Allegra Stratton: The High Price We All Pay for Volatility

Volatility is pricey - so said a quote in a release I read this lunchtime on the increase in the cost of mortgages. And boy, they are right.

In less than one month, the average two-year fix has risen from 4.83% at the start of March to 5.75% today - the highest since August 2024. It was Adam French, head of Consumer Finance at Moneyfacts, who said: “The reality is that a more volatile world is a more expensive world. Anyone looking to buy or remortgage this year needs to prepare for substantially higher costs than previously expected.” That was not the plan for 2026.