What is a personal loan?
A personal loan is an amount of money that is borrowed. The borrowed money is paid back over an agreed period (or term), usually with interest. Most are classed as unsecured personal loans, which means assets are not needed to be used as collateral. Personal loans come in various amounts, starting from small personal loans at £1,000 and increasing to larger sums, typically £25,000. Usually, the loan term ranges from 1 to 5 years. Loans for shorter periods (1 to 12 months) are referred to as short term loans and are usually for amounts up to £1,000. However, these loans tend to have a higher interest rate.
Getting the cheapest personal loan
Lowest interest rate personal loans usually apply to loans of larger amounts. In other words, the larger the amount you borrow, the lower the interest rates are likely to be. However, it's important to also look at the total you will need to pay back, not just the interest charged. And bear in mind the longer the term, the more interest you will likely pay.
You will have a better loan offer from a direct lender if you have a good credit score. But, it's also worth spending time shopping around online and comparing personal loans as the first deal you find might not be the best.
Finding the right personal loan lenders in the UK
Before you decide to apply, consider researching what's available to you. Once you have a shortlist of lenders, check their terms and eligibility criteria. Finally, double-check the total repayment costs, and monthly repayments are realistic for your financial situation, factoring in any big life changes that could affect your income.
Never borrow money that you know you cannot pay back. Failing to pay back on time will hurt your credit score, or worse, it may result in the loss of an asset, as in the case of a mortgage.
If you want to know more about applying for a loan check out our guide to personal loans.
What you need to know about personal loans
If you fail to pay back a loan on time, there are severe consequences. So never take out a loan for pointless spending, and avoid borrowing more than you need to. Apart from the stress it will likely cause, and the knock-on effects on your finances, default payments will show on your credit history, which will harm your ability to borrow money in the future.
If you are struggling to pay back a loan, you should contact your lender immediately. You can also seek advice from StepChange, National Debtline, and Citizens Advice.
What are the alternatives to a personal loan?
If you want to borrow either less than £1,000 or more than £25,000, a personal loan may not suit you. Alternatives can include:
Credit cards
Authorised overdrafts
Short term loans (these do normally have high interest rates)
In the case of borrowing large amounts of money:
Equity release - for mortgage holders
Secured loans.
You should be confident you can pay back debt before borrowing and beware of allowing debt to accumulate, as can happen with credit cards. Not paying back a secured loan will mean you can lose the asset used as security. If you are struggling financially, it's best not to take on more debt. Contact your lender or seek help and advice.
Improve your chances of being approved for a personal loan
As personal loans are a form of unsecured lending, lenders are more likely to approve applications from people with a good credit history or score, personal loans for bad credit scores will have a much higher interest rate and are much less likely to be approved. Lenders will also look at affordability to check you can realistically afford a loan.
They will also look at your current debts, such as existing loans and credit cards. Too many of these may mean your application is not approved. Additionally, a lender may see you as struggling financially if your credit report shows you have made many loan applications recently and other lenders have been performing searches on your file.