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What is an Offset Mortgage?

This guide was last updated 31 January 2024

Offset Mortgages

The offset mortgage has always been something of an enigma in the UK after being heralded on their first appearance as the future of mortgages, however they have not taken off here in the same way they did in Australia for example.

Part of the reason initially lay behind the fact that advisers and lenders struggled to explain the concept to borrowers who struggled to understand how they worked. But this was only part of the issue.

How does an Offset Mortgage work?

In reality, offsets are a relatively simple concept. A standard mortgage is taken out for say, £300,000 and a savings account, or multiple accounts, are taken out with the same provider. The borrower then deposits their savings into this account which is then “linked” to the mortgage account. Every month the lender calculates the interest you need to pay based on the total amount borrowed on the mortgage less the amount held in the savings account.

In other words, if the borrower has a £300,000 loan, but also has £100,000 in the savings account, the interest is only calculated on the difference between the two, in this case £200,000.

This means that less interest is being paid and therefore either the monthly payments are reduced, or the capital balance is paid off quicker.

Offset Mortgage and Savings Accounts

With savings interest rates being relatively poor at present, utilizing spare capital to cut down your mortgage payments, or repay your mortgage more quickly seems a much more beneficial use of money. After all, if you have a sizeable amount of cash on deposit struggling to earn 0.5% in interest, offsetting against a mortgage you are paying 1.5% on is a better use of that capital.

In other words, the “effective” return on that capital is much more than the standard savings interest rate. Also, as there is in effect no interest being physically received on the savings then there is no tax to pay on that interest. Hence this is of more interest to higher rate taxpayers.

Offset Mortgage reduces monthly payment or mortgage term

If used in the correct way an offset mortgage really can make a tremendous difference. Not only is the sum held on deposit offset against the loan amount so the interest or the term of the mortgage is reduced, but the amounts paid in remain liquid, (you can take out the savings whenever you wish, it is your money, not the lenders).

Another interesting benefit is that parents can use their own savings to assist in bringing their children’s’ mortgage payments down, but still have access to money.

Who benefits from an Offset Mortgage?

In general, the clients who benefit most from this type of product are therefore those with access to a decent-sized savings pot, high net worth individuals who may receive large bonus payments, or those self-employed clients with variable income streams.

However, those who are willing to use their offset account as a current account can also experience some good interest savings. With most of these products now charging interest on a daily basis, savings are greater at the start of the month when their salary goes into the account and then diminishes over the month, although savings are still made.

This all sounds relatively straightforward, but there were other reasons why offsets have not hit the expected heights.

What is the cost of an Offset Mortgage?

One issue has always been the slightly higher cost of offsets vs the more standard products, although in recent years, not only has the cost of such products come down much closer to the best non-flexible products, but amongst customers and brokers for that matter, awareness has finally increased to a level where they are much more comfortable discussing such products.

There are some very competitively prices Offset Mortgages around at present from some excellent lenders and although you may now pay a slight premium, of around 0.2% more, the benefits if used correctly outweigh the slight additional costs.

Also, whilst Offset Mortgages undoubtedly have their place, it is perhaps not quite as simple as saying that more clients should be taking them. As part of a full examination of a client’s requirements a good broker will always normally explain the benefits of such products; however the reality is that many clients simply do not have the cash in savings accounts to make the product work for them.

How much savings should I have to benefit from an Offset Mortgage?

In practice, savings of between £10,000 and £30,000 are required per £100,000 of loan amount in order to make offsetting worthwhile given the price differential.

Some clients do not like the idea of paying their salary into their mortgage account, both from a psychological point of view, (seeing a bank statement saying you are £100,000 overdrawn every month can be disconcerting), and the “all eggs in one basket” issue.

However, (and I speak as someone who has an Offset Mortgage themselves), nowadays the lenders do separate this all out and you don’t have to pay your salary into the offset account. I like to see the increased speed of which my mortgage is coming down, safe in the knowledge that if I did need to take out money from the savings account I can do simply and easily. It’s like having the best of both worlds!!

Other mortgage options

There are many other options available which will give clients both the flexibility they are actually going to make use of plus the more competitive rate, as in some cases clients will be better off just taking the cheapest available rate.

Many mortgage products now have the ability to repay at least 10% of the loan amount each year without penalty, with some up to 20%. Others have no penalties whatsoever, although the very lowest rates will still come with steep penalties for early repayment.

It is definitely a case of discussing all the options available with a professional advisor, who will provide a good overview of the options available including offsets, rather than simply skirting over their existence.

The future of the Offset Mortgage

In fact, the biggest barrier to the number of offset products being taken out lays firmly with the lenders themselves. For a product that many think should be the norm where mortgage loans are concerned, an option automatically offered with every product, the inadequacies of lenders IT systems seems to be the biggest excuse for not having such a product.

You would have thought that this would be more beneficial for lenders to work this out. After all, those with a good offset product are more content to stay with their current lender, it encourages more cash to be held on deposit and may well lead to borrowers being more likely to take out other products with the lender, such as a Cash ISA.

The reality for Offset products is that until lenders get to grips with these issues and decide that actually an offset mortgage should not attract any price differential, it is likely that offsets will remain obscured in the shadows for a while yet.

This means that the canny mortgage borrower is entitled to feel a little smug as they enjoy the benefits that Offset Mortgages can bring them.

For more information on Offset Mortgages or any other type of mortgage, or just for a little chat, please do not hesitate to contact one of our professional, friendly advisers!

Give us a call on 020 7220 5110 or fill out the form below to arrange a no-obligation chat!

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    Andrew Montlake

    Written by Andrew Montlake

    Andrew Montlake, better known as Monty, began his journey with an Hons degree in Economics & Politics before starting in the mortgage industry in February 1994. As a main founder of Coreco in 2009, he successfully grew the brand, marketing, and communications, and was made MD in 2019 focussing on the overall vision, strategy, and culture of the company. As Coreco’s media spokesperson, Andrew can often be seen or heard on TV and radio as well as regularly commenting in the national, local, and trade press. He is the author of this acclaimed Mortgage Blog and is well-known for his social media, podcasts, and public speaking. Andrew is now proud to serve as Chairman of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, (AMI) as a cheerleader for the Mortgage Industry as a whole and continues to work at the coal face, writing mortgage business and advising clients.

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