Lets talk mortgage advice

What is a mortgage broker?

A mortgage broker is an adviser that can help you get the best mortgage deal. A broker will assess your personal needs and circumstances, and can scour the market to help you gain access to the best deals out there.

Do I need to use a mortgage broker?

Getting a mortgage is a big financial decision, and given the recent turbulence in the mortgage market it is clear that it’s not just the complex cases that can benefit from mortgage advice.

The use of a mortgage broker can be extremely helpful, and could be the di erence between having a successful mortgage application and being rejected. Given the typical size and duration of mortgage loans, finding the best deal could potentially save you thousands over the term of the mortgage.

A broker will help guide you through the options, explain the nuances of a ordability and lending criteria, help you avoid the common pitfalls, and save you time and e ort in what can sometimes be a challenging process.

Independent advice

Here at Acumen Investment & Pension Solutions, we have a team of dedicated mortgage brokers who are fully independent, which means we can source mortgages from the whole of the UK market and are not tied to any particular provider (we do not consider products that are only available direct from lenders). We also do all of the heavy lifting, from assessing your a ordability, finding the best deal, completing the mortgage application and working closely with the lender.

Holistic advice

Financial planning can be complex, as it has many aspects that rarely exist in isolation. This is why we prefer to take a holistic approach, and why our advisers are also qualified to o er advice on Pensions and Investments, Tax Planning and Protection.

We o er a free 1-hour consultation with no obligation, and welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss the ways in which we may be able to help you.

The Whale is a brutal and often beautiful piece of filmmaking from director Darren Aranofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream). Based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name, the film portrays Charlie’s (Brendan Fraser) struggle with grief and his quest to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink).

Anyone familiar with The Whale has likely heard the unanimity surrounding Fraser’s performance as Charlie - a solitary English teacher living with morbid obesity. He is unquestionably brilliant and perhaps the film’s biggest draw. Achingly human throughout, Fraser breaks your heart with each despairing gaze and puts it back together again with every hopeful half-smile. Sink, of Stranger Things fame, goes toe-to-toe with Fraser as Charlie’s daughter Ellie. In a seemingly effortless and authoritative performance she proves beyond doubt that she is destined for great things. Also excellent is Hong Chau as Liz, Charlie’s friend and carer.

As the film starts it is unsettling to watch as the cinema screen seems to shrink. The small, square aspect-ratio of choice immediately establishes a sense of claustrophobia. Underpinned by Rob Simonsen’s haunting, sorrowful score, the opening suggests that you may be in for a heavy couple of hours.

The story that unfolds is a small one that tackles big themes. Like much of Aranofsky’s previous work these themes are overt and unapologetic from the outset. (For example, the sweat pooling at the bottom of Charlie’s back seeps through his shirt in the shape of a whale’s tail). Despite an occasional lack of subtlety the meditations on loss, self-destruction, faith and forgiveness are always engaging.

The story is delivered almost entirely in dialogue between Charlie and a small cast of characters in his cramped upstairs flat. As he desperately tries to reconnect with his daughter Ellie, she does what she can to exploit the situation. Their venomous exchanges are complex, touching and often darkly funny. Liz does her best to look after Charlie and protect him from Ellie and others that seek to take advantage. One such character is Thomas - a boy who attempts to guide Charlie to salvation through the teachings of God.

The plot investigates the power of honesty and our interpretations of the written word, from Thomas’ bible to Charlie’s cherished review of Moby Dick which he recites as scripture in moments of anguish. As the layers of the story are absorbingly peeled back it is easy to be swept away by The Whale’s hypnotic power and stunning performances.

This weighty exploration of the human condition will not be everyone’s cup of tea. You may not have a whale of a time but I guarantee you will leave the cinema thoroughly moved - if not especially hungry.