In This Guide
The Fundamental Difference
The comparison between Together Financial Services and high-street banks is not primarily a comparison of interest rates or product features. It is a comparison of two fundamentally different approaches to lending decisions.
High-street banks — Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds, Santander — process hundreds of thousands of mortgage applications per year. To do this at scale, they rely on automated underwriting systems that score applications against standardised criteria. These systems are highly efficient for standard cases but produce binary pass/fail outcomes for anyone who doesn't fit the template. There is typically no appeal process, no human review, no consideration of context.
Together uses human underwriters. Each application is read by a person who applies genuine professional judgement. This is more expensive per application — which is why Together's rates are higher — but it produces meaningfully better outcomes for borrowers with complex circumstances.
Rates Comparison: Together vs High-Street
It is important to be direct about this: Together's rates are higher than comparable mainstream lender rates for borrowers who qualify for both. This is not a criticism — it reflects the economics of specialist lending and the additional risk and underwriting cost of complex cases.
| Product | High-Street (indicative) | Together (indicative) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2yr fixed residential mortgage (75% LTV, clean credit) | 4.2–4.8% | 5.5–6.5% | +1–2% |
| 5yr fixed residential (75% LTV, clean credit) | 4.0–4.6% | 5.3–6.2% | +1–2% |
| BTL mortgage (75% LTV, standard) | 4.5–5.2% | 5.8–7.0% | +1–2% |
| Bridging loan | Not available | 0.65–0.90%/mo | N/A |
| Second charge secured loan | Not widely available | From 6.5% | N/A |
All figures indicative only. Rates vary with LTV, credit profile, property type and market conditions. Obtain personalised quotes before making decisions.
The key insight: For borrowers who can access both Together and a high-street lender, the mainstream bank will almost always be cheaper. The Together premium is only justified — and rational — when the high-street option is not available to you. Never choose Together over a mainstream lender purely on features if a mainstream lender will approve your application.
Criteria Comparison: Together vs High-Street
| Criteria Area | High-Street Banks | Together |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employed (years required) | 2–3 years accounts | From 1 year accounts |
| Adverse credit (CCJs, defaults) | Generally declined | Considered on merit |
| Non-standard properties | Usually declined | Wide acceptance |
| Portfolio landlords (4+ properties) | Many have portfolio caps | No portfolio cap |
| Limited company BTL (new SPV) | Often require 2+ years trading | Accepted from day one |
| HMO mortgages | Many don't offer | Up to 10 beds |
| Bridging loans | Not offered | Core product |
| Complex income (multiple sources) | Often only uses largest source | Full picture considered |
| Decision timeline | 2–8 weeks for full mortgage | DIP in 24–48 hrs |
| Interest-only residential | Very restricted | Available with credible exit |
Speed Comparison
One dimension where Together consistently outperforms mainstream lenders — even for borrowers who could access both — is speed. For time-sensitive transactions like auction purchases or chain breaks, Together's ability to issue a Decision in Principle within 24 hours and complete within 2 weeks is simply not matched by any high-street bank.
This speed premium occasionally makes Together the right choice even for borrowers with clean credit and standard circumstances, purely because their transaction has a deadline that mainstream lenders cannot meet.
6 Real-World Scenarios: Together vs High-Street
Scenario 1: First-time buyer, employed, clean credit, standard property, no rush
Employed, 3 years at same company, 15% deposit, purchasing a standard 3-bed semi, no time pressure.
✓ Use a high-street bankYou meet all mainstream criteria perfectly. A high-street bank will offer better rates. Together would cost more with no benefit.
Scenario 2: Self-employed sole trader, 14 months of accounts, purchasing a home
Freelance designer, strong income (£65k last year), 20% deposit, clean credit, but only 14 months of trading history.
✓ Use TogetherHigh-street banks need 2–3 years of accounts — you'll be declined. Together accepts 1 year and can assess your actual income.
Scenario 3: Property investor buying at auction, 28-day completion required
Cash-rich investor wants to buy a renovation project at auction, needs completion within 28 days.
✓ Use TogetherNo mainstream lender can meet a 28-day completion. Together bridging loan is the only viable option.
Scenario 4: Remortgage, clean credit, standard property, low LTV (60%)
Homeowner remortgaging a standard property at 60% LTV, excellent credit, stable PAYE income.
✓ Use a high-street bankAt 60% LTV with clean credit, you will get significantly better rates from a mainstream lender. Together would cost more unnecessarily.
Scenario 5: Portfolio landlord with 9 BTL properties, buying 10th via SPV
Experienced landlord, 9 existing mortgaged BTLs, wants to buy a 10th in a newly incorporated SPV limited company.
✓ Use TogetherMost mainstream BTL lenders cap at 4–6 properties. Together has no portfolio cap and accepts new SPVs — a natural fit.
Scenario 6: Borrower with satisfied CCJ from 2022, stable income, remortgaging
Homeowner with a single satisfied CCJ from 2022 (£800, paid in full in 2023), otherwise clean credit, wants to remortgage.
✓ Use TogetherHigh-street banks will likely decline based on the CCJ alone. Together can consider the full picture — satisfied, historic, small-value CCJ with clean conduct since.
Honest Verdict
Together Financial Services is not the right lender for everyone, and it is not trying to be. It exists to serve borrowers who fall outside the mainstream — and for those borrowers, it is genuinely one of the best specialist lenders in the UK market.
If you have a straightforward application and can access mainstream lenders, use them. The rates will be lower and the total cost of borrowing over the mortgage term will be significantly less. The premium you pay for Together's specialist approach is only rational when the mainstream alternative is unavailable.
Where Together excels — and where no mainstream comparison is meaningful — is in the specialist lending space: bridging finance, adverse credit mortgages, self-employed cases with limited accounts, complex portfolio landlord structures, and time-sensitive transactions. In this space, Together is among the most trusted, capable and experienced lenders operating in the UK.
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