The secured loan industry has become very big business over the last decade. Figures released show that this type of lending is going to increase in the next few years with annual lending set to increase form 8 billion a year to 11 billion a year by 2011.
A secured loan (sometimes known as a second mortgage) gives homeowners the opportunity to release some of the equity in their property. The main reason they are so popular is because of the large sustained increase in house prices over the last 11 years.
Secured loans can be used for a wide variety of purposes. The main ones being home improvement and debt consolidation. The fact that the lender has the security of your property usually means that you can get a lower APR (Annual Percentage Rate) than on an unsecured loan and you can also spread the payments over a longer term.
Whenever someone applies for a secured loan they will have to fill out an application form giving details about employment, mortgage, and home value etc, they will also have to get your permission to carry out a credit check. Only when they have all this information can they give you an accurate quote.
So beware of so called comparison sites that give you a secured loan quote without your full details. Generally, when you apply for a loan from these sites the amount you are quoted is rarely the amount you end up paying.
It is also not advisable to go to high street lenders as they will give you a quote from the limited range of secured loans they have to offer. The best way to get an accurate quote is to fill out a full application form giving all your details to a company that can compare hundreds of secured loans on your behalf and then they can offer you an accurate quote. Continue reading →
