Sonia and Robert Howe

Sorting out a new mortgage can be challenging at the best of times. Doing so in the middle of a “credit crunch”, against a backdrop of lenders withdrawing products and changing interest rates with minimal notice, has the potential for sleepless nights and soaring stress levels.

But thanks to TWP Wealth Management mortgage consultant Shirley Corbett, Sonia and Robert Howe are now looking forward to the financial security of knowing exactly what their monthly repayments will be for the next five years.

The couple are delighted not only with their new fixed rate deal, which took effect when their existing two-year fixed rate mortgage ended in June 2008, but also with the speed and efficiency with which it was sorted out.

Both have demanding careers – Sonia works in the distribution of charity funding and Robert is in IT – which they combine with caring for their year-old daughter, Lara.

Time is precious, so they were pleasantly surprised when they were able to sort out all the details and paperwork relating to their mortgage over the phone and by email. Sonia said: “I thought we would have to find time in our diaries for meetings, which wouldn’t have been easy, so that was a real bonus.

“With our original mortgage deal coming to an end, we kept reading news stories about the credit crunch and how people coming out of existing deals were facing huge hikes in payments, so we really wanted to talk to someone who could advise and help us.

“We went to TWP Wealth Management after a personal recommendation and found Shirley incredibly efficient. We were prepared to be flexible to get the best deal and she explained the range of options very clearly. She answered all our questions – as many as we could come up with – and always came back to us really quickly on any queries.

“With our five-year fixed rate deal, we know for a good period of time what our payments are going to be, which gives us real certainty. In the current economic climate, we weren’t expecting to get a deal as good as we have – and we wouldn’t have found anything as good as we have without Shirley.”