Loans help you whenever you need money. A lot of borrowing options are available in the market. The available options in the market call for a selection that must be judicious and rational. Otherwise, you might end up paying more than necessary. It is imperative to make a good choice after obtaining thorough knowledge about the loan market and the loan products.



The UK loan market is huge and it runs across the nation. The online advent of loans has further given an impetus to the loan market. As per one estimate, the total amount of personal debts at the end of June 2007 was £1,345bn. The market for loans is growing as people are increasingly depending on loans.

What are secured loans? Are they cheap?

Secured loans are loans against your home. Here, a lender requires you to pledge your home and only thereafter he sanctions you a loan. Your home works as a security and, in case of default in repayment, your home could be repossessed. The rate of interest is low in such cases. Cheap secured loans help you in several ways.

How does your credit score affect cheap secured loans?

Loans secured against your home are cheap secured loans. But, the low rate of interest that makes them cheap is conditional on your credit score. If you have a bad credit score then lenders may not sanction you cheap secured loans. You might well be charged a higher interest rate because of your bad credit score.

What are the negatives involved in secured loans?

Secured loans are cheap but there is an inherent element of threat. It is known as repossession threat. A lender can repossess your home if you make any default in the repayment of loan. This is a big negative associated with such loans.

What are LTV and DTI? How they affect cheap secured loans?

Both LTV and DTI are different concepts. Loan to value (LTV) ratio shows the relation between your home’s value and the amount of loan given against it. Normally, LTV ratio remains around 80 per cent but there are some lenders who provide you up to 125 per cent LTV. 125 per cent LTV means that if your home is valued at £100, the amount of loan will be £125. The more the LTV offered by the lender, the more will be the amount of loan you are eligible for.

Debt to income (DTI) ratio represents your repaying capability. It is also expressed in percentage points. It compares your total monthly income against your total monthly outgoings used to repay the debts. Lower DTI ratio signifies higher repayment capability and vice versa. A DTI ratio of up to 20 per cent means that you have a sound repayment capability. If you have DTI ratio of 50 percent, lenders may not even provide you a loan and even if they do so, you will be charged very high interest rate.

How to compare loans and find cheap offers?

The competition in the UK loan market has brought many offers on the platter. But, still you need to compare these loans and find out cheap secured loans. All lenders do not charge same rate of interest because they have different policies and different strategies. You can compare different loans on the various websites that provide free online comparison services. These are independent websites and provide you unbiased information on the various financial products available in the market.

Those secured loans that involve 7-8 per cent APR can be termed as cheap secured loans. However, the concept of cheap secured loans is by and large a subjective one and depends on your individual circumstances and financial status.