A look at the names in the frame for this year’s What Mortgage awards.
Cambridge Building Society
The Cambridge Building Society is delighted to be nominated for the best regional building society award. The Cambridge continues to provide a truly local service in and around Cambridgeshire and the wider East Anglia area.
Established in 1850, The Cambridge Building Society is proud to remain an independent, mutual organisation with its members and the community being the focal point of everything it does.
With its head office in the heart of Cambridge and its 18 strong local branch network stretching out around the wider Cambridgeshire area, it continues to provide various ways for its members to fulfil their financial needs, bringing innovative mortgage and savings options to the market.
With a local customer contact centre, the largest branch presence in the Cambridgeshire area, a growing local intermediary network and a recently launched online savings platform, members can increasingly enjoy convenience as part of the overall package. The Society strives to provide outstanding products and a first-class service, offering mortgages, savings, investments and more.
Having recently undertaken a re-branding exercise, The Cambridge Building Society remains committed to offering more to its members and has over £200 million to lend in mortgages to those people looking to buy a property in the wider East Anglia area in 2011.
Telephone: 0845 601 3344
Website: www.cambridgebs.co.uk
Nominated for:
Best regional building society
Churchill Insurance
Churchill Insurance launched in 1989 as one of the first companies to sell car insurance directly to consumers. Since then Churchill has grown to be the UK’s second largest car insurer. The company successfully launched home insurance in 1990 and is now amongst the country’s top 10 home insurers. Thanks to its famous Nodding Dog brand icon and his popular catchphrase “oh yes!”, Churchill is today amongst the top 3 most recognised brands for both car and home insurance.
Since its pioneering days revolutionising the car insurance market, Churchill has won many awards recognising the service and quality of product it consistently delivers for customers. Being dependable is central to the Churchill brand. This commitment is expressed through the customer promise “Count on Churchill”. This is clearly evidenced by Churchill’s home insurance. Benefits include; 50% off your home insurance if you haven’t made a claim within the last five years.
This offer includes a 25% introductory discount and a five year No Claims Discount. Offer ends 31 August 2011 and is subject to minimum premiums. Policy limits are equally generous; up to £50,000 contents and £500,000 buildings cover is standard (which can be increased). If your house becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event, you can count on Churchill to cover the cost of alternative accommodation for you and your family.
Nominated for:
Best home insurance provider
Direct Line
Direct Line is the ultimate success story – in 1985 it challenged the way insurance was bought and sold by launching a business that offered to insure consumers directly over the phone, without the use of a ‘middleman’. The rest as they say, is history.
What started as a business with 63 people working from a call centre in Croydon has grown to an employer of 10,000 staff and call centres across the UK. Its portfolio has grown in an equally impressive way. Alongside car insurance policies, Direct Line offers; van, motorcycle, breakdown (in the UK and abroad), home, home emergency response, travel, and pet.
On the business side it provides cover for; vans, tradesmen, home businesses, landlords, shops, offices, surgeries, guesthouses, restaurants and pubs. Accessibility is key, which is why products are easy to view/purchase and staff can be contacted seven days a week.
As well as being first to deal directly with customers, it was first to protect motorists involved in incidents with uninsured drivers by not charging excess costs and retaining their no claims discounts, first to provide £1m buildings cover as standard on home insurance, and one of the first to offer medical screening for travel customers – individually assessing those with pre-existing medical conditions, instead of excluding them.
Nominated for:
Best home insurance provider
Best overall insurer
Best home emergency cover provider
Best landlord insurance provider
Ecology Building Society
Ecology Building Society is a unique mortgage provider that lends on properties and projects which minimise environmental impact. It specialises in renovations, eco-new builds and energy saving improvements to properties, and in many instances will positively welcome projects that other lenders would not consider.
Ecology has been nominated for its innovative C-Change Retrofit discount scheme, which offers discounts on its standard variable rate for improvements achieved in a home’s Energy Performance Certificate. Improving the energy efficiency of the UK’s existing stock of 26 million homes is vital to reducing our carbon emissions, and the C-Change scheme aims to support homeowners who want to minimise the ecological impact of their homes.
As a mutual with ethical principles, Ecology supports its borrowers with low, transparent fees and personal customer
service from its base in West Yorkshire, and is widely recognised as a leader in its field. The C-Change Retrofit scheme now extends Ecology’s offer to homeowners across the UK and offers a tangible incentive to take the next step in living sustainably.
Telephone: 0845 674 5566
Fax: 01535 650 780
Mortgage e-mail: loans@ecology.co.uk
Nominated for:
Best environmental lender
Halifax
Halifax has over 150 years experience in providing mortgages and throughout this time we’ve continued our commitment to offer our customers a great range of mortgage deals, designed to meet their changing needs. Understanding and investing in customers is at the heart of what we do. We will continue to do so, in order to guarantee our borrowers as much choice and flexibility as possible in the ever changing environment.
We know just how complicated buying a home can be, so you can trust that all our Mortgage specialists will help you through every stage of the home buying process. All you have to do is move in! We pride ourselves on knowing that we have been helping people buy their own home for 150 years. Our continued innovative approach on products, together with our commitment to offering excellent customer service is demonstrated by our support to home buyers. A little extra help just when our customers need it most.
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.
For more information on our full range of mortgages call 0845 27 37 47.
Web: www.halifax.co.uk/mortgages
Nominated for:
Best overall lender
Best fixed rate mortgage product
Best national bank
Best non-standard product provider
Just Retirement Ltd
Just Retirement is a leading provider of financial solutions for people at or in retirement. Since our launch into the market in 2005, we have advanced more than £860 million to over 19,000 customers. We are the second largest writer of equity release in the UK and are expertly placed to provide the highest quality equity release products at competitive rates. Our Roll-Up Lifetime Mortgage offers flexibility to those needing additional cash to achieve the retirement lifestyle they desire. It offers:
- A competitive interest rate and attractive loan to values
- Flexibility as to when you release your money
- A friendly, reliable and efficient service
Our Fixed Lifetime Mortgage provides a product that assures peace of mind by confirming what would need to be paid back to us at the very start of the policy:
- Draw down money on a regular basis (up to a maximum cash facility) or on a one-off basis
- If a further cash advance is taken, a new fixed charge will be determined independently for that amount
- The maximum charge that can be arranged is 75 per cent of the value of the property
This is a lifetime mortgage, to understand the features and risks please ask for a personalised illustration from your financial adviser. Equity release is not right for everyone and may affect your entitlement to state benefits and will reduce the value of your estate.
Visit www.justretirement.com for more information on equity release and some example case studies.
Nominated for:
Best lifetime product provider
Kensington
Kensington provide an intelligent approach to lending, with mortgages that are designed with real people in mind.
We understand that everyone is different and some people may not fit the mould when it comes to standard mortgage
applications, so we offer products to meet a range of different borrowing circumstances:
- First-time buyers
- Remortgages
- The Self-employed
- Contract workers
- Buy to let investors
Our approach blends technology with many years of experience and knowledge to deliver a lending service which look at the underlying quality of every case – not a simple credit score. We are specialists in lending through intermediaries, so talk to a professional mortgage adviser to find out more about Kensington today.
For information on Kensington’s products, contact your financial adviser.
Nominated for:
Best intermediary lender
Best adviser-only lender
Legal & General
As one of the UK’s largest providers of insurance, pensions and investments Legal & General looks after the needs of over 6.9 million customers. With a history that dates back to 1836, we are one of the UK’s leading financial services companies, with a long experience in protecting people and property.
Our products range from life insurance and pensions, to investments and home insurance – and we pride ourselves in giving our customers excellent service from a name they can rely on. We provide cover people can count on, with clear and straightforward policies, and quick, efficient claims handling. Our Buy to Let Insurance and Life Assurance policies make sure our customers are in safe hands, with the right level of cover for them.
We’re delighted to be nominated as ‘Best Life Insurer’ and ‘Best Landlord Insurance Provider’. Our customers rate our
products and services consistently highly and now it’s great to be recognised by the What Mortgage Magazine Awards 2011. Find out more about all the products and services we offer at www.legalandgeneral.com today.
Nominated for:
Best life insurance provider
Best landlord insurance provider
London & Country
L&C is the UK’s leading fee free mortgage broker offering telephone advice to customers, 7 days a week, from our Head Office in Bath. Every year we help thousands of customers save money on their mortgage by helping them switch to a new lender or find the best value mortgage to buy a property.
Our customers are at the heart of our business and we pride ourselves in offering a first class service. This attention to detail is reflected in customer satisfaction feedback where 93% of customers indicate they are completely satisfied with the service we provided or that we exceeded their expectations. In addition, a number of major brands including Tesco, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Moneysupermarket.com and Confused.com have chosen us to provide a mortgage
service for their customers.
We advise from the whole of the market and frequently have market leading exclusive and semi exclusive mortgage deals which aren’t available to the public direct. We constantly look to innovate, offering useful tools and calculators to help customers with their mortgage decisions. Recent examples are the 1 minute mortgage check (www.lcplc.co.uk/check) which enables borrowers to see if we can save them money by answering just a few simple questions and our iPhone application, Mortgage Assistant, which provides access to mortgage best buy tables and calculators on the go.
Nominated for:
Best national adviser
Mortgage Advice Bureau
Mortgage Advice Bureau is one of the UK’s leading independent, award winning mortgage and protection brokers. We are approaching 300 advisers operating from over 700 offices located across the UK. They take the time to fully assess each customer’s current circumstances, known future events and aspirations. We have thousands of mortgage deals available to us, some of which are exclusive, but we will only recommend a mortgage that is suitable.
We can provide face to face and telephone advice for our customers and we pride ourselves on our professional service. This does not stop when the mortgage has completed. We continue to offer an ongoing service to our customers by advising them on family, home and income protection so that they are covered against all eventualities.
Last year, MAB was delighted to receive the What Mortgage ‘Best National Adviser’ award and is thrilled to be nominated for the award once again this year. We believe this is a testament to our forward thinking and proactive approach to improving the services we provide to our customers.
Tel: 0800 085 0118
Nominated for:
Best national adviser
Mortgages for Business
We are delighted to have been nominated in two categories for this year’s awards. As a contender nominated by industry colleagues and the public, it is a ringing endorsement of everything that we hold dear – providing specialist advice, market leading mortgages and excellent customer service.
Established in 1990, Mortgages for Business has earned an industry-wide reputation for making property investment a reality. Specialising in buy to let and commercial mortgages, we are an independent broker with access to the whole market including lenders not seen on the high street. We can also source residential mortgages and development finance including bridging loans.
We work hard to ensure that all customers receive the best possible care and attention. Every member of the team can
be contacted directly and there is positively no automated call-handling. All consultants and case managers are experienced, qualified professionals who take time to understand each customer’s personal circumstances and borrowing requirements.
This commitment to care extends to the lenders who in return, often give our customers preferential processing on their mortgage applications whether it is for straight forward buy to let or a more complex residential or commercial property investment. We look forward to finding the right mortgage for you.
Tel: 0845 345 6788
www.mortgagesforbusiness.co.uk
Nominated for:
Best national adviser
Best specialist adviser
Nationwide Building Society
Nationwide is delighted to be nominated for five awards at the prestigious What Mortgage Awards, a further reflection of its strong support for its borrowers and the mortgage market as a whole. Nationwide offers a wide range of competitive products, featuring extensively in Best Buy tables during 2011.
Nationwide’s mortgage deals come with no hidden fees or charges and because Nationwide appreciates that your circumstances can change over time, it builds mortgages that could help. Nationwide aims to provide customers with better long-term value than any other financial services provider and is committed to offer some of the best value products on the market. Nationwide has adapted to today’s tough market conditions, but is remaining true to its mutual values of openness, fairness, responsibility and commitment to members.
With a wealth of experience and understanding of all things mortgage related, Nationwide’s helpful and friendly mortgage consultants can talk you through its full range of competitively priced mortgage deals, and you can rely on them to offer help and guidance with your mortgage from start to finish.
2010 What Mortgage Awards:
- Best National Building Society
- Best Tracker Mortgage Product
- Best Discount Rate Mortgage Product
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Nominated for:
Best overall lender
Best national building society
Best online lender
Best tracker mortgage provider
Best fixed rate mortgage provider
Saffron Building Society
Founded in 1849, Saffron is one of the country’s oldest Building Societies. Having supported local communities for over 160 years, it continues to move from strength to strength.
Saffron’s mortgages are handled by a close-knit team of friendly experts. All applications are manually underwritten, allowing Saffron to consider the individual circumstances of each borrower. This is combined with a proactive, preventative approach to customers experiencing difficulties in repaying their mortgages, resulting in our impressively low arrears figures and more importantly, reassured customers. Our mortgage team takes pride in finding creative, personal, achievable solutions for any borrower with any concerns. Ultimately Saffron is large enough to offer flexibility but small enough to treat every customer as an individual.
Tel: 0800 072 1100
Nominated for:
Best regional building society
Scottish Widows Bank
Scottish Widows Bank entered the mortgage market in 1997 and was one of the first providers to offer a flexible mortgage. We are mortgage specialists for professionals and customers looking for added flexibility. Our flexible mortgage can easily adapt to your changing financial circumstances, giving more control and allowing you to manage your mortgage in a way that suits you.
Based in a central office in Edinburgh and with no branch network to support we offer a choice of fixed and variable rate
mortgages. Our commitment is to provide simplicity and quality to all our customers. Scottish Widows Bank offers an offsetting facility at no additional charge. By linking a savings account to your mortgage account, you’ll not earn any interest on your savings but you’ll not be charged any interest on that same amount of money on your mortgage. You can then enjoy the benefit of reducing your monthly mortgage payment or reducing your mortgage term.
We also offer an optional Mortgage Reserve Account for additional borrowing, up to an agreed limit, as and when required. Part of Lloyds Banking Group, we continue to offer a range of mortgages with a unique combination of features alongside the other mortgage providers within Lloyds Banking Group.
For more information on our full range of mortgages call 0845 845 0829 or visit www.scottishwidowsbank.co.uk
Nominated for:
Best flexible mortgage product 2011
Previous winner of:
Best flexible mortgage product 2010
Skipton Building Society
Being nominated for the Best national building society award means a great deal to everyone at Skipton Building Society, now the UK’s fourth largest building society. As a mutual, we put our members first by offering excellent personal service; consistently good value mortgages, savings and associated products; market leading financial advice, and innovative solutions to meet their evolving needs. We are very proud that our members have recognised this by nominating us for two What Mortgage awards.
This year, we have substantially increased our lending, in order to play our part in enabling home ownership and kick-starting the mortgage market by offering choice and value in an environment where credit availability remains subdued. Our varied mortgage range aims to offer something for everyone – from dependably attractive rates to buy-to-let products and some of the only low deposit products available for first time buyers and people whose equity has been hit by housing market volatility. Our strong track record is recognised by regular independent national media best buy table and editorial recommendations.
Skipton is a great place to start your hunt for the right mortgage, and our friendly team of customer advisers will be delighted to help if you pop into one of our 104 branches across the country, or call our Skipton Direct telephone team on 0845 850 1755. Alternatively, you can find out more about what we have to offer by visiting our website, www.skipton.co.uk.
Nominated for:
Best national building society
Best fixed rate mortgage provider
Teachers Building Society
Set up over 45 years ago and based in Wimborne since 1976, Teachers Building Society is the only mutual building society with its base in Dorset. Proud of a reputation for providing excellent customer care, we assess each mortgage case on its own merits. Even though 96 per cent of customers who completed a survey rate our service as good or excellent, we’re always looking at ways of improving our customers’ experiences and have recently removed the automated phone system so that customers can get straight through to staff during office hours.
Whether looking to buy for the first time, moving home or remortgaging, we offer a range of competitive mortgage products, most of which have a no-fee option. We support the Government’s HomeBuy schemes and are one of only a handful of lenders who provide a no-deposit option to customers purchasing property through HomeBuy Direct. Current benefits to members include no arrangement fees on new mortgage deals.
We have visited several Dorset schools in recent years to help teachers facilitate finance education in the classroom and we regularly provide career guidance and work experience opportunities to local students. We have supported various local community initiatives and charities, including Life Education Wessex, and are also sponsoring the national TES Schools Awards, which celebrate the achievements of teachers, school leaders, support staff and pupils alike.
We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this year’s What Mortgage Awards and would like to thank those members who took the time to nominate us.
0800 378 669
Nominated for:
Best local building society
Travelex
If you want to buy or maintain a property anywhere in the world, Travelex Personal Payments’ dedicated account team can provide multi-currency spot contracts, forward contracts and repeat payment facilities for your high value transactions, whether you’re buying a villa in Valencia or looking after a beach house in Brisbane.
We’re the world’s leading specialist provider of international payments to over 35,000 companies each year, and our focus on customer service and innovation led to us being “Highly Commended” in the Best FX Provider category of What Mortgage’s 2010 Awards.
Our newest service, “Send Money Now”, aims to make international payments even easier for our customers: Send Money Now (www.sendmoneynow.com) is built on our secure global business payments engine – which powers the international transactions of thousands of businesses worldwide and provides customers with competitive rates and a quick, easy, secure and cost-effective way to send up to £2,500 from the UK to over 150 countries, from as little as 99p – up to 25 times cheaper than high-street banks.
Nominated for:
Best FX provider
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