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Kit Sproson

Kit Sproson

Senior Money Writer – Mortgages Expert

As one of MSE's Money writers, Kit's main topics include mortgages, Council Tax, wills, funeral plans and scams. He previously covered credit scoring, students and buy now, pay later. Before joining MSE in 2019, Kit worked as a digital journalist for ITV News as well as a court reporter.

Kit has been nominated for the Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award at the Headline Money Awards in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

In his spare time, Kit enjoys reading, football, travelling and volunteering at Shelter from the Storm.

Latest from Kit Sproson

How much can I afford to borrow?
Income and the size of your deposit – or the amount of equity you've already got – both have a fundamental impact on how much money a mortgage lender might let you borrow. Lenders also 'stress test' to see if you'd be able to keep up with repayments if interest rates went up, so you should be realistic about how much money you hope to borrow.
23 July 2026
Prepaid funeral plans
A prepaid funeral plan lets you pay for your own funeral in advance, potentially saving your family stress and expense when you die. But while things like a coffin and burial/cremation fees are usually covered, plans often DON'T cover all funeral costs, so check what's included. Our guide helps you decide whether to get one.
22 July 2026
How to check and challenge your council tax band
Hundreds of thousands of homes across England and Scotland are thought to be in the wrong Council Tax band. This means it's important to check your property's in the right band – something our tried-and-tested system can help you do. Some homeowners and renters have unknowingly been overpaying Council Tax for many years, even decades, because their bands are too high, so payouts worth £1,000s are commonplace.
21 July 2026
Currently, interest rates on many five and 10-year fixes are not far off those of shorter deals – in some cases they're actually better. But should you be fixing your mortgage for this long? This guide takes you through what you need to consider.
20 July 2026
Cheap mortgage finding
Getting the right mortgage or remortgage deal can save you £100s each month. Where you get it wrong, you can end up paying massively over the odds. In this step-by-step guide, we aim to show how to find the best mortgage deal for you, where to look for a good mortgage broker and other key info.
17 July 2026
Inheriting a pension: what happens and is there tax to pay?
A pension can often be passed on if there's money left in it at the time of your death. In some cases, pensions can even be inherited tax-free – though this will depend on a number of factors. This guide explains the types of pensions that can be passed on, and whether you're likely to need to pay tax if you're inheriting pension savings.
13 July 2026
I'm a mortgage prisoner – what can I do?
Mortgage prisoners are homeowners who typically took out a mortgage before 2008, when lending rules were more relaxed. They're now trapped on pricey mortgage deals unable to switch to cheaper ones, mainly because they don't pass current strict affordability tests. With some paying interest rates as high as 9%, the picture is bleak. This guide has things to try if you can't easily switch mortgage.
13 July 2026
Guide to probate.
It's a morbid topic, but when someone dies, if you're in charge of sorting out their property, money and possessions, you may need to go through a process known as 'probate'. While this can be another thing to deal with at a difficult time, it's often something you can do yourself, possibly saving £1,000s. Our guide explains how.
13 July 2026
Sometimes the task of selling your house can feel as big as the property itself. There's a lot to consider, not just the price you want get for it. In this guide, we've got 19 top tips – roughly in chronological order – covering everything from valuing your home and comparing estate agents, to removals and energy performance certificates, which'll hopefully make selling as stress-free as possible.
1 July 2026
Council tax discounts.
Many people are eligible for a Council Tax discount or reduction of between 25% and 100%, saving £100s or even £1,000s each year. Those living alone or only with children, students, those with a carer or a specific medical diagnosis – as well as people on low incomes and even those with empty properties could cut their bill. Read on to see who's eligible, how much you might save, and how to apply.
30 June 2026
Shared ownership: how the scheme works
Buying a share of a property is one way of getting on to the housing ladder – a ladder increasingly hard to climb as property prices have soared. Yet while the concept of Shared Ownership seems straightforward, in practice it's often complicated and expensive. This guide sets out how the scheme works and what to look out for.
30 June 2026
Stop scams
Scams are rife and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the UK who hasn't been targeted. And they're becoming more sophisticated all the time, continuing to deprive people of often life-changing amounts of money. This guide explains what to look out for, how to protect yourself and what to do if you're a victim of a scam – including details of new rules which mean many can get their money back.
29 June 2026
Fake Martin Lewis ads
MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis's face has been plastered over the internet for many years now by unscrupulous fraudsters looking to scam people out of money. These ads, be they for cryptocurrency, investments, banks, are scams and not genuine. They're dangerous and you should be on your guard. Martin NEVER endorses products and nor does MSE – so don't be fooled.
29 June 2026
Boost your mortgage chances.
Getting a mortgage can seem like climbing Everest, especially with high interest rates and the cost of living eating into your budget... but there are ways you can improve the odds. This guide has our 18 top tips on how to boost your chances of getting accepted for a cheaper mortgage deal.
29 June 2026
hero-mortgages-stamp-duty-calculator.jpg
Stamp Duty is a tax that's charged when you buy a property in the UK, but you'll only need to pay it if the price of that property reaches a certain threshold. Our Stamp Duty calculator below shows you just how much you'll need to pay. Plus, read our full guide for exactly how Stamp Duty works in different parts of the UK and when you need to pay it by.
26 June 2026