Your credit score is an acknowledgement of your past payment behaviour. Lenders review your credit report to determine your repayment potential. It is part of an affordability check. If your credit rating is up to scratch, approval chances are high, and vice versa. However, there is still a probability of getting approval for a loan despite a bad credit score.  

When your credit file is not impressive, they will charge high interest rates. Short-term loans are high-cost debt, and if your credit score is not stellar, chances are you will struggle to keep up with payments. Small loans are very expensive and are discharged in one fell swoop. The repayment length is not more than a month. 

It is advisable that you carefully borrow money. Here are some key points that you should bear in mind: 

  • Small emergency loans are exorbitant. Your poor credit score results in exorbitant interest rates.  
  • Small loans are discharged in full on the due date. The repayment term cannot be more than a month. In most cases, it is only 14 days. 
  • Payment failure leads to a loan rollover. This will add up the cost of the debt because of late payment fees and interest penalties.  
  • Small loans can trap you into an ongoing cycle of debt, especially if you end up borrowing money from a loan shark.  
  • Failing to make payments will take a toll on your credit score. It will destroy your chances of qualifying for a mortgage or similar secured loans.  

If you are looking for holiday loans, your credit score will not get in your way, but you will end up with a very high interest rate. 

How to choose holiday loans if your credit score is bad 

Christmas is round the corner. You might be looking for a holiday loan if you are going on an excursion. However, if your credit score is abysmal, your chances of qualifying for these loans are slim. Most lenders will sign off on your application, but they restrict the loan amount and charge very high interest rates. Here are some ways you can easily get approval for low credit score loans.  

Assess affordability 

First off, you should assess your affordability. Lenders will run an affordability check, and if they suspect that you will struggle to repay your debt, they will straightaway turn you down. Assessment of your affordability is also important because you need to better know your financial condition.  

By analysing your budget, you can easily figure out how much to borrow based on your current income sources. While a responsible lender will run an affordability check, it is still your responsibility not to borrow more than your repayment capacity.  

Borrow only what you need 

It is easy to be carried away while borrowing money for a vacation. Most of the people borrow more than they need. Well, experts suggest never borrowing more than you can afford. Do not forget that you are to pay interest on top of the borrowed sum.  

It means you will be left with little budget. You could have stashed away that money for a rainy day. What if some emergency crops up? Even though your financial condition is great, you should never risk it by borrowing more than you need.  

Compare deals 

Every lender has their own way of assessing the risk involved in lending you money. When you apply for Christmas loans, they will fetch your credit information from your credit report, but they use their own method to calculate your credit score.  

Each lender will quote different interest rates as they perceive your level of risk to varying degrees. Of course, interest rates will be high when your repayment potential is in question. It is highly advisable that you compare deals, so you do not struggle to repay your debt.  

You can compare deals between various lenders on comparison websites. While borrowing a larger sum, seek prequalifying letters from multiple lenders. This will not result in lowering your credit score. However, bear in mind that actual interest rates will be more than prequalifying rates as hard inquiries are run.  

Focus on the APR 

At the time of taking out a Christmas loan, you focus only on interest rates as you are to settle the dues within a very short period. The APR does not bother you even if it is too high. The APR represents the cost of the debt if you roll it over for a full year. Some lenders may charge up to 1500%. The APR includes interest rates as well as fees and associated charges.  

You should focus on the APR while comparing loan deals between lenders. Try to avoid borrowing from those who charge exorbitantly high rates. At the same time, it is crucial to check the authorisation as loan sharks generally charge very high rates to trap credulous borrowers into an ongoing cycle of debt.  

You can check the FCA Register. Do not borrow money from any lender who is not registered or authorised. Do not forget to check the details of those who reveal their registration details on their website, because they might be clone firms using the registration details of others. 

You should still have a decent credit score 

Although most lenders accept applications from subprime borrowers for Christmas loans, it does not insinuate that you can easily qualify for a loan with an extremely low credit score. Keep your credit score better. Try to put in some effort to ameliorate your credit rating.  

Wrapping up 

If your credit score is low, you can have difficulty getting a holiday loan, but there are certain ways you can do it. You should try to assess your affordability. Make sure that you do not borrow more than you need. Additionally, compare interest rates by different lenders.  

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