Halifax will increase the product transfer window from three months to six months before a product expires.
The change comes into force from 5 December.
The lender said that this would enable Halifax mortgage customers to secure a rate earlier, giving them more flexibility and choice.
Halifax said in the additional three-month period a product transfer window can only be keyed in to take effect after the expiry of the existing product.
Within the last three months of the existing product, the date of effect options will be the same.
The lender said that when keying in a product transfer, the date section on the fact find screen will show the product transfers date of effect or if it is in the last three months then it will allow you to choose the date of effect.
Halifax said that if a customer had two separate products both ending in six months, a product transfer can only be keyed in for the product with the earlier expiry date, or the customer can choose to wait until the last three months and do a single application.
The lender said that there were no other changes to its product transfer date.
Other lenders have been extending their product transfer windows, including HSBC and Natwest.
Brokers generally are in favour of extended product transfer windows but fear this could signal a slow return to execution-only mortgages.
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
