Loan News
Expense of holidays looms over cash-strapped families
Families struggling to make their budgets stretch as inflation continues to soar need to ensure they stay on firm financial ground as one of the most costly times of the year approaches – summer holidays.
FSA launches payment protection insurance comparison tables
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has launched free, impartial comparison tables for payment protection insurance (PPI) on its consumer website.
Unsecured loans: how times have changed
We've all seen the best buy tables but what's happened to the consumer who takes out the ‘average' product?
Rise in cost of living brings payday loans to fore
With the prices of the essentials of life such as basic foods and petrol continuing to spiral out of control, a record number of Brits are turning to payday loans to help tide them over financially.
A great alternative to money shops and payday loans
As a result of the credit crunch, more and more people are being forced to look for alternative sources of credit, and ‘money shops' are springing up around the country.
£20bn issued in unsecured loans without proof of income
More than two thirds of the money lent in unsecured loans in the last year was granted without consumers being asked to prove their income, according to uSwitch.com, the independent price comparison and switching service.
Debt problems force 6.5 million to consolidate
Up to 6.5 million people have been forced to consolidate their debts in the past three years in a bid to keep borrowing under control, new research from MoneyExpert.com shows.
Zopa marks three years of Social Lending with launch in Japan
Social lending pioneer Zopa (uk.zopa.com) is three years old today which also marks the third birthday of peer-to-peer lending.
Brits hide secret loans from loved ones
As many as 1.35 million of the unsecured personal loans taken by the British public were made in secret, without family and partners knowledge, according to research from Abbey Loans. The combined value of the secret loans is estimated at £7.7 billion.
Loan tarts, the myths exposed
Unsecured personal loan customers could save £1.25 billion in interest by switching to a more competitive loan mid-term, according to research by uSwitch.com.
Investors can secure attractive returns via Zopa lending
As stock markets around the world plunge, private investors choosing to escape can secure very attractive returns at extremely low risk via Zopa lending.
2008 the year peer-to-peer personal finance goes mainstream
As the credit crunch tightens and stock markets wobble, people looking to borrow and others looking for safer returns have more to gain from Zopa than ever before.
Cost of borrowing outstripping base rate
Lenders are increasing the cost of borrowing money by amounts that far outstrip the Bank of England’s base rate rises, according to new research from MoneyExpert.com.
Borrowing more could cost you less
A review of the personal loans market by Defaqto reveals that borrowers could end up paying less in repayments by taking out slightly larger loans with the same lender.
Choosing the wrong loan could cost you dear
If your new year’s resolution is the tackle your debt by consolidation, tread carefully as you could be caught out by high interest rates and over priced insurance. Lisa Taylor, analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk investigates: