So what is a secured loan? A secured loan is when you borrow money and offer collateral, usually a second charge on your property, in order to take out the loan. Therefore the lender is guaranteed to get their money back if at any point you fail to clear the debt. Because of the colateral the lender is more likely to approve a loan even if the applicant’s credit history is not the best. One bonus for the borrower is that interest rates are usually a lot lower than unsecured loans, plus loan amounts can be a lot higher depending on the value of the collateral.
Although bank lending in the UK has been tightened up in recent years, it is still much easier to get a secured loan, whereas unsecured loans can be very difficult and come with high interest rates. Most people these days seem to be taking out loans mainly for debt consolidation as they try to clear all the credit card debt they racked up during the last decade. As of February 2013 the personal total debt of the UK was shown to be around £1.424 trillion, which is about £5,998 per household. By consolidating all of their debts they make monthly payments smaller and have much lower interest to pay.
As well as debt consolidation, people will use secured loans for the purchase of a car, a holiday, home improvement as well as for emergencies. It does not really matter what you want the loan for though as the lender is only interested in ensuring they will be repaid. You will find that some people even use the money for such things as cosmetic surgery, flying lessons and any number of other things.
The loans market in the UK is extremely competitive and the best way to ensure you get the best deal is to use a broker. With so much to take into account when comparing loans such as APR, loan amount, risks to your collateral, repayment schedule then a broker is a must; otherwise you may find yourself paying more than someone who did use a broker.
If you have a property worth over £100,000 on today’s market then lenders would not think twice about lending you an amount like £50,000, although they will take your current credit score into account which will decide the total amount they will lend you. The repayment terms with secured loans offered by the lenders can go up to 25 years, and this can mean pretty low monthly payments.
If you are in a position whereby you have a bad credit score for one reason or another, as long as you have the collateral then lenders will still be interested in dealing with you, it would just mean that the total amount they would lend you would be lower and interest rates higher compared with someone who has a good credit score.
So if you are looking to consolidate date, improve your lifestyle, or go on a holiday, instead of having the money locked up in bricks and mortar look into getting a secured loan with a reputable UK broker to ensure you get the best deal.