Hinckley & Rugby Building Society has launched a new specialist mortgage range designed to give intermediaries more options for borrowers with historic credit challenges who have since rebuilt their financial position.
Credit Renew introduces a two-tier approach to the Society’s credit proposition and sits alongside Credit Assist, formerly known as Credit Flex. The new range extends the Society’s criteria to support a wider range of borrowers, including those with CCJs, defaults, debt management plans and missed payments.
Credit Assist is aimed at borrowers with lighter historical credit issues, while Credit Renew is designed for borrowers with a more complex credit history who have since re-established their financial stability. Each case is reviewed individually by an experienced underwriter, with no automated credit scoring at the DIP stage.
At launch, Credit Renew includes two products available for purchase and remortgage up to 75% LTV, each offering £250 cashback. Both products carry an £800 completion fee and a payable valuation fee.
A two-year fixed rate is available at 6.54% while a two-year discount launches at 5.94% variable; 0.95% below the Homeowner Variable Rate (HVR).
Hinckley & Rugby has also expanded its credit matrix to give intermediaries a clearer view of how each product tier can support applicants with a range of credit circumstances, including CCJs, IVAs, DMPs, missed mortgage payments, defaults and debt consolidation.
For example, borrowers can now have a satisfied CCJ of up to £2,500 within the last 24 months on Credit Renew, compared with £500 on Credit Assist, provided no CCJs have been registered within the previous three months.
Credit Renew will also consider debt consolidation cases, while DMPs no longer need to be satisfied, provided the arrangement has been in place for at least 12 months and has been conducted satisfactorily.
Christopher Holmes, senior product and proposition manager at Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, said: “Credit Renew has been created for borrowers who may have faced financial difficulty in the past but are now in a stronger and more stable position. Life events such as unemployment, illness or relationship breakdown can affect anyone and may lead to significant, but often temporary, financial challenges.
"Many people work hard to rebuild their financial stability, and we believe they should have access to a considered lending approach that looks at their current circumstances, not just their credit history.
"By combining broader criteria with individual underwriting, Credit Renew gives brokers more flexibility and helps us respond to the real needs of today’s borrowers.”
