What You Should Know Before Committing To A Secured Loan

 The loan is secured by the lending company by way of 'second charge', which is a different regime compared to the main mortgage that holds the property on a 'first charge' basis. The latter is a legal arrangement in which the property securing the loan is registered with the Land Registry.

A homeowner loan obtained through this process can be used for anything the borrow wishes safe for illegal activities or purchases. However, second charge mortgages are usually restricted to funding home improvements or funding huge purchases such as car buying. Alternatively, second charge loans can be used to consolidate existing loans and help reduce the debt obligation of a struggling borrower.

With this arrangement, the borrower is expected to make regular monthly repayments throughout the life of the loan, which can run up to 25 years. The process of selling and administration of first charge secured loans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for a considerable length of time.

Today, second charge loans are now exclusively regulated by the FCA and are expected to conform to the same regulations, rules and procedures of ordinary mortgages. What this means is that borrowers will be expected to demonstrate that they can pay back both first charge ad second charge mortgages.

Who is Eligible for a Secured Second Charge Mortgage?

Do you have an existing secured loan(s) or mortgage loans that are currently running? Do you wish to borrow a huge amount of loan than what standard personal loans can provide? If your answers to the foregoing questions are the affirmative, then you are the right candidate for second charge mortgage loans. These loans can go up to £250,000 and are suitable for borrowers who have accumulated sufficient equity in their homes to guarantee the security needed for the loan.

What to Look for Before Taking Out a Second Charge Mortgage

There are numerous things that you need to know before taking a second charge mortgage loan. Here are some of the things to look out for:

By second charge, it means that any default can mean the lender taking you to court and instituting repossession procedures. When this happens, the first lender recoups his or her money back while the second lender gets thee remaining out of the sale of the repossessed home.

Second charge loans come with variable interest rates, meaning that borrowers need to exercise a lot of restraint, as the rates are likely to go up and down. If you have secured a loan that comes with variable rate, you are likely to suffer most if the rates go up, so it is important to assess your ability to pay before committing to this type of loan.

Debt is often perceived as the last option by most homeowners, but financial experts say it can prove to be the only way a borrower can get out of a financial problem in a short term. When you restructure your loan to increase the repayment period, you certainly lower the monthly repayments but increase the overall payment in the long term.

Compare thee Loans before Borrowing

After assessing your need for money (loan), you need to shop around for the best loans warehouse to understand the affordability and the conditions. You need to schedule an interview with various or selected loans agencies before you sign up. Remember that unsecured loans do not have interest rates similar to secured loan types. Unsecured loans have a maximum ceiling of up to £25,000 but this amount may vary from lender to lender and from borrower to borrower depending on the circumstances.

Make Your Decision

With a wide variety of loans available, it can be difficult to make a decision on which loan suits your needs. However, you need to evaluate your own situation based on income, need, outgoings and your credit scores. You may also need to consider if you have enough equity in your property and whether you need a long-term or short-term loan. Perhaps the most crucial question to ask is why you need the loan in the first place.