The Finance Centre

08/09/2026

Jacques came to us on a recommendation and worked with Joe to find a mortgage deal that was right for him — with support and clear communication at every step of what can be a pretty stressful and unnerving process.

"He made a very scary and convoluted process simple... I can recommend his services wholeheartedly." — Jacques Marquis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you're a first-time buyer and don't know where to start, that's exactly what we're here for.

📞 01639 262222
🔗 www.tfcentre.co.uk

07/09/2026

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝: 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭📋

Being on a zero hours contract shouldn't automatically shut the door on getting a mortgage — but it does mean the standard high-street lender criteria may work against you.

Here's what actually matters to the right lender:

✅ How long you've been in the same role or industry — consistency counts for a lot

✅ Your actual earnings pattern over recent months or years, not just your contract type

✅ Whether you have additional income streams that add stability to your application

Some lenders are far more comfortable with zero hours income than others, and knowing which ones to approach makes all the difference.

We're whole of market brokers which means we have access across the market to find lenders who'll assess your application on its real merits.

📞 01639 262222
🌐 tfcentre.co.uk

03/09/2026

With inheritance tax changes coming into effect in April 2027, more people are asking how to protect what they've worked hard for.

Here's something worth knowing: writing a protection policy in trust remains one of the most effective ways to keep a pay-out outside your estate for Inheritance Tax purposes.

✅ Pay-out can go directly to your chosen beneficiaries — often faster, bypassing probate
✅ Kept outside your estate, so it isn't counted towards inheritance tax
✅ Gives you control over who receives the money and when
✅ Costs nothing extra to set up alongside a new or existing policy

It's a simple step that's often missed. A quick conversation with our team could save your family a lot further down the line.

📞 01639 262222 | 📧 [email protected]

Protection

01/09/2026

Serving your country or your community shouldn't make it harder to get a mortgage. But for a lot of emergency services and armed forces personnel, that's exactly what happens. 🚨

Shift allowances, overtime and service pay that lenders don't know how to read. Address histories disrupted by postings and relocations. Deposits that are hard to save for when you're moving every couple of years. None of it reflects how reliable you actually are — it's just how the system is built.

We've broken down exactly where the mortgage process trips people up, and what actually helps (including a scheme a lot of forces personnel don't know they're eligible for). Read the full post — https://www.tfcentre.co.uk/2026/08/19/why-is-it-harder-to-get-a-mortgage-if-you-serve-in-the-emergency-services-or-armed-forces/

📞 01639 262222
📧 [email protected]

31/08/2026

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝: 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬🏡

If you're a foster carer, you've probably found that not every lender understands how to assess your income — and that can mean a mortgage application getting declined when it really shouldn't be.

Here's what's worth knowing:

✅ Fostering allowance can often be included as income for affordability purposes, but lenders vary hugely in how they treat it

✅ Some lenders have specific policies for foster carers and understand that this income can be just as reliable as a salary

✅ If you combine fostering with other self-employed or part-time work, the right lender can still make the sums work

It's less about whether you can get a mortgage as a foster carer, and more about finding the lender who'll assess your application fairly. We can't promise it'll be entirely straightforward, but as whole of market brokers, we know which lenders are the right fit and will spend the time and effort needed to understand your fostering and employment situation - resulting in minimum stress all round.

📞 01639 262222
🌐 tfcentre.co.uk

27/08/2026

A recent industry survey found that being underinsured is the lowest-ranked concern among UK small business owners — even though the majority of SMEs actually are underinsured.

If a key member of your team — a founder, director, or someone with specialist knowledge — became seriously ill or passed away, would your business survive the financial impact?

✅ Provides a lump sum to help cover loss of profits or revenue
✅ Can fund recruitment and training of a replacement
✅ Helps reassure lenders, investors, and suppliers during a difficult period
✅ Often overlooked until it's too late

It's not something most business owners think about — until they need it. Get in touch and we'll talk you through the numbers; no two businesses are the same, and neither is our advice.

📞 01639 262222 | 🌐www.tfcentre.co.uk/personal-commercial-protection/commercial/key-person-cover/

25/08/2026

25/08/2026

🏠𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 — 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

Last week alone, Nationwide, HSBC and Gen H all trimmed their fixed rates, with some new deals now under 4.5%. But the wider picture is choppier: swap rate volatility (linked to unrest in the Middle East) has been pushing pricing around, and the average mortgage deal has recently been lasting as little as 11 days before it's pulled or repriced.

𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 "𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆" 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌 — 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚.

If your fixed deal ends in the next 6 months, or you're planning to buy, this is exactly the kind of market where having someone track it for you in real-time (like us) makes a real difference.

📞 Give us a call and we'll find out where you stand: 01639 262222



Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

24/08/2026

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 🔨

Building your own home is a different journey to buying one — and the mortgage that goes with it works differently too.

Here's how it's different:

✅ Funds are released in stages as the build progresses, rather than as one lump sum — this reassures the lender the money is actually being used for the project

✅ Because of the added risk, self-build mortgages often come with a higher rate than standard residential mortgages

✅ Deposits are typically higher too, often starting around 25%

✅ Once the build is finished and the property is valued, most people then remortgage onto a more competitive rate

There are fewer lenders in this space, and factors like planning permission, cost projections and build timelines all come into play — so specialist advice really matters here. 👋

📞 01639 262222
🌐 tfcentre.co.uk

20/08/2026

If you're a business owner or company director, life insurance through your business could work harder than a personal policy — and cost you less.

Relevant life insurance is a tax-efficient way to protect yourself and your family, paid for by your business rather than your personal income.

✅ Premiums are usually an allowable business expense
✅ Not treated as a P11D benefit, so no extra income tax for you
✅ Pay-out is typically free of inheritance tax when written in trust
✅ Ideal for directors and employees who don't have access to group life schemes

Many business owners simply haven't been told this option exists. We'll look at your business and personal finances together to work out the most tax-efficient route.

📞 01639 262222 | 🌐 www.tfcentre.co.uk/personal-commercial-protection/commercial/relevant-life-plan/