Finance

The Benefits of Seeking Online Advice, Even for Mortgages

Claire JamesDecember 9, 2021242 Comments02.4k

The internet has made it easier than ever to answer any question you’ve ever had, but it’s not just for little bits of general knowledge – it’s now for the big decisions in life too.

More and more companies are going online, it’s convenient, even before certain viruses practically forced businesses to go virtual. Life doesn’t stop, even in lockdowns. Some people took advantage of what felt like “time stopping” to learn new skills and shave heads to see what it would look like. But more importantly, they used the extra time to research and find the best advice online, including advice for moving or buying a house.

Seeking online advice can get a bad reputation, from scammers trying to get your money to spending too much time researching your illness symptoms and convincing yourself you have something much worse than you actually have. The internet is a big place, it’s a reflection of the real world and just like the real world; you can find good people and great advice out there.

The First Places to Find Online Advice

Of course, the great advantage of doing online research is you can stay at home and not have to worry about things like weather and crowds. But it also doesn’t have to be at home, it can be done any time, any place: lunch breaks at work, sitting on your laptop in a coffee shop, even during your commute.

Many people turn to search engines, forums and websites purely made to ask questions. Sites like Quora, Reddit and formerly Yahoo Answers, which shut down on the 4^th May 2021. While some questions posted to these sites were silly and the answers that followed were even sillier, good advice was also posted, with some of these sites being frequented by real doctors and professionals.

You can even find some great tutorials and advice for free on websites like YouTube and WikiHow. Sites like WebMD and the NHS’ own website have information too, but if you’re truly worried about a health issue, you should always consult a doctor whether by phone/video call appointment or in person.

Dedicated Professional Advice Has Gone Online

It’s not just a mad cluster of general websites and forums you need to sift through to get advice, there are now dedicated online businesses that give you the ability to chat to a professional.

These professionals are there to give you advice for your finances, insurance and more, you can even find an online mortgage advisor.

Professional Online Advice – The Process

Finding a website that offers professional online advice should be fairly easy, considering this is a mainstream way of doing things now.

An online mortgage advisor, for example, can take the details you give them and find the best mortgage that suits your circumstances. They will save you time by doing the online research for you and comparing offers. They’ll also have the advantage of having the expert knowledge you might not have about the pros and cons of certain mortgage deals.

They also use software to scan the hundreds and thousands of different mortgage lenders out there, streamlining and speeding up the process considerably.

With an online advisor on your side, they can chase lenders and solicitors for you and keep you updated at least once a week with how the process is going.

This leaves you to take care of other responsibilities – ideal in our increasingly busy lifestyles.

Online Advice Vs Traditional Advice

Of course, with seeking online advice and traditional advice, they both have their pros and cons. Online advisors being newer may not have the experience of a traditional advisor, unless of course that traditional advisor has moved online.

With more and more services like banking moving online, some being online only like PayPal and Monzo, suggesting this is the new normal.

It’s understandable that many people still prefer an in-person approach to things, especially something as serious as applying for a loan or mortgage, they want to put a face to a name. So it’s entirely your choice to get out there and arrange a meeting.

But convenient, professional, online advice for big life decisions is the future and it’s here to stay.