Spotlight On: HSBC's fee-free mortgages

The deal

HSBC began a "sale" on Thursday by introducing a range of fee-free tracker mortgages.

The good points

The offer is available until the end of January and means no booking fee. Normally the bank charges up to £999 on its Lifetime Tracker loan.

The bad points

The bank still charges booking fees on its fixed-rate range. It already offered a range of fee-free mortgages, so this is less a "sale", and more just a range of slightly different products.

Conclusion

Two points. First, fees on mortgages are often excessive and confusing. They should all be cut so borrowers can more easily judge mortgages on their interest rates. Second, HSBC has held what it calls a "sale" for eight years now. It's no such thing. Anyone heading to a branch looking for a bargain will come away disappointed.