Advantages to employing a broker include the fact that the broker will carry out an in-depth fact-find into people's wants and needs, analysing their repayment capacity and taking into account such elements as future rental income or tax implications. They will then make a recommendation on the type of mortgage which will best suit their clients, from a range including fixed, variable, tracker, annuity and endowment mortgages.

Because they are essentially the experts in the field, the broker will be in an ideal position to advise, not only on the type of mortgage which will best suit their clients, but also on the right lender. Individual banks may have different requirement regarding how much they are willing to lend, but because of their knowledge of the markets, brokers will have access to a wider range of products, and can match the right lender with the right client.

Of course, in order to get the best out of their brokers, people should always come armed with as much information as possible, including P60s, payslips, bank and credit card account statements, or if they are selfemployed, audited accounts for as many years as is appropriate. But once this information is in place, the broker can then set about the business of doing what he or she does best . . . securing the ideal mortgage for their clients.

The Professional Insurance Brokers Association (PIBA) is the largest representative body of independent insurance Brokers in Ireland.