Website: Intelligent Finance
Phone: 0845 609 4343
The Intelligent Finance mortgage is one of the original flexible offset products- you can take a break from payments, and you can offset your mortgage against your savings. If you want this sort of product, do check IF out; but unless you're sure an offset is right for you, shop around elsewhere too.
Intelligent Finance (or IF) is the flexible banking branch of the Halifax, the UK's most popular mortgage lender. If you'd like a non-flexible mortgage (and they're not right for everyone) then try the Halifax' main site, or other lenders. There's really only one Intelligent Finance mortgage product; featuring a fairly low interest rate, conveyancing and valuation fees refunded in some cases; and interest charged daily rather than monthly.
IF was one of the first flexible products, and as you would expect, features offsetting- the opportunity to gain both tax and interest rate efficiency by offsetting your mortgage with your savings. It's flexible because you can choose to underpay, overpay or even take two complete payment holidays each year on your mortgage- ideal for expensive times like Christmas or going on holiday. You can borrow up to 95% of the value of your property.
This is a classic offset product, and while you should consider an Intelligent Finance mortgage if you do want flexibility, it's not right for everyone. If you're not a big saver, or you don't have a problem with regular monthly payments, then you can get better deals elsewhere.
