Finance Loan Company
What is a secured loan?
A secured loan is where you borrow money and the loan is secured against an asset such as your home or car. This means that should you fail to meet the monthly loan repayments, the lender can seize the asset in order to get their money back.Secured loans tend to be more favourable if you are looking to borrow larger amounts of money. Interest rates tend to be more attractive than if you borrowed the money as an unsecured loan. This is because the lender has a ‘guarantee’ that he will get repaid in the form of your asset.
What is an unsecured lender?
An unsecured lender is a company that provides a loan without asking for some form of security (such as your home or car). Unsecured loans can be quicker to arrange but will cost more in interest than a secured loan.This is because the unsecured lender is taking a greater risk as should you default on loan repayments, the lender cannot seize your assets in order to get repayment.
What is an APR?
APR is short for 'Annual Percentage Rate' and it is a legal requirement for lenders to display the APR when advertising interest rates.It shows the true cost of borrowed money on mortgages, loans and credit cards. How it works is that the APR calculation takes into account all the costs associated with the borrowing (such as the basic interest rate, any costs you have to pay and any initial fees).Because lenders calculate APR the same way, it means that you can make significant cost comparisons between products.
What is a credit record?
A credit record is basically a record of all the credit you have had in the last six years. It shows how much you have borrowed and whether you have missed any repayments etc. A credit record allows potential lenders to see your financial history so that they can decide whether to lend you money.The data on your file is complied by credit reference agencies such as Equifax and Experian. They use information from public records (e.g. electoral roll information, court judgments etc) and from lenders and financial institutions: e.g. credit accounts, credit applications).
What is a bad debt?
A bad debt is borrowing where the money has not been paid back subject to the terms and conditions of the lending agreement. A debt tends to become ‘bad’ where it is unlikely that the creditor will be able to recover the money.Having a bad debt on your credit file will make it harder for you to borrow money in future.