accepted.co.uk - the loans search engine

Last week's cut in interest rates might not be much good for your savings, but it could be great news if you've been thinking about getting a secured loan.

The Bank of England slashed interest rates to 1.5% - a three hundred year low - in an attempt to get people spending again and boost the flagging economy, and it's more than likely that rates on secured loans will drop as a result.

That means you could end up having to pay back even less on your loan; sounds like a good deal to me!

Getting a mortgage can be a right nightmare at the moment, which is why increasing numbers of people are looking to jazz up their current property instead of upping sticks and moving on.

With huge deposits needed to buy a place and house prices tumbling uncontrollably, secured loans are proving a useful and affordable way to raise cash, allowing homeowners to ride out the property crisis and add to their investments in the process.

Extensions and loft conversions are among the most popular types of home improvements being undertaken, but loans are also being taken out to make homes more energy efficient.

The Government can even help if you’re thinking about making your home greener and there are a range of grants currently available.

The Credit Crunch is really hitting home and the UK loans industry is feeling the effects too, meaning it’s harder than it has been for a long time to get a secured loan.

Talking exclusively to accepted.co.uk, one lender said, “The Credit Crunch has affected the availability of new finance for many lenders, which has increased loan rates in real terms to the customers.

“However, the equity in people’s houses still represents valuable collateral and lenders are still keen to provide good value finance for homeowners with sufficient equity.”

So there you go, straight from the horse’s mouth; the loans are still available, you might just need to look a bit harder.

Would you want to share your car with a stranger?

Almost half (47 per cent) of the population are considering it, according to new figures from the AA.

Reduced petrol costs were identified as the most popular reason to share a motor, with 60 per cent of people giving it as their primary motivation for doing so.

The most common reasons for people sharing vehicles include going to and from work (34 per cent) and social occasions, such going to the pub (54 per cent).

Those keen to keep themselves to themselves when it comes to car journeys could try taking out a loan to cover the cost of petrol.

Do you plan on retiring into a life of enjoyment and relaxation? Thought so.

However, according to research by Scottish Widows, this could be increasingly difficult.

The company states that among current retirees, 17 per cent of those who received a tax-free lump sum when they gave up work used it to pay off a mortgage, rather than using it for a trip to the French Riviera or a round-the-world cruise.

People eager to make the most of their golden years and visit some far-flung locations may be advised to take out secured loans to fund their globetrotting activities.

Are you feeling a bit car sick? Even when your motor’s not moving?

It could be because vehicles are a breeding ground for bacteria, according to research from insurance.co.uk and Aston University.

According to the company, the inside of a typical car has 283 different types of bacteria in every square centimetre.

In some cases, E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter were found.

Perhaps a loan to help pay for a professional valet service would help?

If you’re a bit tight for cash, it might be better to take out a secured loan instead of asking for a hand-out from your parents.

That’s because new research from Liverpool Victoria has found that UK parents spend a whopping £233 billion supporting their grown-up children. And that’s a lot of money.

The survey also revealed 2.3 million grandparents are contributing money to two generations - their kids and their grandchildren. With the current economic climate being as it is, nobody needs to be doing that.

So give the old folks a break and have a look into taking out a loan instead.

If you want to be the next Nicole Kidman or Brad Pitt, it seems that a secured loan could help pay for singing or acting lessons.

No longer do youngsters want to be vets, nurses or train drivers but, instead, some 14 per cent of 16 to 21-year-olds want to be famous, according to research from Alliance & Leicester.

However, getting your foot on the first rung of the celebrity ladder can be expensive.

Homeowners who refuse to give up on their dreams to become rich and famous, or parents who want to give their kids a helping hand, may just find secured loans can help pay for valuable training.

New research suggests it might be time to stop sponging off the bank of mum and dad.

A survey by Chelsea Building Society reveals 30 per cent of people say the credit crunch means they are no longer able to bail out family members who find themselves in financial strife.

Although 54 per cent happily provide accommodation free of charge and 51 per cent say they will take the kids while a family member goes out to work, they are no longer able to dole out handouts.

Maybe the time has come to approach an official loan provider?

Would you be happy to stay with a partner who was driving you mad just for the sake of cheaper bills?

Well, one survey suggests some of us might.

Research by online bank cahoot has found 12.4 million people in the UK would be reluctant to split up with their current boyfriend or girlfriend for fear they would not manage financially.

Maybe, they should just consider a loan?

I’m lucky I bought my first gaff when I did, a couple of years ago before this whole credit crunch thing kicked in. What with it now being near impossible to get a first mortgage, I’d have no chance today and would probably still be pouring my money down the drain by renting if I hadn’t take the leap.

It’s no surprise really that approvals for mortgage loans have more than halved over the last year. I bet I’m not the only one letting out a sigh of relief after deciding to take the plunge a few years back.

I always thought that if I went bankrupt my student loan would get scrubbed. But, as I’ve just found out, that’s not the way it works. I’ve also just discovered that fleeing abroad for a few years won’t get me out of paying back all the money I blew on kebabs and cheap cider.

So it looks like those evil monthly payments to the Student Loans Company are going to have to carry on being taken out of my pay packet for a few more years yet. Not fair.

I’ve noticed Abbey have just launched an uber loan which will let you borrow up to £5million for a mortgage.

I doubt it’s available to just any Tom, Dick or Harry, but just think of the house you could buy with that much spondooly.  Hmmm, something like this perhaps, or maybe you could club together with a few mates and put a bid in on this beauty.

If you’re after something a bit more tame, however, have a gander at Accepted.co.uk to get yourself a more sensible-sized loan.

It looks like it’s getting harder and harder to get a mortgage, and young professionals throughout the UK are the ones feeling the effect.

Loans approved for buying houses dropped by 67% in June, compared to the same month last year, and those wanting to their foot on the property ladder and make their first buy are therefore the ones missing out.

“I can’t get a home loan for love nor money,” said one frustrated 22-year-old.

Maybe she should come take a look at Accepted.co.uk.

A massive sixth of all Britain’s households have taken out a loan or borrowed money on their credit card just to meet their day-to-day living costs, a top Scottish paper has revealed.

With the credit crunch firmly starting to take hold, people are finding it harder and harder to get by, and loans are often the only answer for many.

Finance experts are advising that people cut back on non-essential costs, but if you reckon a loan’s the answer for you, come and have a chat with us here at Accepted.co.uk.

With the credit crunch hitting home and more and more people unable to get loans, pawnbrokers are reporting huge increases in their profits.

Brits from all walks of life are trading in their valuables to raise a bit of cash to see them through until payday, and it’s the pawnbrokers who are reaping the benefits.

Before you trade in your granny’s engagement ring, however, pop along to Accepted to see if you qualify for a loan; you’ll be surprised how easy it can be!

We graft away all day, sweating our guts out and getting moaned at by the boss, and we’re still short at the end of the month.

That’s what it’s like, anyway, if new research from moneysupermarket.com is anything to go by.

The online giant recently found that the number of people taking out payday loans has increased by a staggering 130% since last August, meaning masses of UK residents need to take out a loan just to survive until their wages arrive in the bank.

That seems a bit off to me, maybe it’s time I asked for a payrise.  Now there’s a thought…

All those Pot Noodles and cans of Fosters cost something, and now it seems that the UK’s army of ex-students are paying the price for their university high life.

With the credit crunch firmly taking hold, graduates with student loans to pay off have seen the interest on their debts increase considerably.

It’s believed that former students now owe a total of £3.2 billion, and with more students passing their degrees than ever before, there simply aren’t the jobs around to ensure that it all gets paid back.

Opposition MPs have demanded that the student debt problem is addressed but, with more and more parents taking out secured loans to send their little darlings away to uni, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be an end to the debt spiral anytime soon.

It seems to me that everyone’s skint at the moment, and I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise, what with the price of petrol going mad, utility bills skyrocketing and the cost of food going through the roof.

I suppose it’s not really a shock, then, that more and more UK residents are turning to secured loans to help them get through the tough times.

Many people are finding they need the extra cash to pay for essentials like school fees and road tax, and they’re more than willing to secure their homes against the loan.

If you’re looking for a secured loan to help you get by, it might just be worth comparing your options with Accepted.co.uk.

As for me, I’m stocked up on lentils and tins on baked beans.  Ah, it’s just like being a student again!

Getting hitched used to be a case of a quick visit to the church and then down the local for pie and mash.

Not anymore, it seems.  Celebrity-fuelled desire for everything from doves in cages to bejewelled footmen means the cost of weddings is going through the roof, and, as a result, more and more people are taking out secured loans to pay for their big day.

Nuptials mag You & Your Wedding has offered advice to soon-to-be brides on keeping costs down and making that loan stretch just a little further.  They suggest cost-cutting moves such as reusing church flowers for the reception, slashing the guest list and giving Saturdays a miss.

It all sounds a bit much for me, I’m off for a pint.

Botox, bulls and boats; what’ve they all got in common?  Not much, you’d be forgiven for thinking.

But you’d be wrong.  Bizarrely, they’re all reasons people give loans companies for needing to borrow money.

Lenders ask their customers why they need the money and, following research by Accepted.co.uk, it was discovered that a huge 43 percent of the loans companies surveyed regularly dole out money for plastic surgery.

Whether it’s used for boob jobs, bum lifts or belly tucks isn’t specified, but there’s now no doubt that people throughout the UK are taking out loans to give their bodies a makeover.

One of the lenders surveyed also provides loans for ‘livestock purchase’, while others will give you cash for everything from boat purchases and school fees to holidays and caravan investments.

So there you go, if you want a loan - no matter how weird or wonderful the reason for needing it - you’ll probably be able to get it from somewhere.

Just remember, go easy on the botox.

North-East financial workers were given further reason to tear out their hair today following the announcement that Future Mortgages will no longer be offering secured loans or mortgages in the UK.

The wrapping up of the Citigroup brand will lead to 400 job losses in the Sunderland area and comes only months after Tyneside neighbours Northern Rock revealed that they’ll be shedding a frightening 2,000 employees by 2011.

It seems that it’s not such a great time to be working in the finance sector in the North-East, but a Citigroup spokesman tried to appeal for calm, saying, “The bank has entered into consultation with the staff affected.  Some may be offered jobs elsewhere in the group.”

Facebook seems to be everywhere, there’s just no escape.

Whether it’s past boyfriends coming out of the woodwork, or finding yourself ‘tagged’ in some horrific drunken photo from yesteryear, Facebook is invading every part of our lives.

But now a finance charity has decided enough is enough and has called for an investigation into some of the ways Facebook is allowing advertisers to target its users.

Credit Action insists that some of the adverts pushing secured loans contravene advertising regulations by not initially giving potential customers all the necessary details.

The debt charity has now made a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading for fear that young Facebook users could get themselves into money trouble by taking out payday loans or logbook loans without first fully understanding the terms and conditions.

If you want to be way cool, you need to get down with the kids and bag yourself a remortgage loan. With applications rising by 27% over the past year, there’s no funkier gang to be in. Everyone’s doing it, it’s the latest playground craze!

If, on the other hand, you’re a bit of a geek and the latest fashions simply pass you by, you may be more suited to getting a home buyer mortgage. Back in the day these were the hottest thing around, but huge declines in applications last year mean that now they’re only for the sad kids.

So there you go. If you want to be the coolest thing since the Rubik’s Cube, you know what to do. Word.