Fixed mortgage rates fall for first time since Iran war peak

Average fixed mortgage rates have fallen for the first time since the spike that followed the Iran war, according to Moneyfacts. HSBC cut some deals by up to 34 basis points last week and several other lenders — Halifax, Atom, Family and Cambridge — followed. For buyers, monthly payments on a new fixed deal are a touch lower. The market reads it as the start of a slow easing, though nothing is guaranteed.