New rules from the FSA will make it harder for all of us to get our hands on a mortgage – do they go too far? Fresh from being granted a reprieve by the Coalition Government – the Tories had wanted to completely do away with the FSA – the UK’s financial regulator is starting to flex its muscles over the mortgage market.

Mortgages are hugely expensive at the best of times. So, the last thing you need is to be stung with unforeseen costs. But the trouble is, some lenders are pretty wily when it comes to slapping bills on unsuspecting borrowers.

If you are one of the millions of UK mortgage borrowers who have been parked on your lender’s standard variable rate (SVR) waiting for the right moment to switch – now is that moment.