Many of us will feel under pressure from time to time to get hold of additional money. Christmas is always a time when many people will feel a sense of urgency in trying to get hold of additional cash, especially if they have children. Summer holidays are another period when many people feel under added pressure to try to find the extra funds to provide their families with a break away in the sun.

One of the major problems is that unscrupulous lenders are also only too aware that many families are faced with these kinds of financial dilemmas over these periods and strategically bombard families with junk mail encouraging them to take out credit agreements with extortionate interest rates knowing that the need for the extra cash will probably far outweigh the conditions attached to the agreement.

A typical mailer may say something like, “Pay nothing for two months and have the Christmas you've been promising yourself and your family.” Sounds enticing?

Well, some of these companies are charging a typical APR that can equate to well over 100% and, in some cases, even higher. And often, these mailshots will be targeted at people who can least afford to be ripped off.

The trouble is that many vulnerable households feel as though they are excluded from the traditional lending market for low cost loans yet they may only have tried to obtain a loan from their high street bank.

The fact is that there are hundreds of lenders out there who are reputable and, whilst they also accept that Christmas offers them the chance to increase their business, they're not in the business of ripping off people and can still make affordable, low cost loans available to the vast majority of people looking to obtain finance.

You won't find a lot of these lenders on the traditional High Street yet that does not mean they are any less reputable than the more famous banks. In fact, many of them are owned by one or other of the big banking organisations. They're often able to offer extremely competitive low cost loans as the entire process is done online, thus reducing staffing and administration costs. And, if you are baffled by the myriad of options available to you, you also have the added advantage of being able to get free independent advice from a UK financial broker who will do all the searching for you at no charge and will compare and contrast hundreds of loan products for you to ensure that you get the cheapest deal.

So, when you next need a quick influx of cash to fund Christmas or, perhaps, a well deserved holiday, steer clear of the loan rip-off merchants who'll try to convince you that your options are limited and choose a reputable company who'll find you the best low cost loan available to you.