. We welcome the opportunity for you to invite family or a third-party representative to come along to our meetings if you would like the presence of a familiar face. We endeavour to support you, so please make us aware of any additional requirements or provision you require prior to our meeting.
We can meet face to face at our offices in Bexley. Our address is Unit 34 The Hop Store, Old Bexley Business Park, 19 Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent, DA5 1LR.
We can also facilitate home meetings if required, or video and phone calls if this is more convenient for you
We provide a range of advice services, including mortgages & protection, investments, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. If you wish to discuss your enquiry further, please feel free to call the team on 01322 958222.
Yes, Sidney Curtis Financial Limited is an appointed representative of Quilter Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and is registered on the FCA register with Firm Reference Number 440703. Sidney Curtis Financial Limited is also registered on the FCA Register with Firm Reference Number 1052400.
We offer a free no-obligation initial consultation, which will allow us to identify your financial planning needs and to determine what services are most suitable for you.
On this meeting, we will provide you with and discuss our Terms of Business brochure. This document clearly details our fees for all areas of advice we provide. We understand individuals’ have different needs and objectives and after our consultation we will be able to confirm our fees. At no point will any chargeable work be undertaken until you are made aware of any associated fees. We are always happy to answer any questions about how and when our fees are payable, however we may not be able to confirm the exact fee until we have completed an initial consultation.
Yes, of course. We welcome the opportunity for you to invite family or a third-party representative to come along to our meetings if you would like the presence of a familiar face. We endeavour to support you, so please make us aware of any additional requirements or provision you require prior to our meeting.
We can meet face to face at our offices in Bexley. Our address is Unit 34 The Hop Store, Old Bexley Business Park, 19 Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent, DA5 1LR.
We can also facilitate home meetings if required, or video and phone calls if this is more convenient for you
We provide a range of advice services, including mortgages & protection, investments, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. If you wish to discuss your enquiry further, please feel free to call the team on 01322 958222.
Yes, Sidney Curtis Financial Limited is an appointed representative of Quilter Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and is registered on the FCA register with Firm Reference Number 440703. Sidney Curtis Financial Limited is also registered on the FCA Register with Firm Reference Number 1052400.