Four ways to get personal loans for bad credit

The bad credit loans market is one to be careful of – high fees and interest rates can mean that a poor decision can turn out to be very costly.

To help you make the right decision we summarise here the four main types of personal loans for bad credit:

Option 1 – Credit Cards for Bad Credit

• Works like any other credit card
• Credit limits can be fairly low – typically around £1,500
• Conditions regarding applications, e.g.. missed payments and CCJ’s may need to be a year or elder
• Can take a couple of weeks to be approved for the card (or not!)
• APR’s typically 35 – 40%

Bad credit credit cards can be a good option if you do not need to borrow too much and if your missed payments were over a year ago. Whilst they are more expensive than standard credit cards, the bad credit credit card is one of the most cost-effective bad credit personal loan options available.

• To see how they can help to rebuild a credit rating, please see Money Saving Experts article here.

Option 2 – Doorstep Loans

• Unsecured short term personal loans where the lender calls at your home to collect the repayments
• Fast cash available – typically up to £100 to £500
• Loans available typically up to a year
• Can have high-interest rates between typically about 275% and 550% APR

The doorstep loan is another option for a £100 to £500 loan. Some people are put off by the lenders’ agent coming to their home, but a doorstep is a cheaper loan option than a payday loan, especially if the loan is required for up to a year.

• They have a much higher interest rate than a bank loan or a credit card. Find out more – https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/home-credit-or-doorstep-lending

Option 3 – Payday Loans

• Unsecured short term personal loans available online and high street specialists
• Fast cash available – typically up to £50 to £500 in 24 hours
• Short term loans designed to be taken out for only a few weeks – typically up to 4 weeks max
• Can have very high-interest rates up to 5,000% APR

Payday loans have become widely used as they have been heavily advertised; whilst they offer a fast short term loan solution, they are very expensive, and should be taken out with great care.

Everyone has a different situation so we appreciate that there is no one type of loan that will suit everyone.

Find out more information on payday loans, and if they are the right option for you, see

• The Money Advice Service – Payday loans – what you need to know
• Citizens Advice Bureau – Payday Loans
• Are there payday guarantor loans?
• Are guarantor loans a payday loan alternative?

Option 4 – Guarantor Loans

• Personal loans typically from £50 to £15,000
• Requires a friend or family member to guarantee your loan repayments
• Interest rates typically around 50% APR

For the larger loan amounts, guarantor loans are typically a more cost effection option when compared to payday and doorstep loans.

For more information see

• What is a guarantor loan
• How to find a guarantor for a loan