Per cent for ten years – a rate that the company says beats most five- year fixed- rate deals, and even many two- year fixed- rate products. When interest rates are likely to rise, they offer protection for borrowers against repayments going over a certain level. Woolwich, part of barclays bank, for example, has launched a mortgage deal fixed at 4. 67. In general, the shorter the period of the discount, the higher the discounted rate will be. A borrower with a £100, 000 loan who took out the best two- year discount in september 2001 — when base rate was, like now, at 4. 75.

Editors' blog last updated: monday, 8 december, 2003, 08:46 gmt e- mail this to a friend printable version french leave flourishes on fixed rates. In france, long- term loans do carry early repayment penalties, but claude taffin points out that these are not big enough to deter consumers. Student credit cards. A borrower who chose the market- leading three- year fix in august 2003 — a rate of 4. 19. West bromwich building society has unveiled a new long- term, fixed- rate mortgage that is designed to give customers a sense of security. Once the fixed time period is at an end, your repayments will be at the lender's standard variable rate.

If interest rates were to rise steeply, so too would the cost of a tracker. Credit loan. Gordon brown is keen to encourage housebuyers to use fixed- rate mortgages to reduce boom and bust in the uk housing market. Jobs in insolvency. For a decade - a rate to rival some of the best two- and three- year fixed rate loans on the market. For instance, there is the lifetime tracker, which will track the bank base rate for the entire life of the mortgage. I think some people who have borrowed a lot on variable rates will get caught out. And you will benefit from all cuts in base rate, no matter how low they go.