Getting a mortgage is hard - but leaving one can be harder still.
In fact, an estimated 140,000 people are currently trapped in a bad deal - long after their initial rate ended - but banned from switching to a new one.
On average, it costs them around £550 a year more compared to the cheaper product.
But that could soon be about to end, after banking watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority revealed its plan to help them escape.
"We are particularly concerned about consumers - who are commonly referred to as mortgage prisoners - who are currently unable to switch," said Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA.
"That is why we are acting now to help remove potential barriers in our rules. These changes should make it easier for consumers to get a more affordable mortgage."
Surge in people grabbing cheap mortgage deals while they still can
How people get trapped
In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, how you got a mortgage changed.
New rules came in that were designed to stop lenders offering mortgages to people who couldn't really afford them.
Out went the 100% deals, the six-times salary loans, affordability tests became harder to pass, and banks started going through your current account with an eagle eye.
The full set of rules came into force in 2014, there was just one problem - all the people who had got mortgages before the new rules came in.
For most that was fine - but an estimated 140,000 people were left on an old, expensive, deal that was now impossible to move away from.
That's because these people met the old tests, but couldn't pass the new ones, meaning they became trapped in a deal they couldn't escape - sometimes with a bank that no longer exists.
The plan to set them free
To help these "mortgage prisoners" escape the FCA has proposed the following changes.
For those customers who are up-to-date with their mortgage payments, and looking to move to a more affordable deal without borrowing more, lenders will see rules relaxed when assessing if someone can afford the new loan.
If the mortgage is with a company no longer active, the people operating the mortgages will be made to review their customer books to identify and contact eligible customers.
There are also plans to speed up the adoption of new eligibility tools - letting people know what deals they do qualify for - plans to help people find a mortgage broker, proposals to change mortgage advice rules to make innovation easier and an in-depth analysis into why some customers don't switch to cheaper deals.
"The market is working well for many with high levels of customer engagement and competition," Woolard said.
"The package of remedies we are taking forward will benefit consumers by encouraging innovation and making it easier for them to find the right mortgage."
