First Plus Financial Group was founded in 1997 in Cardiff. By 2001 it gained recognition as a world class company. First Plus now has over 50,000 customers and employs over 230 staff. Its ethos is to always be ‘a pleasure to do business with'.

Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. Their international network comprises about 10,000 offices in 76 countries. The Group is named after its founding member, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe.

Leeds and Holbeck currently offers an extensive range of mortgage and investment products, as well as loans. The Society currently helps approximately 70,000 individuals, couples and families to buy their homes, and has over 625,000 members

The Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society was founded in 1843. As a mutual organisation it exists wholly for the benefit of its members. It is the largest Friendly Society in the UK, offering a broad range of products and services including life insurance, savings and credit cards.

Lloyds TSB is one of the UK's largest providers of personal finance services. Formed in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank and the Trustee Savings Bank (TSB), the bank now has over 17 million customers in over 25 countries.

Lombard Direct was established in 1996 and is one of the UK's leading direct providers of unsecured personal loans. As well as loans, the company also offer the Lombard Direct credit card, and home and motor insurance. Lombard Direct is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Yorkshire Bank was founded in 1859, and in 1990 became a member of the National Australia Bank Group, one of the world's largest financial services groups. Providing a wide range of services and products for both personal and business customers, Yorkshire Bank offers the reassurance of a reliable, regional bank, as well as one of global strength.

Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen, who served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War. After returning in 1919, Jack invested 30 pounds of his reward for military service to buy surplus food stockpiles and he opened a little stall in East London.

All mortgage plans can be divided into categories in two different ways. Firstly, conventional and government loans. Secondly, all the various mortgage programs may be classified as fixed rate loans, adjustable rate loans and their combinations.

Conventional loans may be conforming and non-conforming. Conforming loans have terms and conditions that follow the guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These two stockholder-owned corporations purchase mortgage loans complying with the guidelines from mortgage lending institutions, packages the mortgages into securities and sell the securities to investors. By doing so, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, like Ginnie Mae, provide a continuous flow of affordable funds for home financing that results in the availability of mortgage credit for Americans.