Mortgage pricing moved higher again as major lenders repriced and Moneyfacts reported average two-year and five-year fixed rates at 5.67% and 5.72% respectively. The backdrop is increasingly uncertain: July GDP growth of 0.4%, energy-cost concerns and market expectations of further Bank Rate tightening are all feeding into swap-rate and lender-pricing volatility.
For advisers, remortgaging remains the core opportunity. Twenty7tec recorded 1.56 million mortgage searches in August: down 13% month-on-month in the usual summer slowdown, but up year-on-year, with remortgage activity providing the main support. With more than one million ultra-low fixed deals reportedly due to expire this year, early client engagement, affordability reviews and product-transfer comparisons are likely to be crucial.
AI implication: Adviser firms can use governed AI and workflow tools to segment clients by deal-expiry date, estimated payment shock, loan-to-value and vulnerability indicators. Outputs should prioritise human review, retain clear audit trails and never substitute for suitability assessment or regulated advice.