Important Information About Services and Costs

Why Do You Need to Read This?

On this page we explain the service we’re providing you with and how you’ll pay for it. You must read this page carefully and ensure you understand what it says, so that you fully comprehend the agreement you’re entering into. If you have any questions, simply ask your John Charcol mortgage adviser.

What Services Do We Offer?

Mortgages 

We find and arrange mortgages and secured loans for residential, buy-to-let, commercial and development properties. 

When you use our service, you’ll be assigned a mortgage adviser and a client relationship manager. Your mortgage adviser will learn about your unique needs and circumstances and use this information to make a recommendation on which mortgage product best suits you. Your mortgage adviser will gather the documents required to support your mortgage application and will submit this to the lender that you and your mortgage adviser agree best meets your needs. Your mortgage adviser and client relationship manager will check your application, liaise with the lender and guide you through the rest of the process. 

Additional Services

What Products Do We Offer?

Mortgages 

John Charcol are a whole of market mortgage broker, which means that we can arrange your mortgage with any mortgage lender or product available - except those products that are only offered directly from a lender to a customer. 

For a second charge mortgage - often referred to as a secured loan - we work with a carefully selected panel of lenders which are representative of the whole market. This panel is regularly reviewed. If you would like details of the providers we're currently working with please ask your mortgage adviser. 

We can arrange most types of finance which relate to property, including: 

• First-time buyer mortgages 
• Residential mortgages for homemovers 
• Buy-to-let mortgages for private landlords 
• Portfolio landlord mortgages 
• Buy-to-let mortgages for limited companies 
• Remortgages 
• Second charge mortgages
• Later life lending 
• Mortgages for UK expats 
• Commercial mortgages 
• Mortgages for freelancers and the self-employed 
• Bridging loans and development finance 
• Offset mortgages 

Additional Services

Home Insurance 

Through our partnership with Legal and General, we can find you home insurance in addition to arranging your finance.

We can help with: 

• Buildings insurance 
• Contents insurance 

Protection 

We can also advise on and organise protection cover for you and your family from a carefully selected panel of insurers which are listed below. 

We can arrange: 

• Life insurance 
• Critical illness insurance 
• Family income benefit 
• Income protection

What Fees Do We Charge?

Mortgages 

Your adviser will always confirm any charges with you before you decide to proceed with an application. 

Free Initial Consultation 

We’ll always provide you with a free initial consultation in which we discuss your needs.

First Charge Mortgages 

Our typical broker fee for a first charge residential mortgage is £699 but may vary depending on the loan amount and the complexity of your unique circumstances. The maximum fee payable for all first charge mortgages is 2% of the loan amount. Our fee is payable once a mortgage offer is received. 

Second Charge Mortgages 

We charge a flat fee of £2,149 for all second charge mortgages. 

Additional Application Fee 

We may charge an application fee if you have a particularly complicated or speculative case, which will be payable when your application is submitted to the lender. The maximum fee payable is £200 for all loan types - excluding bridging finance which comes with an application fee of up to £499; this is charged at application. 

Application fees are non-refundable and may be requested at application. 

Our Commission 

We’ll receive a commission from your chosen lender, the amount of which will depend upon your circumstances and the loan amount. The amount of this commission – and any other fees relating to your mortgage contract - will be disclosed in your Key Facts Illustration or European Standardised Information Sheet prior to your application being submitted to the lender.

Additional Services

Who Regulates Us?

The FCA is the independent watchdog that regulates financial services firms - e.g. mortgage brokers. They ensure that high standards of advice and conduct are met and that advisers always put the needs of customers first. 

Find out more on the FCA’s website or contact the FCA on 0300 500 8082.

Appointed Representatives

We have over 100 advisers at John Charcol. Many members of our team operate as appointed representatives. These advisers are self-employed but work under our FCA authorisation and adhere to the same high standards of advice and client care that we're renowned for.

See our list of appointed representatives.

What Do We Do with Your Data?

At John Charcol, we’re strongly committed to protecting your personal data. We ensure that your privacy is always respected and your personal data is treated with the utmost care. We adhere to the requirements set out in the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). 

• We’ll gather personal data from you so that we may communicate with you to discuss your requirements and to make suitable lending recommendations. We’ll only gather personal data that’s required and relevant to the service and transaction that we’re undertaking. We’ll also ask for your consent before we gather any personal data 
• Once we’ve gathered your personal information, we’ll store and process it securely on our company systems. It may be necessary to share some of your information with other companies or lenders, but this will only be to fulfil the service or transaction that we’ve agreed to provide you with or to comply with our regulatory obligations
• You have the right to see the personal data that we hold about you and the right to request its rectification and/or erasure. You also have the right to object to or restrict that way that it’s processed 
• We’ll ask you for your consent before we send you any marketing communications. If you give us your consent, you can change your mind at any time and opt out of receiving these communications 

Please read our privacy statement for more information on how we collect, use and protect your data. Simply ask us if you’d like a copy sent to you.

How Do We Communicate with You?

• We’ll provide you with information by whatever method is the most convenient for you, whether this is by post, email or other means. All of this information will be provided free of charge and in English 
• You can request information in paper form at any time. This will be free of charge, even if it has previously been provided via other means – e.g. via email 
• You may also choose to change your preferences regarding how we communicate with you at any point. We only require that you confirm this change in writing to us 

How Do You Make a Complaint?

We make every effort to ensure that you have a good experience when working with John Charcol. If you find that this has not been the case and you wish to register a complaint, please contact us via:

0344 346 3650

Or:

FAO Complaints Officer
John Charcol Ltd
St. Helen's
1 Undershaft
London
EC3P 3DQ

Alternatively, if you’re at all unsatisfied with the service you’ve received, you can contact a member of our executive team who'll be glad to help: 

Chief Commercial Officer Luke Somerset: luke.somerset@johncharcol.co.uk 

Head of Sales Sarah Best: sarah.best@johncharcol.co.uk 

Head of Operations and Human Resource Operations Lisa Walklin-Knight: lisa.walkin-knight@johncharcol.co.uk 

Financial Controller Jo Slade: jo.slade@johncharcol.co.uk 

Head of Compliance Tracy Griffiths: tracy.griffiths@johncharcol.co.uk 

If you’re unable to settle your complaint with us directly, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Are We Covered by the FSCS?

We’re covered by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme). The FSCS is an industry-funded scheme that works to ensure that if a financial services business – e.g. anyone involved in lending, insurance, credit mediation or certain businesses – or bank goes bust that any customers who suffer as a result will be compensated. 

Mortgage Advice 

Advising on and arranging mortgages is covered up to a maximum limit of £85,000. 

Protection: Life Assurance 

The maximum level of compensation for claims against firms declared in default is 100% of the claim with no upper limit.