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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 a loan broker?
A loan broker is someone who searches the marketplace for the most suitable loan for an individual. A loan broker works as an intermediary between the customer and a loan provider. He will recommend and arranges the loan on behalf of the client. Some brokers charge an arrangement fee for this service.
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 Equifax?
Equifax is one of the major credit referencing agencies in the UK. Equifax pulls together all your credit data from various sources to create a report that shows your personal credit history – ie your credit file. When you apply for credit, lenders will check your credit file to see your financial history. You can request a copy of your report at any time to check that all is in order. The Equifax website has lots of useful information on making credit decisions and protecting yourself from fraud.
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.