Personal Loans

Unsecured personal loans from UK lenders

A wide range of different lenders offer unsecured loans in the UK, but the interest rates on those loans can vary quite considerably even though they all use the Bank of England’s base rate as their starting point.

Your own credit history will have an impact on the APR you’re offered, of course, and the amount of debt you already have prior to taking out this new unsecured loan can also influence the lender’s loan calculator.

But the lender you decide to go with can affect the interest rate you pay as well, even if you have a flawless credit history and no other debts, which is why it’s always a good idea to compare unsecured loans from a range of different lenders before you sign on that dotted line.

Are unsecured loans cheaper than secured loans?

No, the opposite is usually true – because borrowers who take out a secured loan are agreeing for their property (or some other asset the lender is willing to accept as collateral) to be used as security against the loan, those borrowers generally represent a lower risk to lenders and therefore might have an easy loans application process and a cheaper APR.

Are there personal loans for bad credit?

Yes, even if you have a history of missed payments or CCJs it’s often still possible to find a lender that will offer you short term loans for bad credit when you need a loan.

Of course, you will likely have fewer loan companies to choose from when you’re applying for a loan for someone with a poor credit history, and if your credit history is particularly bad you might have to use a specialist lender rather than taking out a bank loan.

It’s also important to bear in mind that cheap loans might not be option, because your APR is likely to be much higher when you have a poor credit history.

Can I still get a loan online even if I have bad credit?

Yes, although in the past borrowers sometimes had to rely on brokers if they needed a personal loan for bad credit, these days online loans are an option for most borrowers, including those with less than perfect credit histories.

Can I take out a large personal loan, or are larger loan amounts only an option if I provide property as security?

As a general rule of thumb borrowers who offer a valuable asset like a property as security against their debt are usually able to borrow larger loan amounts, but there are some lenders who are willing to offer large personal loans even when the loan is unsecured.

Of course, the lender will need to be confident that you will be able to afford the loan, which means they will take into consideration your income, your outcomings, your other debt obligations and your history of making debt repayments when deciding how much to lend to you.

How can I find the best loans?

The interest rate you’re offered when you’re taking out unsecured personal loans can vary considerably from one lender to the next because they each have their own lending criteria, so it’s vital that you shop around by comparing unsecured loans from a wide range of different lenders.

It’s also important to ensure that you haven’t missed any loan or credit card repayments in the months prior to applying for the loan, and you should avoid dipping into the overdraft facility on your current account as well, because both of those factors can result in higher unsecured loan rates when you do apply for a personal loan.

How quickly will I receive the funds when I take out an unsecured loan?

That will usually depend on two factors: the lender you decide to go with, and the bank you’ve asked them to credit the funds to.

Some personal loans company describe their loans as ‘instant loans’, which means the funds could be credited to your bank account within minutes of your loan application being approved.

Of course, even if a lender doesn’t offer instant loans, many of them do offer same day loans, so either way there’s a good chance the funds will be transferred to your account quite quickly after the loan is approved.

However, whether or not those funds reach your account as quickly as they’re sent does depend on your own bank - banks that are part of the Faster Payments network often do credit funds within minutes, but banks that are not part of Faster Payments might sometimes take a day or two.