Financial Advisers in Bishop’s Stortford

Bishop’s Stortford attracts a lot of people who are on the move: families relocating from London, commuters heading to the City or Cambridge, and people who work at or around nearby Stansted Airport. Moving home is one of the biggest financial events in life, and it is a good moment to get the rest of your finances in order too.

The town and its connections

Bishop’s Stortford is a market town on the River Stort in East Hertfordshire, close to the Essex border. The station on the West Anglia Main Line has trains south to London Liverpool Street and north towards Cambridge, the M11 is just to the east, and London Stansted Airport is a few miles away. Our office in Roydon is further down the Stort valley, beyond Sawbridgeworth and Harlow.

We also help clients in the villages just south of the town, over the county line in Essex: Little Hallingbury, Great Hallingbury and Hatfield Heath. Whether you live in the town or one of these villages, you can meet us by video call or in person at our Roydon office.

Moving to Bishop’s Stortford

If you are buying in the town, perhaps for the first time or moving up from a flat in London, there is more to think about than the mortgage rate.

Getting the mortgage right

Kealy Ball, our mortgage broker, searches across a wide range of lenders and can help you understand how much you may be able to borrow, which type of deal suits you and what the costs are. First-time buyers may find our first-time buyers guide useful. Visit our mortgages page for the full range.

Protecting the new home

A bigger mortgage usually means a bigger gap if one income stops. Decreasing term assurance is designed to reduce roughly in line with a repayment mortgage, while level term assurance pays a fixed amount and can protect a family more broadly. Our protection page explains the differences.

Tidying up the paperwork

A move is a natural time to update beneficiaries on pensions and life policies and to make sure your workplace benefits still fit your new circumstances.

Commuting and career

Commuters into London or Cambridge often have substantial workplace pensions and benefits but little time to review them. We can look at what you have, help you decide how much to contribute and how your pensions are invested, and plan the route to the retirement you want. See our pensions and investments pages.

Running a business in the town

For directors and partners, business protection such as key person cover and shareholder protection can help keep a business going if a key person dies or becomes seriously ill.

Before you move: a short checklist

1. Speak to a mortgage broker before you start viewing. Knowing your budget, and having a decision in principle, can make you a stronger buyer.
2. Check your current deal. If you already own a home, find out whether your mortgage can be moved to the new property or whether there would be early repayment charges.
3. Budget for the extras. Stamp Duty Land Tax, legal fees, surveys and removal costs all add up.
4. Think about commuting costs. A season ticket can be a significant monthly outgoing and should be part of your affordability sums.
5. Review your protection. Arrange cover to start when the new mortgage does, so there is no gap.
6. Keep your credit file tidy. Avoid new credit applications in the months before you apply for a mortgage.

Kealy can talk you through each step. Some buyers find it helps to have one point of contact for both the mortgage and the protection, so the two are arranged together.

Getting in touch

Most Bishop’s Stortford clients start with a free Google Meet video call, booked online. If you would rather talk by phone or meet in person at our Roydon office, call 0333 011 5550 or use our contact page.

Along the Stort valley

Frequently asked questions

Important: This page is general information about the areas we serve and the services we offer. It is not personal financial advice. For advice on your specific circumstances, please get in touch.