What the papers said about the year ahead

Mortgage lenders began the New Year with a bang, offering a string of rate cuts, the Times reported this weekend. Attracting business is a priority at the moment, so industry experts urged borrowers to review their household finances now and take advantage of the competitive rates currently on offer. The Telegraph provided figures revealing that around half a million mortgages are due to mature in the next 12 months. Brokers predicted that, despite talk of another increase in the Bank of England base rate, we are likely to see interest rates remaining competitive this year. The Buy-to-Let market is also expected to see a boost over the next couple of months as landlords seek out cheaper mortgage deals to help cut their costs, ahead of changes to tax relief due in April.