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A Beginner’s Guide to Interest Rates

Guide to Interest Rates | UK

Understanding Interest rates

  • An interest rate is the cost of taking out a loan, mortgage or credit card. LoanTube can help you understand it and compare loans on the basis of real interest rates.
  • If you’re a saver or looking to take out a loan, mortgage or credit card, then you’ll need to understand interest rates.
  • Interest rates are the cost, or in the case of savings the reward, for saving money. For the purpose of this blog, we’ll discuss interest rates on loans as there are a few areas relating to interest rates that you should be aware of.
  • Read on to discover some of the key elements of interest rates that will affect your loan amount, regardless of if you’re applying for a mortgage, a credit card or a loan.

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Loan Term
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Representative APR
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Representative APR
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Loan Amount

£4000 -

£20000

Norwich Trust

Loan Term

1 -

10 years

4.8/5

4.8/5

Representative APR

31.90%

Minimum Age

21 Years

Minimum Income

£2000 per month

Representative Example: £12,000 over 66 months, 31.9% APR fixed. Monthly payment £358.22 Annual interest rate 28.01% fixed. Interest payable £11,642.52. Total repayable £23,642.52.

4.8/5

4.8/5

Norwich Trust

Loan Amount

£4000 -

£20000

Loan Term

1 -

10 years

Representative APR

31.90%

Minimum Age

21 Years

Minimum Income

£2000 per month

Representative Example: £12,000 over 66 months, 31.9% APR fixed. Monthly payment £358.22 Annual interest rate 28.01% fixed. Interest payable £11,642.52. Total repayable £23,642.52.

Loan Amount

£5000 -

£100000

Evolution Money Loans

Loan Term

1 -

20 years

4.5/5

4.5/5

Representative APR

28.96%

Minimum Age

18 years

Minimum Income

Not mentioned

Representative Example: Loan Amount: £20950.00, Loan Term: 85 Months, Interest Rate: 23.00% PA Variable. Monthly Repayments: £537.44. Total Amount Repayable: £45,682.15. This example includes a Product Fee of £2,095.00 (10% of the loan amount) and a Lending Fee of £714.00

4.5/5

4.5/5

Evolution Money Loans

Loan Amount

£5000 -

£100000

Loan Term

1 -

20 years

Representative APR

28.96%

Minimum Age

18 years

Minimum Income

Not mentioned

Representative Example: Loan Amount: £20950.00, Loan Term: 85 Months, Interest Rate: 23.00% PA Variable. Monthly Repayments: £537.44. Total Amount Repayable: £45,682.15. This example includes a Product Fee of £2,095.00 (10% of the loan amount) and a Lending Fee of £714.00

Loan Amount

£1000 -

£10000

1Plus1 Guarantor Loans

Loan Term

1 -

5 years

4.4/5

4.4/5

Representative APR

39.90%

Minimum Age

18 years

Minimum Income

Not mentioned

Representative Example: Borrowing £3000 over 36 months with a representative APR of 39.9% (variable),the amount payable would be £134.21 a month,with a total cost of credit of £1831.56 and a total amount payable of £4831.56.

4.4/5

4.4/5

1Plus1 Guarantor Loans

Loan Amount

£1000 -

£10000

Loan Term

1 -

5 years

Representative APR

39.90%

Minimum Age

18 years

Minimum Income

Not mentioned

Representative Example: Borrowing £3000 over 36 months with a representative APR of 39.9% (variable),the amount payable would be £134.21 a month,with a total cost of credit of £1831.56 and a total amount payable of £4831.56.

Interest rates can change

  • When you initially start looking for a loan of any kind, the financial services provider has to give you an interest rate so you can work out how much it will cost you to borrow that amount over a set period of time.
  • However, for non-fixed term mortgages and some loans, interest rates can change, making the cost of borrowing more expensive or cheaper.
  • For example, if you have a mortgage over 25 years on an amount of £130,000 at 2.5% interest, you’ll be paying £271 each month in interest alone.
  • However, if this increases by 1%, your monthly interest payment will rise by an additional £109. If it falls by 1%, you’ll pay £109 less, so you need to be aware that the cost of your borrowing can both increase and decrease.
  • The Bank of England Base Rate influences other interest rates from other financial services providers and is set eight times a year. This means the interest amount you pay on any cash borrowed may rise or fall several times each year too.

Not everyone gets the interest rate advertised

  • Financial services providers try to tempt us to take out their loans by offering attractive interest rates, but sadly not all borrowers are eligible for those best offer interest rates.
  • Generally speaking, only those with excellent credit scores are able to get the best rates. Those with less than perfect scores are often given higher interest rates. You won’t know for sure what interest rate you’ll get until you apply. It’s worth checking out one of the many free online eligibility checkers before you make any loan application as they give a good indication of what you’re likely to be accepted for and the associated interest rate.

You can make big savings on interest by repaying the loan early

  • The best way to save money on interest rates is to repay the full amount as quickly as you can. For some loans and mortgages, there is an early repayment fee, but it is often far lower than the interest that you’d pay over the full term of the loan. If you repay the balance before the end of the loan term, you will pay less interest than simply continuing to make the monthly agreed payment. Don’t forget to ask your lender if there are any fees associated with early loan repayment and see if you can save a little extra to clear the debt faster.

Representative 79.5% APR

Warning: Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For more information, go to moneyhelper.org.uk

Credit subject to status & affordability assessment by Lenders.

LoanTube is a credit broker and not a lender.

Think carefully before securing debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on any debt secured against it.

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Representative APR Example

The rate you are offered will depend on your individual circumstances.

Representative APR Example: On an assumed loan amount of £1,000 over 18 months. Rate of interest 59.97% per annum (fixed). Representative 79.5% APR. Total amount payable £1,554.10 of which £554.10 is interest. 17 equal monthly repayments of £86.09, and the final month’s payment of £90.57.

Some of the offered loans might be classed as High Cost Short Term Loans. APR rate starts from 18.22%. The maximum APR rate is 1721%, but you will get a personalised rate tailored to you. The minimum repayment term is 3 months, the maximum repayment term is 7 years. The minimum loan amount is £250 and the maximum loan amount is £35000.

Warning: Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For more information, go to moneyhelper.org.uk

Credit subject to status & affordability assessment by Lenders.

LoanTube is a credit broker and not a lender.

Think carefully before securing debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on any debt secured against it.

Not all borrowers will qualify for a loan. The operator of this website does not engage in any direct consumer lending, we simply provide you a FREE loan brokering service. This means LoanTube does not charge customers a fee for using its introducer services, but it receives a commission from lenders or other brokers if a customer enters into a consumer credit agreement with them following an introduction by LoanTube.

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