Service Awards 16 Mortgage category intro
Five-star
NatWest Intermediary Solutions has announced its return to the top ranking category by leapfrogging Halifax to first position.
The latter, which is part of the Lloyds Banking Group, now occupies second place, despite a slight increase in its overall average.
It is followed by five-star veteran Pink Home Loans, which topped the table for the seventh time in 2014.
Meanwhile, the five-star category has swelled by two to 13 companies from 11 last year - with the ascendance of NatWest along with RBS Intermediary, Virgin Money, Coventry Building Society and The West Brom from the four-star category.
Last year’s new entrant to this category, Santander for Intermediaries, showed that it had come a long way since receiving a two-star rating in 2014 by retaining a place in the top category.
Falling from last year’s top service rating are The Mortgage Works and Retirement Advantage.
Four star
It is all change in the seven-strong four-star category for the 2016 instalment of the Service Awards with four promotions and three relegations.
The Mortgage Works has found itself in unfamiliar territory at the helm of the four-star category having shed a star after nine consecutive years in the top ranking band.
Nationwide Building Society and Retirement Advantage, formerly Stonehaven, have dropped down from the five-star category. The providers occupy fourth and fifth position respectively.
Scottish Widow, which had been a solid three-star provider for three consecutive years, has been re-inaugurated into this category for the first time since 2012.
Precise and Nottingham Building Society have clawed their way up the rankings after a two-year stint in the category below.
Principality Building Society, meanwhile, has regained a star this year after an appearance in the three-star last year.
Three star
Legal & General has returned to the fold and landed a spot in the three-star category after a 13-year absence in the ranking table.
Similarly, Newcastle Building Society last outing came in 2014 where it ranked in the one-star category. After not receiving enough votes to participate last year, the lender has catapulted into this category for the first time since 2008.
There are eight lenders making it into the three-star category, three up from last year.
Aldermore heads the category having lost its four-star rating this year.
Bank of Ireland on the other hand has endured a reverse in fortunes, jumping two categories to three-star.
Platform, Pure Retirement, Lloyds and Kensington rating remains unchanged from last year.
Two star
The lowly two-star service category has more than doubled in size to nine from last year’s total of four.
Notably Aviva and Bank of Scotland have plunged from the acclaimed four-star category. The former had previously not ranked below three-stars – although it should be noted that this year marks the provider’s fourth appearance in the survey.
