Abbey launches packaged current accounts

Abbey has recently joined the long list of banks now offering customers the opportunity to sign up to a packaged current account, and officials from the bank are hoping that on top of the other achievements that Abbey has enjoyed this year, such as the acquisition of Bradford and Bingley and a larger share in the mortgage market, it will also be able to lure customers away from other banks by offering the packaged current account. Read more

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Landlords remain confident

Confidence among buy-to-let landlords remains very high.

That is according to what Bradford and Bingley is calling the largest and most authoritative landlord survey in the country.

Almost 5,000 people responded to the research, which found that the buy-to-let market is thriving and landlords are confident that it will continue to do so.

A massive 96 per cent revealed that they believe rent levels across the board will either rise or remain the same in the next six months.

In addition, 88 per cent of landlords have plans to either increase or maintain their current portfolio of properties.

All of this, coupled with very few (four per cent) being concerned about low rental yields or availability of tenants makes for a very positive outlook in the market.

“Many of our landlords have been in the market for a long time, with half investing in property for more than five years,” said Bradford and Bingley’s director of mortgages Andy Wiggans.

“Significantly, even those who have been landlords for under four years believe the sector remains strong, with many planning on expanding their portfolios.”

With house prices continuing to rise, more people are renting properties until they can afford to buy. This helps landlords to ensure that their properties are rented out.

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