Buddy Loans

No, Buddy’s interest rate is fixed for the duration of the loan, which can be up to five years. This is good to know because it means you can budget with confidence. Even if general interest rates rise you won’t suffer from any increase in your monthly repayments.

The APR is fixed at 49.9% regardless of the amount you borrow or the length of time you borrow it for. Buddy’s rate is now higher than for some other lenders. We work with some who vary the APR so that it is higher for smaller amounts and lower for larger amounts. So, it could be that for smaller loan amounts (say £1,000 or £2,000) Buddy is a reasonable option. Conversely, on larger loans (over £7,500) we could have lenders that offer a lower APR. The lowest APR from any of our lenders in 19.9% for loans o £20,000. If you’d like us to find you a lower rate then apply here.

Repayments are set up using a direct debit and paid on a monthly basis. The amount you repay will be specified by Buddy before you sign any agreement. While you can estimate your repayments using our calculator the Buddy Loans APR is 49.9% rather than our representative 39.9% so be careful when looking at affordability. If your monthly payment fails then Buddy will always get in touch to help resolve the problem.

As with debt of any kind the first thing to do, if you are beginning to struggle with payments, is to contact Buddy. They are duty bound to help look at alternative ways to ease your repayments and make them affordable. You do need to keep in mind though that you have signed an agreement with Buddy. If they cannot contact you then they will contact your guarantor to help settle your account.

You will be credit checked before any documents are signed as Buddy need to know you are creditworthy. But once the agreement is signed and the borrower starts to make their monthly repayments you should hear nothing from Buddy Loans. However, if the borrower is struggling to make payments and then fails to keep in touch with Buddy or defaults then you will be needed to step in. If you fail to help bring the loan up to date then this will be recorded on your credit file too.

Yes, Buddy Loans has no prepayment clauses in its contracts. This means you can repay your loan early without incurring any penalty payments. So, if you should suddenly be able to pay off a chunk of your loan then that will save you further interest costs and reduce the overall cost of your loan. We’d always recommend doing this if you can afford it.

Buddy aim to approve a loan application within 24 hours. This will depend on what if any documentation is required and if your guarantor is accepted. Once your loan is approved the money is transferred to your guarantor’s account who then passes it to you. Money is paid via your guarantor as part of anti-fraud processes.

Well, Buddy Loans are not the only lender in town. In fact there are numerous UK guarantor lenders. While Buddy are not yet part of our panel our free enquiry service can tell you instantly which of the many lenders we work with could lend to you in principle – and many of these other lenders can offer lower APRs and larger amounts than Buddy Loans. If you want to apply specifically to Buddy please apply direct, but if you’d rather maximise your chances of a guarantor loan then use our enquiry service – no fees, and exactly the same deals as going direct!

Typically you need to find someone who knows you well enough for them to trust you – this is a form of “trust-based” lending. So with this in mind your ideal guarantor is likely to be: Parents, Brothers & Sisters – Aunts & Uncles – Sons & Daughters – Grandparents – Boyfriend or Girlfriend – Work Colleagues & Friends. Very often lenders like Buddy are not prepared to accept guarantors who are already financially linked to the borrower. For example, if you have a spouse and own assets together (e.g. a house) or indeed have joint debts. Lenders may also reject guarantors if they have joint costs with you (e.g. you live together and share the payment of joint bills).