Mortgage borrowers could face greater financial pressures later in life as longer repayment terms become an increasingly common response to affordability constraints, according to Sprive chief executive Jinesh Vohra.
Speaking on Twenty7tec’s ELEVATE podcast, Vohra questioned whether the mortgage industry was doing enough to explain the total cost of borrowing to customers taking out loans over 30 or 40 years.
His concerns come as figures from the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England show that 46% of gross mortgage advances in the second quarter of 2026 went to borrowers with high loan-to-income ratios, compared with 41.4% in the corresponding period last year.
Separate research from Yorkshire Building Society found that 56% of prospective first-time buyers considered securing mortgage approval difficult.
Vohra, co-founder and chief executive of mortgage overpayment platform Sprive, argued that making repayments affordable in the short term should not overshadow the potential consequences of extending borrowing commitments into later life.
He says: “I think it’s very important that people understand the cost of debt, because it’s not just about meeting the monthly payments. You have to be able to do that over the entire lifetime of the mortgage.”
He raised concerns about how changes in employment, health or personal circumstances could affect homeowners’ ability to maintain repayments over several decades.
GREATER EMPHASIS ON EXISTING BORROWERS
The discussion also examined the relationship between mortgage advisers and their customers once a loan has completed, with Vohra suggesting that the industry’s focus on new lending and refinancing leaves opportunities for more regular engagement.
He says: “If you are interacting with that customer every two to five years, when they’re effectively looking to refinance, how strong is that relationship?”
Vohra suggested that advisers could take a broader approach to financial planning, helping borrowers assess their outstanding debt, future circumstances and longer-term objectives rather than concentrating primarily on mortgage rates and immediate affordability.
The potential importance of that continuing relationship is reflected in Twenty7tec’s August 2026 Mortgage Market Snapshot, which recorded 616,150 remortgage searches, 11% more than in August 2025.
Vohra made the comments in conversation with Ellisha Jade, social media and PR manager at Twenty7tec, who hosts the ELEVATE podcast series.
SPRIVE SECURES FURTHER INVESTMENT
The interview follows Sprive’s announcement in September that it had raised $10 million (£7.7 million) in Series A funding, taking its total investment to more than $15 million.
The company intends to use the funding to increase customer acquisition and revenue as it seeks to expand its presence among UK mortgage holders.
Sprive operates a platform that allows borrowers to make mortgage overpayments using rewards generated through everyday spending. It also provides tools intended to help customers understand their outstanding borrowing and assess the effect of making additional repayments.
Vohra’s wider argument is that mortgage providers and intermediaries should give greater consideration to how borrowers manage their debt throughout the mortgage term, rather than limiting customer engagement to the initial purchase and subsequent refinancing transactions.
