Secured loans are personal loans that use a valuable asset like the borrower?s home as collateral. Secured loans are less risky for lenders as unlike unsecured loans they are secured against your home. Therefore they are usually also cheaper. In the event of any repayment arrears, the lenders can retrieve their money by selling the property used as security with them. Secured loans are more suitable for larger borrowings over a longer period of time.
Secured loan rates can be fixed or variable. A good credit profile always achieves fixed rates, which are generally offered for a limited period of the loan repayment term. A variable rate can vary during the course of the loan. However, the APR isn't linked to the Bank of England interest rate as is set by the terms of your agreement so is not likely to fluctuate significantly. It is important to know that the shorter the term of the loan, the less will be paid overall in interest and persistence is required when shopping around for the most suitable loan option.
Advantages of secured loans
Basically a fast secured loan in the UK is easier to obtain, even with an unimpressive credit history. Defaults on repayments, Mortgage arrears and even CCJs do not affect the ability to get a loan although interest rates and other terms of the agreement can be negatively affected by them. Visa versa, a good credit history sometimes secures loans worth more than value of the property, sometimes as high as 125%.
A secured loan in the UK can be arranged speedily and efficiently. This is because you can keep your own mortgage as security with just a few up front checks, like legal, survey fees and mortgage indemnity guarantees.
Fast secured loans have no restriction on the use of the borrowed money. Debt consolidation or rescheduling other debts makes regular monthly repayments easier. This is the biggest advantage of this type of loan.
Disadvantages of secured loans
A lender approved valuer will estimate the value of your home, land, car or other assets. This consumes a great deal of time and the loan process can become very slow.
Sometimes loans have prepayment penalties included in the small print that borrowers miss out on and end up falling foul to.
Secured Loans UK
Proper research on various UK lenders and their rates can save you a lot of money in the long run. The first thing to check is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). It includes all of the charges (interest rates as well as other fees) that will be included in the secured loan in the UK repayments. Another important thing to look out for are the repayment terms offered by UK lenders and their terms and conditions. On the face of it, longer repayment periods seem to work out as the cheaper choice compared to shorter periods, however the truth can be something else. Overall repayment amounts should be compared to figure out the cheaper option as usually shorter periods turn out to cost more. You must also be sure to factor in any arrangement fees charged by some lenders as most reputed lenders in UK have opted to stop charging this. Flexibility to overpay/underpay, early repayment penalty and payment protection insurance are all other important things to look for as well.