mortgage services

The period of an introductory or discount interest rate on a mortgage. The initial rate period varies by loan type and can be as short as one month or as long as several years.

Fixed. A fixed mortgage is where the interest rate is fixed and will not change for a specific period, usually between 2 and 5 years. During this period the interest rate is usually discounted from the lenders standard rate. This is known as the discount period.

Tracker. The rate of a tracker mortgage is linked to a fixed economic indicator – usually the Bank of England base rate. This doesn't mean it's the same as the base rate, just that the rate moves in line with it. This means the rate can go up, or down. The tracker rate can be discounted and under this circumstance the discount will apply for a specific period, usually between 2 and 5 years.

Standard Variable Rate (SVR). This is the lenders standard rate. This will always be higher than the discount rates for some Fixed and Tracker products as the rate is usually linked to the Bank of England's base rate movements and is typically 2 to 5 percentage points above this base rate. The SVR is the rate that most borrowers end up on after the end of an incentive period such as a two-year fix or two-year discounted rate.

The period of time in months to which the discount rate would apply. SVR products and some Fixed and Trackers do not have a discount period and as such the initial rate period would be 0.

The maximum Loan to Value (LTV) is the maximum a lender will lend you against the value of your property. This is calculated by dividing the loan amount by the house value. For example, if the maximum LTV is 80% and the property value is £100,000 then the maximum loan permitted would be £80,000.

The initial monthly payment, this may be the discounted rate and will only apply for the initial rate period.

Whether the lender charges a fee to arrange the mortgage

This is the Annual Percentage Rate of Charge (APRRC). A lender is always required to quote the APRC when advertising a loan or borrowing rate. It is a standard interest rate calculation designed to reflect the total amount of interest that will be paid over the entire period of the loan.