Company Profile

Investment & Portfolio Management; Property Sales; Insurance; Mortgages and
Foreign Exchange

It's only reasonable that you would like to know a little more about our background and experience in arranging mortgages overseas.

Somerset Mortgages was established in 2001 as a direct result of demand from clients of the Somerset Group, our UK financial services firm. Initially we only operated in France, but over the years we have expanded to also include Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, South Africa and Mauritius. We can help clients within the UK, via the Somerset Group (UK).

We will soon be launching services for Germany, Canada, USA and the Caribbean. Our main offices are located in Mayfair London (UK) and Umhlanga, Durban (South Africa)

Our Clients

From the beginning, our clients were introduced to us by UK mortgage brokers, financial advisers, private bankers and international estate agents. Professionals who would not want to jeopardise their relationship with their clients. Somerset Mortgages was established on a reputation of providing excellent levels of service and often getting the job done when no one else could.

Running the Business

In terms of the day to day running of our business, we deal directly with all clients, offering advice on the best way to structure the mortgage and which banks would be most suitable, then we help to complete the application form and collect the supporting documentation. Once the application is complete we then DHL (courier) everything to the bank, in a form that is quick to check and can be passed to the underwriters for processing.

Mortgages overseas are very different to UK mortgages. Finding the "best deal" is not just a case of comparing interest rates. Often the attractive interest rates quoted by the banks only last for 3 - 6 months, before they jump up. You should also consider early repayment penalties, 3% is quite common. If life insurance is required the cost can vary enormously from one bank to another as some banks also include disability insurance. Somerset Mortgages offers advice based on years of experience to help you to avoid these and other pitfalls.

The majority of clients are introduced to us through professional connections, but an increasing number of clients now contact us directly either through "word of mouth" or via this website. Should you wish to contact us we would be more than happy to discuss your requirements.

A Summary of Our Services

Somerset Mortgages is registered with the Data Protection Agency under the Data Protection Act 1998. Our Data Protection Licence Number is PZ981929X are licensed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) under the (UK) Consumer Credit Act. Our Consumer Credit Licence Number is 601814.

The basis upon which we act for our clients can be found on the Terms & Conditions page. This outlines in full detail how we act for our clients and how we are paid for the services which we provide. You may wish to look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), which provide further details in a number of key areas.

Somerset Group
Somerset Group Ltd is a UK financial services firm, specializing in Retirement Planning, Investments, Inheritance Tax Planning and Portfolio Management. At the moment the focus is on individuals, but early next year we are launching a corporate division, which will provide employee benefits such as pensions, but also focus on the directors needs, such as tax planning and exit strategies.
Visit the Somerset Group Website

Somerset FX
SomersetFX is an online foreign exchange dealership. Once you have registered online, you can transfer money overseas at anytime of the day. 2010 will see the launch of the SomersetFX Travel Card. The card will be a Mastercard pre-paid debit card. Lets say you're going to America, you could transfer (online) say £500 into US$ onto your SomersetFX Travel Card, at a better exchange rate than you could get from your bank. More About Somerset FX