For secured loans you must own your home (mortgaged or not). The size of loan we can offer usually depends on how much equity there is in your home - this is the difference in the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage on it.

We have two kinds of loan. Firstly, we have secured loans - those secured on property.This means that you use your home as a guarantee to the lending company that you will keep up your repayments. Because the lender has this security, the rates of interest on loans of this kind are generally lower than with unsecured loans.

Most of our associated lenders do not place restrictions on what you can use your loan for. Home improvement, a holiday, a new car - maybe even consolidation of your existing, expensive debt into a single, more affordable payment. Basically, you can use your loan however it suits you, so long as it's legal!

You'll probably have seen hundreds of sites advertising loans but saying 'sorry no tenants'. Why is getting a tenant loan more difficult? Most loans available online are restricted to homeowners only, as the loan is secured against the value of the borrower's home. Tenants obviously don't have this luxury, and so need to apply for a different kind of loan.

Credit scoring is not an exact science, different lenders have different systems. Generally, lenders will look for the following: Stability of residence : the longer you have been at the same address the better Marital Status : Lenders tend to look more favourably on married applicants Accommodation : Many lenders prefer to lend to homeowners. When assessing tenants, they may prefer tenants in unfurnished property Employment : again lenders look for stability of employment. If you are self employed, they may prefer to see evidence of accounts prepared by a qualified accountant Previous or existing credit arrangements : Lenders may like to see that you have kept up with repayments on previous credit agreements. Secured or Unsecured : A loan secured on your home is more likely to be accepted by the lender, especially for people with bad credit problems

Credit Reference Agencies are companies which hold on file the borrowing history of almost everyone over the age of 18 in the UK. They include details from the electoral register, enabling them to know who is living at the same address as you.

Is it estimated that over a quarter of adults in the UK have some kind of default history or other problem linked to personal loans or other credit agreement. We have links with lenders who will consider loans to applicants with previous bad credit problems - these are usually on a secured basis. It should be noted, though, that these loans will usually have a high APR.

The two major UK credit reference agencies are Experian and Equifax.

This is the law that governs personal loans and other credit agreements. Among many other requirements, it demands that : full written details of the true interest rate (i.e. annual percentage rate) be quoted a 'cooling-off' period be allowed during which borrowers may change their minds and cancel agreements all agreements be in writing.

APR stands for 'Annual Percentage Rate'.