Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / BUSINESS
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Business Contents:  Your Money | Economy Companies

15:06 GMT, Wednesday, 3 December 2008

Lloyds to pass on any rate change

Lloyds TSB sign

Lloyds TSB will pass on any cut in interest rates by the Bank of England this week to all existing customers with variable and tracker mortgages.

Its tracker rates fall automatically, while the bank pledged in 2002 that its variable rates would never be more than two percentage points above bank rate.

The Bank of England is widely expected to cut its bank rate again on Thursday.

The reduction could be from 3% to as low as 2%, which would take bank rate to its lowest point since 1951.

Lloyds TSB, currently one of the biggest active mortgage lenders, will pass on any cut in bank rate on 1 January 2009.

It will also pass on, to some extent, any cut to new borrowers who take out fixed or tracker-rate deals.

See who has cut mortgage rates

"Whatever the size of the cut, if base rate comes down tomorrow, we'll pass the full benefit on to our existing customers," said Stephen Noakes of the Cheltenham & Gloucester, the main mortgage lending arm of Lloyds TSB.

"As soon as we know the impact of the base rate decision on wholesale funding costs, we will launch our new fixed and tracker rates.

"If we can make a saving on funding new mortgage products, we will look to pass this on," he said.

The bank will withdraw temporarily all its current tracker deals for new borrowers at the end of business on Wednesday.

When bank rate was unexpectedly lowered from 4.5% to 3% last month lenders came under intense pressure from the government to immediately pass it on to their borrowers, especially those on standard variable rates.

However the head of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, Michael Coogan, said yesterday it was "both short-sighted and counter productive" for the government to ask for lenders to do this.

"Although a small percentage of borrowers - around 10% - may have a short-term financial benefit, this disregards the larger number of savers on fixed incomes dependent on their investment returns - the elderly and charities being two major examples of disadvantaged groups when rates fall," he said.

HOW MORTGAGE LENDERS RESPONDED TO RATE CUTS

Lender SVR before BoE decision SVR after BoE decision Rate change (percentage points)
HBOS 6.50% 5.00% -1.5
Nationwide BS 6.19% 4.69% -1.5
Abbey 6.94% 5.44% -1.5
Lloyds TSB/ C&G 6.50% 5.00% -1.5
Northern Rock 7.34% 5.84% -1.5
Barclays 6.64% Under review  
RBS 6.69% 5.19% -1.5
HSBC 6.25% 5.44% (5 Dec) -0.81
Alliance & Leicester 6.94% 5.84% -1.1
Bradford & Bingley 7.09% 5.59% (7 Dec) -1.5
Bristol & West 6.59% 5.49% -1.1
Britannia BS 6.30% 5.30% -1
Yorkshire BS 6.60% 5.60% -1
GE Money 10.39% 8.44% -1.95
Coventry BS 6.84% 5.34% -1.5
Standard Life 6.59% Under review  
Clydesdale & Yorkshire 6.64% 5.14% -1.5
Chelsea BS 6.94% 5.79% (31 Dec) -1.15
Skipton 6.45% 5.95% -0.5
SVR: Standard Variable Rate. All changes on 1 December unless stated.      

Return to top




E-mail this to a friend

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
CML
Lloyds TSB
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Business Contents:  Your Money | Economy Companies

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©