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Let’s talk mortgages with Marsden Building Society - £100 voucher to be won

(272 Posts)
JustineBGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 03-Aug-20 13:38:12

When taking out a mortgage, it’s the case for most people that they aim to pay it off before retirement. However, taking a mortgage out in retirement is becoming increasingly common. With that in mind, Marsden Building Society would like to hear your thoughts on mortgages - and in particular how you’d feel about taking out a mortgage in later life.

Here’s what Marsden Building Society has to say: “A number of factors can lead to borrowers seeking a mortgage in later life, from wanting to move to a new house to remortgaging your home, or even releasing equity from your property for home improvements or to help children or grandchildren onto the property ladder.

At the Marsden we offer a range of solutions for those looking to borrow into retirement including 55+ Retirement Mortgages which are just like a conventional mortgage, except they are available to applicants aged 55 to 85 and Retirement Interest Only (RIO) mortgages – an alternative to equity release.

We’ve been helping our members to own their own homes since 1860, so we understand what’s important when looking for a mortgage provider. Our mortgage advice is free, which means you’ll only pay a fee if you choose to proceed with your mortgage, and our UK-based teams pride themselves on their straight-forward service. If a product isn’t right for you, we’ll let you know.”

What are your thoughts on mortgages generally? If you’ve paid yours off how did that make you feel? Would you consider taking out a mortgage in retirement? What would your reasons be? If you’d never consider it, what would stop you?

All who share their thoughts on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw for a £100 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

GNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

Marsden Building Society is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in the Financial Services Register under no:206050. Marsden Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association, the Financial Servicescompensation Scheme and the Financial Ombudsman Service. Principal Office 6-20 Russell Street Lancashire BB9 7NJ. FP191711

carol2712 Wed 12-Aug-20 10:12:16

I was lucky enough to pay mine off long before I retired so on my income I know that I can enjoy my life the idea of having to take out a mortgage at 70 would fill me with dread and I think have a negative impact on my mental health knowing that I couldn't now afford to do all those things I had worked forty years to do and see.

sofieellis Wed 12-Aug-20 10:18:36

We still have a substantial mortgage, but we're a few years away from retiring. I really want to be able to over pay it in order to pay it off a bit early, but we can't afford to. I do worry about having a mortgage as we get older, I certainly don't want to have a mortgage once we're retired.

DiJones Wed 12-Aug-20 10:24:15

Paid off mortgage with some of my retirement lumpsum. No reason to have another mortgage, even buy to let.

Lorraine379 Wed 12-Aug-20 10:28:12

We paid off our mortgage and it is a huge relief not to have that commitment now that we both have lesser paid jobs. When we were younger, if interest rates were at the level they are now it would probably have meant we could have moved to a bigger house.

elodie17 Wed 12-Aug-20 10:28:52

I would aim to have my mortgage paid off for my retirement as I wouldnt want to extra financial pressure. I would like more security in retirement so that is my goal ideally.

Humph Wed 12-Aug-20 10:36:14

I can't imagine why we would want one - if circumstances change then we will cut back or if necessary downsize our house

Overthehill5 Wed 12-Aug-20 11:04:02

Paid my mortgage off a couple of years ago and was so relived, like a weight off my shoulders as I didn’t want to have a mortgage in retirement, try and pay off early if you can .

Cs783 Wed 12-Aug-20 11:20:33

Having and then paying off a mortgage was a very down and up experience for me. Downs included suddenly soaring interest rates at just the wrong time (baby on the way) and mis-sold but uncompensated (because bought ‘too early’) endowment mortgage. Ups are all the happy results for us of inflation in house prices though I’d much rather we had good housing policies and supportive mortgages that give everyone a realistic hope of managing their long term needs.

Lollin Wed 12-Aug-20 11:22:15

My thoughts on mortgages generally is that they are a stressful episode of trying to survive in an ever changing economy. Having said that we saw it as number one priority to buy what we could afford and so we bought with the idea of not going anywhere near the top end of what mortgage companies said we could. Sticking firmly to our decision meant that we were happily able to be mortgage free as early as possible. The idea of considering taking out a mortgage in retirement fills me with dread so not something I would easily decide to do, the reason being we did all we could to live well within our means all our lives so it would feel quite depressing to end up with a mortgage after all our efforts. In response to your question 'If you’d never consider it, what would stop you?' my response is ??????? .

Angelwings Wed 12-Aug-20 11:34:35

What are your thoughts on mortgages generally?
Mortgages are essential if you want to choose your own property and location but it is vital to obtain good advice before committing.

If you’ve paid yours off how did that make you feel?
I paid my mortgage off when I got divorced and sold the house. After that I rented for a while until I found a new house to purchase outright without a mortgage.
I hated renting and the stress that goes with it.
I’m now living in my second property that I have purchased without a mortgage and it really takes the stress away from needing to find mortgage payments every month.

Would you consider taking out a mortgage in retirement?
Absolutely not, no.

What would your reasons be? If you’d never consider it, what would stop you?
It’s stressful because as you get older you might get ill and be unable to make the payments.

Sheils999 Wed 12-Aug-20 11:36:43

Schemes that allow me to update & adapt my house to avoid a care home situation would interest me. Perhaps this would be useful but would need careful reading comparing to loans & equity release.

hwg3141 Wed 12-Aug-20 11:38:00

I've never had a mortgage - I'd rather save to buy the property in full, although that would be quite hard!

phoenix Wed 12-Aug-20 11:40:07

We have an interest only mortgage, which runs until 2024. We have no means to pay off the outstanding amount. sad

So, we will either have to sell and move into rented accommodation or consider a "lifetime" mortgage.

I just want to stay in this house forever, have no desire to leave anything to my son, as he inherited a fortune from my mother, while I got nothing.

angela121262 Wed 12-Aug-20 12:41:38

After years of paying off a mortgage, I wonder why I bothered, I should have rented and spent the money on holidays as in the future it will probably be sold off without my consent for care.

moombag Wed 12-Aug-20 13:23:44

I'm currently saving up to buy my home from the council.It turns out a mortgage would be cheaper than my rent!

scrapgran Wed 12-Aug-20 13:31:10

We paid off our mortgage before we retired so we will always have a roof over our head. However I am very aware that not everyone is able to do that

Jackisback Wed 12-Aug-20 13:52:51

I'll be looking at taking one out in a few years.

molly57 Wed 12-Aug-20 14:26:14

I could not take out a mortgage in later life because due to severely reduced income I could not afford to pay it off.

Greeneyedgirl Wed 12-Aug-20 15:21:13

I think it’s good to have the option to take out a mortgage when you are older, if you have the income to repay but are short of a lump sum, and have previously paid off your mortgage. Some companies were, and still are, prejudiced against retired borrowers, even although they may have a secure income.

There are some interest only lifetime deals, which seem to me much better than some dodgy equity release schemes. My elderly mother took a mortgage loan to finance a new conservatory, with low interest, and has since voluntarily paid off some of the capital, which wasn’t huge, and only pays a small amount of interest each month. If there is any money outstanding it will be paid off when she dies. The amount does not increase.

She has had a lot of pleasure out of something which she would have struggled to finance otherwise.

Libby01 Wed 12-Aug-20 15:31:08

with interest rates so low at the moment a mortgage is the best an excellent way to invest in a property. when I purchased my first home interest rates were at 18.5%. I no longer have a mortgage and own my home outright, I would advise anyone that is thinking about buying a property go for it at least you will have something to show for it at the end and not just wasted money. The mortgage will probably cost you less than rent!

kevincharley Wed 12-Aug-20 15:49:33

My first mortgage would have already been repaid. I aimed to retire aged 50.Subsequent bad luck saw me virtually restart from scratch when we were in our 40s. So we're stuck with a mortgage for several years, right up until our retirement date. But as the retirement age keeps going up we may get a few months mortgage free retirement.

Viennacat Wed 12-Aug-20 17:58:38

When the company I worked for went into receivership our mortgage felt like an enormous debt hanging over us although I had never seen it like that before. I used some of my redundancy pay to settle it and becoming mortgage free was one of the best days of my life. I would not consider another one.

Kate1949 Wed 12-Aug-20 18:06:56

We have been researching mortgages lately. We are both over 70 and we may need to move in the not too distant future. Our house is mortgage free and we may need about £50,000 in a mortgage for a house in a better area. From our investigation so far, it's not looking feasible due to our ages.

Tilly123456 Wed 12-Aug-20 18:56:59

I wouldn't want to take out a mortgage in retirement unless it was a very small one. I don't like the thought of owing money to anyone without the means to earn.

Nettie17 Wed 12-Aug-20 19:41:05

I paid off my mortgage some years ago, massive relief to know I owned it. I wouldn’t risk taking out a mortgage now as I would never be able to afford to retire in the small pension that I have