What the committee is looking at
According to the FT, the FPC is weighing changes to rules on higher risk mortgages after calls from banks and the government. The discussion centers on shifting the key limit on loan size to 5 times household income from 4.5. The Bank of England said it "keeps its housing tools under regular review, having regard to the FPC's primary and secondary objectives."
Since 2014, most lenders have been restricted from issuing more than 15% of their mortgages to borrowers above that loan-to-income mark. According to trade body UK Finance, lifting the cap would open up additional lending equal to 7% of new residential mortgages.
Housing market signals
The FT highlights fresh strain in UK housing as higher mortgage costs crimp buyers. A top UK mortgage lender said prices were flat in October after a 0.3% dip in September.
Policy backdrop
This week, Healey sent a letter to the Bank of England urging the FPC to expand access to home ownership without undermining financial stability, and asking how the loan-to-income threshold could be used to better support that aim. That letter followed his budget move to double the bank surcharge to 6%, expected to raise about £1.5 billion, to help pay for cost-of-living support for financially stretched households.
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What this means for your portfolio
If the cap moves to 5 times income, banks would have more headroom to write larger loans to qualifying borrowers. In plain English: more capacity could support housing activity, with knock-ons for lenders, homebuilders, and housing-linked retailers.
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