Kensington Launches 40 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

Kensington Mortgages is to launch fixed-rate mortgages of up to 40 years on Tuesday in what will be one of the first products of its kind in the UK market. The lender has partnered with Rothesay, the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist which has more than £60bn in assets, to finance the longer-dated mortgages. Its “Flexi Fixed for Term” mortgages will allow borrowers to fix the rate paid on their mortgage for the full term of the loan — anywhere between 11 and 40 years.

Mark Arnold, chief executive at Kensington Mortgages, said that while many homeowners had never known anything but ultra-low interest rates, the environment was likely to change. 

“Nothing lasts forever and it looks very likely that we will see a succession of interest rate hikes and we may begin to slowly approach again an historical average,” he added. “A fixed-for-term mortgage — already very popular in some parts of continental Europe — is likely to become increasingly attractive in a rate-rising environment.” 

Rates will depend on the fixed term chosen and amount borrowed. A 95 per cent loan to value mortgage will be available for new purchases and 85 per cent LTV for remortgage. 

 For the longest-dated mortgages of 35 years and 40 years, rates will start at 3.16 per cent and 3.34 per cent respectively, at a 60 per cent LTV. Rates at the shorter end of mortgage terms will be lower — starting at 2.83 per cent for a 15-year product at the same LTV. For 25 and 30-year terms, rates will be available from 2.85 per cent and 2.90 per cent respectively. 

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