Hodge scraps application fees

The fee will be removed across the Lump Sum, Lump Sum Plus, Flexi and Flexi Plus ranges, and Hodge is also offering free surveys for all properties up to £1m.

Additionally, Hodge has appointed Matt Burton as managing director of its mortgage range.

Matt will help Hodge target new product areas and launch an expanded product offering over the next 12 months.

Matt has been head of finance at Hodge since 2015 and has held previous roles at Vodafone, Future plc and Zodiac Aerospace.

Matt Burton commented: “I’m delighted to be taking on this new role. Hodge has been an innovator and leading player in the later life market through Hodge Lifetime. Our aim is to complement that offering with a broader range of specialist mortgage products which not only serve later life markets but also other customer segments that don’t easily fit the mainstream mortgage markets.

“I am acutely aware we can be doing more to simplify our underwriting criteria and turnaround times. I want to see Hodge being best in class in these areas and am looking at ways we can innovate as we have always done."

Business development director, Tony Hall, said: “Anything we can do to make later life lending more accessible and easier to understand is good news for brokers, customers and us.

“Simplifying our charges and making the cost of the mortgage easier to understand can only be a positive thing for customers.

“Our aim is to make applying for a mortgage as simple and streamlined as possible and we are doing all we can to review our processes to make that happen.”