Education ? Secured loans are a fast way to get cash to pay for university or trade schools. Often, the parents of the student will agree to put up their house or other property as collateral so their son or daughter can earn his or her degree.

Homes/Apartments ? Have you spotted a place you'd like to buy? Secured loans in the form of ?mortgages? can enable you to bid on and, hopefully, win the castle of your dreams. Best of all, even though you'll be paying off your loan for a substantial period of time (usually 10, 20, or 30 years), you'll also get the benefits of homeowner or property owner tax breaks.

Emergencies ? If you've undergone a personal or professional crisis that requires a sudden outlay of cash, secured loans could be the perfect answer. They'll enable you to pay off any bills immediately, then afford you some time to repay the secured loans at a rate that works for you.

Unemployment ? Have you recently been laid off? If you've lost your job, you may find yourself with bills piling up. In order to pay off your debts, it may be advantageous to take out a secured loan leveraged against something you own, such as a property. (If you don't own property yourself, a relative may be willing to use his or her real estate as collateral for your secured loans.)

Gifts ? Occasionally, individuals and couples like to take out secured loans (usually in minimal amounts) to pay for special gifts, such as a honeymoon for their son and daughter-in-law or a 50th anniversary cruise holiday for their grandparents.

Could secured loans be useful to you? Peruse our site at www.dbsfinance.co.uk and discover for yourself.