‘Til death do debts part

Well, this is one possibility that’s being considered by a major lender as a potential lifeline that could be thrown to home owners who will never be able to repay the outstanding debt owed on their interest-only mortgage when the term comes to an end.

Santander has confirmed that it is considering offering those who are on an interest-only deal and will be unable to fully pay it off when it ends, the opportunity to switch to a repayment mortgage, which could potentially last into their later years or even until they die.

While the possibility of making mortgage payments in your twilight years may not sound palatable to some, others may find it more appetising than the realistic alternatives.

The idea could be an extra option for those who might otherwise have to downsize to a home elsewhere, which in itself can be a costly process.

Some people could also be saved from the trauma of having their home repossessed.

However, experts have cautioned that anyone considering such an option should seriously consider discussing their plans in detail with family members as they could end up forfeiting some of their inheritance.

Santander’s plans are still in development stage. But if it decides to offer such a mortgage, this could potentially mean that any outstanding amounts left on the home loan would be recouped by the lender upon the sale of the home.

The sale could happen within the customer’s lifetime or after their death and the remaining proceeds would be for the customer, or their estate, to keep.

Someone taking up this potential mortgage option would see the size of their loan reduce as they would be paying off chunks of it and interest would not be added to the outstanding debt.

TICKING TIME BOMB

So why is Santander considering such an option?

Alerts are being sounded across the industry about groups of home owners who are currently sitting on interest-only mortgages.

Fears have been raised that a significant proportion of those who took out an interest-only deal some years ago, do not have a sufficient plan in place for how they will pay off their loan when the deal comes to an end.

This problem is seen as so serious that it has been referred to by regulators as a potential “time bomb”.

Interest-only deals allow borrowers to pay off the capital only when the mortgage term ends, enabling them to maximise their borrowing capacity.

But in 2013, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned people were failing to put aside enough money on up to 1.3 million of the interest-only mortgages that are due for repayment over the next 30 years. Estimates suggested around half these shortfalls will be more than £50,000.

Nowadays, interest-only deals are generally harder to come by as they tend to be seen as a “niche” product.

Stricter mortgage lending rules came into force in April this year, which mean that people looking to take out a new mortgage face tougher checks to make sure that they can truly afford their loan and that they aren’t just pinning their hopes on house prices rising.

ENCOURAGING START