Fluent Lifestyle - Issue 02

The Money Magazine from Fluent

Issue 02 Spring 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

Thinking about remortgaging?

You could be sitting on a fortune!

Could your home offer a tax-free cash boost?

Spring clean your finances Time to get your money in order

WIN a tablet £25 M&S Gift Card competition Plus, great money FLUENT LIFESTYLE Issue 01 Winter 2019 saving tips inside!

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Contents Welcome to Fluent Lifestyle

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1

FLUENT MONEY

What would you do with a cash lump sum?

2

FLUENT LIFETIME

You could be sitting on a fortune

3

FLUENT MORTGAGES

Thinking about remortgaging?

Want your snaps featured in our next issue?

Send us your Spring photographs to fluentlifestyle@fluentmoney.co.uk

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FLUENT LOANS

Time to Spring clean your finances

6

FLUENT NEWS

Behind the scenes at Fluent HQ Vote for us - What Mortgage Awards

7

CASHBACK CORNER

Special Offers MON£Y QUIZ: Win a Samsung tablet Competition: Win a £25 M&S gift card

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Welcome to our Spring issue of Fluent Lifestyle magazine In this issue we share tips on how to Spring clean your finances and make sure you’re not missing a trick.

We share some money saving tips and give you the chance to win a tablet by entering our competition!

At Fluent, our team of specialist advisers are equipped to help you find a financial solution that’s right for you, whether that be a mortgage, raise money against your home with a secured loan or find a later life specialist lending solution.

We’re here to help you!

KEVIN HINDLEY CEO

Kind Regards, The Fluent Team

2 | FLUENT MONEY

What would you do with a cash lump sum?

The beauty of the secured loan is that you can use the money you borrow for just about anything. Here are some popular reasons people apply for homeowner loans...

1

Home Improvements

Whilst home improvements are necessary to maintain your property, some can be very expensive. Paying for them is not a problem for a property owner who has significant equity. With enough equity to work with, you could borrow to renovate your kitchen, your bathroom, your garage, or even your loft.

2

Debt Consolidation

The second most popular reason for getting a secured loan is to consolidate high-interest credit cards and other unsecured debt.

Unsecured debt, by its nature, is more costly. Borrowers pay more in terms of interest rates and fees on all sorts of unsecured debt.

There are many different reasons why customers look to use a secured loan for debt consolidation purposes.

It could be that you’re looking to save money each month or over a longer period of time. To make sure your individual circumstances are considered, it’s important to get advice from a specialist.

3

Pay for a Wedding

To say that weddings are expensive is to state the obvious. Again, the secured loan makes it possible for parents to pay for a child’s wedding and give them a day to remember.

4

New Car Purchase

Although you can purchase a new car through an unsecured loan from a bank, building society, or car finance company, you may find that a secured loan is more affordable.

A secured loan could make it possible to purchase a car you may not have been able to afford with a standard unsecured loan.

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Take a Holiday

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Start a Small Business

Lastly, property owners may choose a secured loan as a means to help them to start a small business. To those who do, it is well worth taking a loan against your home in order to create a small business that may eventually provide financial freedom.

7

University Expenses

University students in the UK can get some assistance from the government to pay for their educational expenses. However, government assistance does not necessarily pay for everything. Some parents use the equity in their homes to help cover what government financing does not.

Some people dream of an exotic holiday that they consider a once-in-a-lifetime chance, a holiday they would never be able to take any other way. It’s worth it for some of them to get a secured homeowner loan in order to realise the dream.

Looking to borrow between £5,000 and £500,000? Fluent Money could help.

We can source secured loans with rates starting from 4.1% APRC, although the rate you secure will depend on your individual circumstances.

APPLY NOW

0800 255 0024

9.1% APRC Representative Representative example: Assumed borrowing of £18,000 over 120 months, with a fixed borrowing rate of 6.5% per annum for the first 60 months, followed by 60 months at the lender’s standard variable borrowing rate of 4.95% above Bank of England Base Rate. There would be 60 monthly instalments of £227.38 followed by 60 instalments of £221.71. Total amount payable FLUENT LIFESTYLE Issue 01 Winter 2019 £26,945.40 comprised of; loan amount (£18,000); interest (£6,920.40); Broker fee (£1,530); Lender fee (£495). This would result in an overall cost of 9.1% APRC.

6 | FLUENT LIFETIME

You could be sitting on a fortune you want to stay in your home and make it more comfortable for later life.

Many want to use the money to make the most of their retirement years and take holidays they’ve worked hard for all their life.

Some are keen to help family and want to pass an early inheritance gift to children or grandchildren.

This could be a cash deposit for a house, maybe to pay university fees or contribute towards a family wedding.

Others may have an outstanding mortgage or other debts they would like to clear in order to make life a little easier each month.

If you’re a homeowner aged 55 – 95, your home could provide you with a tax-free cash boost.

A lifetime mortgage, the most popular type of equity release plan, allows you to tap into the value of your home without having to make monthly re-payments.

These plans allow you to remain living in your home for as long as you wish instead of having the upheaval of moving to a smaller property to release equity.

The total loan, plus interest, is typically only paid back when you pass away or move into long-term care. There are plans available which enable you to pay interest if you prefer.

The most popular reason by far is to make home and garden improvements. This makes sense if

Whatever your reason for considering a lifetime mortgage, it’s important to get specialist independent advice as there are lots of plans available.

A specialist adviser will get to know your individual circumstances and work out if a lifetime mortgage is right for you.

A lifetime mortgage is secured against your home, just like a traditional mortgage. A lifetime mortgage will reduce the value of your estate and may affect your entitlement to means tested benefits.

Looking for a cash boost in later life?

Fluent Lifetime could help.

Get your free guide or arrange a free, no-obligation telephone appointment with a specialist adviser

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE

0800 530FLUENT 0018 LIFESTYLE

Issue 01 Winter 2019

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4 | FLUENT MORTGAGES

Thinking about remortgaging?

There are some fantastic deals around!

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Fluent Mortgages could help you save money and time. Our mortgages advisers can help you with a more personalised search of the market and give you advice on the options available. They’ll tell you which deals you qualify for and you’ll also get excellent help and support throughout the whole mortgage process.

Here’s 7 reasons why it might be a great idea for you...

1

Your deal is about to end

Don’t get stuck on a Standard Variable Rate with higher monthly payments. You can often remortgage up to three months ahead of the end of your current deal.

2

Free up some equity

With the extra cash made available you could make those home improvements that you have always dreamed about, take a family holiday, invest in a buy to let or help your son or daughter get on to the property ladder.

3

Interest rate uncertainty

Interest rates have been incredibly low for a decade. If you don’t think they’ll get any lower it might be wise to grab a fixed rate deal now and lock yourself in for up to ten years of certainty.

4

You want to borrow more

If you want to make some renovations to your home, now is a good time to think about organising your finances or to consolidate them.

Your home’s gone up in value 5

This could mean you’re in a lower loan-to-value bracket so may be eligible for more competitive rates!

Loved Fluent? Tell us about the service you received and win a Samsung tablet!

Share your story on Google Reviews and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win the latest Samsung tablet!

LEAVE A REVIEW

You want a more flexible mortgage 7

There are some lenders out there who provide mortgages allowing you the possibility to take a payment holiday, overpay or offset finances.

If you’d like to find out whether remortgaging is the right move for you, speak to a qualified mortgage adviser today for a free no-obligation consultation.

Call us on 0800 530 0014 or find out more.

“It has made life much easier”

Elise’s story Elise, a 24-year-old nurse first contacted Fluent Mortgages in February as it was time for her to re-mortgage.

Elise was hoping to get a better interest rate but also wanted to consolidate an unsecured loan and a couple of credit cards.

I bought my house using a help to buy shared equity scheme which made the process a little more complex. Fluent were wonderful and my adviser Leah explained the process very clearly. Nothing was too much trouble. Any questions I had she was able to answer and if not, went away to found out for me. I have been kept up to date with every detail all the way through.

There was no pressure throughout the process and genuinely felt relaxed knowing Leah was dealing with the case. I never felt the need to chase anything up.

The great news was that I was able to reduce my monthly repayments by £900 a month. It has made life much easier and taken the strain off my finances.

I’ve already recommended Fluent to 4 other friends and family and they are going through the process as we speak.

All too often we are quick to give criticism but I feel it is important to express my gratitude to Leah and Fluent in this case.

I would happily use Fluent in the future and recommend to anyone, truly an excellent team. Thank you!

Elise

Looking to switch to a better deal?

Fluent Mortgages could help.

If you’re approaching the end of your introductory mortgage offer or want to switch to a better deal, speak to a specialist mortgage adviser

FIND OUT MORE

0800 530 0014

FLUENT LIFESTYLE

Issue 01 Winter 2019

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3 | FLUENT LOANS

Time to Spring clean your finances It might not be time to dig out your shorts just yet, but it’s never too early to give your finances a spring clean and get your money in order. Here are some helpful tips: Review your budget Spring is all about new beginnings, and what better way to give your finances a fresh start than to make sure your budget is actually helping you achieve your goals?

Go over every item and think carefully about how well you’re sticking to it and why. Is there any particular area where you tend to go over budget? An expense you always forget to account for?

Check whether you could reduce your bills by switching providers.

For example, the Energy Helpline reckons you could save up to £537 a year by switching supplier.

Cancel subscriptions you don’t use.

According to the Money Advice Service, the average Brit wastes £18.62 a month this way, mainly on gym memberships.

Ditch the clutter Throw away what you don’t need - you probably don’t need paper-based bills and bank statements, so it’s a good idea

to go paperless wherever you can. Aside from making things simpler, many companies offer paperless discounts and onlineonly offers. Always shred any documents with personal details (or use a black marker to blot out your information) before you throw them away.

Organise your important documents - gather insurance policies, bank statement etc and file them together in a safe place. This way, you can find them quickly should you ever need them.

Take the maintenance out of bill paying - It’s worth setting up direct debits on all your credit accounts so you won’t have to remember a due date ever again.

A cash boost Maybe you have a special celebration coming up this year, a big birthday or a wedding. If your plans to save didn’t quite reach your target then an unsecured loan could be the answer.

Looking to borrow between £1,000 and £25,000? Fluent Loans could help.

We can source unsecured loans with rates starting from 3.9% APR variable, although the rate you secure will depend on your individual circumstances.

APPLY NOW

0800 534 5004

APPLY NOW

15.9% APR (variable) Representative Representative example: If you borrow £10,000 over 4 years at a representative FLUENT LIFESTYLE Issue 01 Winter 2019 15.9% and an annual interest rate of 15.9% (fixed) you would pay £277.53 per month.

Total charge for credit will be £3,321.44. Total amount repayable is £13,321.44.

If you’re juggling high interest debts – such as store card and credit card borrowing – you may be able to save money by consolidating them into one more affordable unsecured loan. If you keep your monthly repayments up-to-date, the debt will be cleared at the end of the term.

This isn’t an answer for everyone, but for some people it could work.

An unsecured loan could be perfect for those who can’t resist the enticement of using more of their credit card limit and who need a sensible product to pay back their debt over a fixed term.

7 | FLUENT NEWS

Look what’s been happening behind the scenes at Fluent HQ We made the final - and won!

We were finalists at the 2019 Financial Reporter awards for the Best Second Charge Mortgage Broker, Best Later Life Broker and winners of the Best Unsecured Lending Broker award.

...and we’re on the shortlist for another award!

We’ve also been nominated in the Best Second Mortgage Broker category at this year’s What Mortgage Awards.

The winners will be announced on 17th July, fingers crossed!

We have invested in making our customers’ lives easier.

Download our new smartphone app on Apple and Android devices today from the app store.

FLUENT LIFESTYLE

Issue 01 Winter 2019

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CASHBACK & COMPETITION CORNER

We’ve found some great ways to save you money!

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WIN a £25 M&S Voucher - solve our conundrum!

WIN a Samsung

Galaxy Tablet in our MON£Y QUIZ Test your money knowledge in our quiz and win this cool tablet!*

Rearrange the letters above to find the missing 9 letter word and email us your answer for your chance to win!*

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Congratulations Sophie Simmonds The lucky winner of our Winter issue polygon competition.

A £25 M&S Gift Card is on it’s way to you!

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Congratulations Anthony Kett The lucky winner of our Winter issue tablet competition - it’s on it’s way!

*The Spring issue winners will be drawn at random on Sunday 30th June 2019 Fluent Money Ltd, Fluent Mortgages Ltd, Fluent Loans Ltd and Fluent Lifetime Ltd are all part of the Fluent Money Group, and are individually authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority See http://www.fca.org.uk Fluent Money Group Ltd, registered in England No. 09774736.

Registered Office: 102 Rivington House, Chorley New Road, Horwich, Bolton BL6 5UE. Telephone 01204 472000.