Mortgage Advice

What is it?

We provide Independent and Whole-of-Market Mortgage Advice and are sometimes call “Mortgage Brokers”. This means that we have no ties to any banks or lenders out there and we work for our clients best interests only – our advice is impartial and unbiased. As we’re Independent Financial Advisers, we can also help with wider financial questions than just a mortgage broker could.

How we do it

When we meet for the first time, we will explain to you our Four Stage Mortgage Advice Process.  We take all of our Mortgage Clients through every step of this journey because providing you with a consistently high standard of advice and service is of paramount importance to us.

Stage 1 – Initial Consultation

This stage allows us both to get to know each other and ensure we’re a good fit for working together. Unless stated otherwise, this is normally done at our own expense. We invest the time here to listen and understand your current financial position and circumstances, and conduct Whole of Market research (see below) and advise of your mortgage options. We would provide you with a fixed Broker Advice Fee if we agree to work together and move forward to the next stage. During Stage 1, we have three layers to our mortgage research:

  • Lender Criteria search to ensure your circumstances and the property you’re buying/remortgaging meets the lender’s criteria
  • Lender Affordability check to ensure the lender can lend you the amount you need
  • Mortgage product search (whole-of-market) to ensure you’re getting the most competitive and suitable mortgage product

This is the first milestone and lays and solid foundation for you to proceed onto buying your property or remortgaging. Once we’ve recommended a suitable lender to proceed with based on our research, the lender would carry out some basic credit checks and “affordability checks” to see how much they could lend you in theory.

We’d progress your case onto a Full Mortgage Application once your property offer has been accepted or as soon as possible for remortgages. This involves submitting supporting documents, such as payslips and bank statements, for the lender’s underwriter to review. Separately the lender would also request a surveyor to value the property to ensure the property is worth the price agreed and is suitable security for the mortgage. If all goes well, then a formal Mortgage Offer is issued and you’ll be in the home straight.

Your solicitors (known as “conveyancers”) would be working behind the scenes to complete the necessary legal process. Once a Completion Date has been set, your purchase/remortgage would be completed. Thereafter, typically between 3 to 6 months before your mortgage deal comes to an end, we’d be in touch to review your existing lender’s product range and compare this against the whole market to ensure your next deal would be just as competitive to save you money.

Who we work with

  • First Time Buyers (including Shared Ownership or Shared Equity schemes)
  • Home movers (such as those upgrading their homes, and those wishing to buy a second property)
  • Landlords (investment properties, Buy-to-Lets, HMOs)
  • Remortgages (with and without capital raising)
  • Self-employed individuals and business owners
  • Contractors
  • Limited Company mortgages
  • Expats
  • Foreign Nationals (with and without Indefinite Leave to Remain in UK)
  • Chinese & Hong Kong nationals – we speak fluent English, Mandarin, and Cantonese

By working with us you will:

  • Save money, time and hassle;
  • Have peace of mind;
  • Have greater certainty and confidence of your maximum budget and affordability;
  • Have a professional who will advise and guide you through the often stressful mortgage and house buying process. We would often liaise with the estate agent and solicitors when needed to take the burden off your shoulders;
  • Benefit from regulated, professional and independent and whole-of-market mortgage advice.

IFS Wealth & Pensions is both Independent Financial Advisers & Chartered Financial Planners (external link), awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute, which is often regarded the gold standard in the profession.  Less than 5% of advice firms are Chartered so you can be sure that the advice we provide is of the highest standards. We take no shortcuts in our work.

IFS Wealth & Pensions Ltd
IFS Wealth & Pensions Ltd
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  • I just want to say a big thanks to you Alan Chan for all of your assistance with our case. The attention to detail you have shown combined with your thorough knowledge of the marketplace have enabled us to achieve what seemed otherwise unreachable and we are now racing... read more

    Meha Fernandes Avatar Meha F.
    26th October 2023

  • IFS Wealth & Pensions provided an excellent service on mortgage advice and the entire buying process. I was new to the UK and all my questions were answered clearly, the process was very efficient. No hesitation in recommending it.

    Sonja Billerbeck Avatar Sonja B.
    15th August 2025

  • I have been really impressed with the service delivered by Alan. Very efficient, rapid in response, and gave appropriate answers to everything asked. Our case is a little complex than normal, but Alan was extremely professional and friendly to deal with. I would highly recommend Alan and IFS to... read more

    Molly Zhang Avatar Molly Z.
    26th August 2021

  • I’ve benefited enormously from having Alan from IFS Wealth and Pensions to manage my pension funds. He has in fact done so much more than this, as at our initial meeting he was generous with both his time and attention. I felt that he truly listened to me and took... read more

    Mary Ann Apcar Avatar Mary A.
    2nd September 2020

  • Thank you for all the professional advice and assistance by Ricky Chan. Ricky was responsive and helpful. We highly appreciated with his service and recommend IFS! 😊😊 👍🏻

    Sharon Ho Avatar Sharon H.
    26th August 2023

  • Given that I don't have much credit history, I decided to engage Alan's help in my mortgage application. Alan is professional and very knowledgeable. Since I am new to the process, he is extremely patient and helpful in clarifying all my queries. Most importantly Alan is very responsive, super... read more

    Lana Soh Avatar Lana S.
    26th February 2024