Armed Forces Financial Services

Who we are
Founded nearly 20 years ago by Veterans Dianne Kerry and Paul Blair DSO, Armed Forces Financial Services (AFFS) provides Independent Mortgage & Protection advice to serving Personnel, Veterans and their families. We are proud member of the Armed Forces Covenant and can be found on the British Insurance Brokers Association’s (BIBA) list of specialist military insurance brokers.

What we do
We provide fee free, whole of market, independent mortgage advice to; first-time buyers, those looking to use the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, home movers, remortgage clients, consent to let clients and BFPO address history. Over the years we have helped thousands of Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans & their families get on the property ladder. Many of those have gone on to use us again at remortgaging time or when they have moved house. In addition to our mortgage advice & arrangement service we also provide Independent Insurance & Protection advice & arrangement. We support the Armed Forces Community by waiving our right to charge any fees.

What sets us apart from other IFAs & Mortgage Brokers
We are all ex-military, our unique insight into ‘service life’ means we understand your financial concerns better than many other financial advisers and mortgage brokers.
• We only provide advice to military personnel, veterans and their families.
• We are Directly Authorised Independent Financial Advisers, which means we do not have to work from a panel of lenders as many other mortgage or insurance brokers do.
• We work for YOU not a lender or insurer, and because we are directly authorised, we have access to ALL lenders and all of their deals, many of which are not available direct to the public•We know which lenders accept the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, previous or current BFPO address history or the need for Immediate Consent to Let.
• We have info that is often difficult to find, for example, lenders’ credit and affordability criteria. So, we can gain speedy acceptance by matching you to the right deal the first time.
• We have info that is often difficult to find, for example, lenders’ credit and affordability criteria. So, we can gain speedy acceptance by matching you to the right deal the first time.
• We have access to the best Military insurance companies 
• We’re not just 9 to 5 – we know that given your postings and work commitments we can’t operate traditional ‘office hours’ which is why we operate by email at times to suit you. 

Thinking about buying a house, but not sure what’s involved?
Buying a house should be an exciting time, but as it’s likely to be the most expensive decision you’ll ever make, we understand it’s also pretty daunting. Which is why, in our opinion it shouldn’t be left to chance (or singing men or fluffy animals or other comparison sites)!

Stage 1 – know what you can borrow
It’s a good idea to know how much you can borrow before you start looking at houses that may be outside of your budget. Provide AFFS with some basic details and we will establish how much you can borrow & how much it will cost. As Directly Authorised Independent Financial Advisers we can use any lender. We won’t charge you for our service.

Stage 2 – start looking
Now you know how much you can borrow, let AFFS know the likely purchase price based on homes you like (don’t worry you don’t need to have found ‘the one’ yet!)… Don’t forget, you don’t have to borrow the maximum amount available to you & in some cases it may be better not to! We will use the figure you give to gain an agreement in principle with the lender best suited to your needs.

Stage 3 – find your dream home
Dream house found! When you find a property you like let AFFS know so the following can be checked:
• How long it has been on the market 
• How much the current owner paid
• How much it is worth

Stage 4 – leave it to AFFS
Once your offer has been accepted:
• Retain a Solicitor (AFFS can recommend if required)
• If you are using Forces Help to Buy – now is the time to apply on JPA
• AFFS will complete the full mortgage application (don’t worry we keep you updated throughout the process)
• Lender will carry out the survey & issue the offer
• Solicitor will carry out the legal work
(Timescale is usually 8 – 12 weeks depending on the number of people in the chain)

Stage 5 – get insured
AFFS will then look at protecting your mortgage:
• We will carry out the same research & confirm the best Insurer for your needs then arrange this for you too
• We can also check for any other insurances you may need – don’t worry, there won’t be any ‘hard sell’. If you think you need it, we’ll find the best deal for you. If you don’t want or need it, we won’t!

That’s great but I’ve already got a mortgage. What do I need you for? 
For existing fixed rate mortgage holders approaching the end of their fixed term, there are fundamentally two options, switching to a new rate with current lender or moving to an entirely new lender. The important thing is that you avoid your lender’s Standard Variable Rate (SVR). This is the interest rate your mortgage automatically reverts to at the end of the fixed term. They currently range between 7 – 9%! Whichever option you decide upon AFFS can sort this out for you. If you use our switching service we can reserve a new rate early with your current lender, which means you probably won’t need to supply any supporting documents to the lender or have new credit / affordability check carried out. If you want a new mortgage provider entirely, we can research the market and carry out the leg work for you in the same way we would for a new homeowner. In either case it’s a good idea to start the process approx. six months before your current rate is due to finish. If rates fall before the new deal starts, we can switch you to the new rate, hassle free.

There are other times you may want to remortgage:
• You want to borrow more for home improvements, debt consolidation etc
• You’ve lots of equity in your house and can get a better rate
• You want a holiday payment but your current provider won’t let you
• You want a mortgage that combines savings and mortgage
• You want to borrow more and your current lender has said no

Whether you are looking to use the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, a home mover, or simply looking to remortgage we keep our processes as simple as possible. You fill in a couple of forms and send us copies of your documents and that’s it. You can pretty much leave us to it! We’ll work on your behalf as quickly and efficiently as possible while you carry on with your everyday life. 

Visit www.affs.co.uk or drop us an email at info@affs.co.uk

Important info
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

Armed Forces Financial Services is a trading name of TIMC Independent Financial Advisers Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No 439451.