The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, recently announced that the central bank is injecting a total of £11 billion into the banking sector in order to try and increase liquidity, with this total being made up of £6 billion that was previously pledged and an additional £5 billion that the Bank of England has decided to inject into the banking sector. The move comes after calls from banking and mortgage industry professionals to loosen up the money markets and increase liquidity through increased cash.

Michael Coogan from the Council of Mortgage Lenders had previously expressed concern over how banks and lenders would manage to fulfil demand for loans and mortgages given the problems that most are having when it comes to securing finance on the wholesale markets to fund their lending.

Coogan recently stated: “We have entered a substantially slower phase in the housing market and there will be ongoing problems in the mortgage funding markets unless the Bank of England makes new, broader based attempts to improve levels of liquidity in the UK. Demand for mortgages remains strong but cannot be fully met from existing funding.”

In February mortgage lending dropped by 7% compared to January and by 6% compared to February of last year. Many lenders have had to change their lending criteria, with some increasing interest rates or taking various mortgage and loan products off the market in order to minimise risks to themselves.

Coogan added: “As credit conditions change markedly from day to day, lenders will continue to rapidly adapt their products and pricing to match. This is a vital response to the uncertain conditions.”

Recent additions:

• Are HIPS a waste of time?
• Regions of England and Wales see property prices slump
• Industry expert predicts 20% fall in house prices over two years
• Impressive figures on buy to let mortgages
• Many first time buyers facing soaring mortgage rates

If you like this post why don't you subscribe to our feed?

Related Articles

• Take fast action to get a good mortgage deal
A number of mortgage brokers have been stressing the importance of quick action to consumers, stating that in order to get a competitive mortgage they need to act quickly. These
• 25 year fixed rate mortgages – the experts’ thoughts
Many homeowners will have heard the Chancellor of the Exchequer addressing the issue of 20 and 25 year fixed rate mortgages lately. Alistair Darling is convinced that 25 year fixed
• CAB reports rise in enquiries relating to mortgage arrears and debt
A recent survey has revealed that the Citizen’s Advice Bureau has seen a rise in the number of enquiries relating to mortgage arrears and debt related issues over the first
• Mortgage fraud levels up to £700 million a year
According to police authority officials the level of mortgage fraud in the UK has rocketed to £700 million a year, and is an industry that is continuing to grow and
• Charity concerns over sale and rent back firms
With many homeowners struggling financially due to rising living costs and high mortgage repayments, along with predictions that house prices could plummet over the coming year or two, many people