Summary of a post.
Case study: Getting to know borrower Andrew
Andy is an Agriculture Engineer, and lives with his wife in Leek, Staffordshire on the outskirts of the Peak District. One of the realities of living in such a nice part of the world is that convenience in terms of travel tends to lie with owning a vehicle, rather than depending on public transport. So when Andy had a nasty surprise with his old faithful Ford Ka, he needed to make a plan quickly…
Me and my car troubles
I’ve never been particularly passionate about cars, and for me they’re just a means to get from A to B, and preferably as efficiently as possible. For years I had driven my old vehicle – a Ford Ka – around without any major problems. So when it came up for its MOT earlier this year, it seemed like a formality.
How wrong I was. It was surprising to me that the car failed its MOT. But that didn’t hold a candle to what happened next. To my disbelief, the mechanic suggested that I would be wasting my time and money trying to do the necessary repairs, and that the best thing for me to do would be to scrap it – even though the car was only 12-years old!
In fairness, he went into great detail as to why the car was essentially a write off, and explained the nitty gritty of what was wrong to me. But, suffice it to say, it wasn’t how I expected the day to go, and I found myself in a bit of a pickle. My offices are more than 10 miles from home, so it meant that I was suddenly in a race against time to get a replacement.
The first thing I had to do was find the right car, and this wasn’t so easy for me. Last year I had a hip replacement operation, and I was thus limited to finding cars which are set higher up, and thus easier for me to get into. Fortunately, at one of the first dealerships I went to, I stumbled across this Citroen Picasso, which, as an MPV, suited me perfectly.
Financing the car
I was pretty pleased to find the Picasso, and managed to negotiate a decent price with the dealer. But I didn’t have the funds lying around to buy it cash, so I knew I would have to finance it somehow.
The best rate the garage would do for me was an APR of 17.9%, which seemed a bit steep to me. It would have been convenient, but I resisted the urge to accept, as I thought I could do better.
The next port of call was my bank, but that was a waste of time as their APR would have been 23.6%. So I decided to shop around on some comparison sites, and that’s when I came across Lending Works. I was a bit sceptical when I saw that the Rep APR was 5.9%, as it seemed too good to be true. But after I made my application, the rate I was quoted was none other than 5.9%.
Accepting and paying off the loan
It was a no brainer for me to accept the loan offer, and I couldn’t believe how quick and easy the process was. All done online, no need for an appointment, and I literally had the funds within 24 hours. At 54, it’s been a while since I’ve taken out a loan, and it’s fair to say the nature of the market has changed a lot in that time!
As a borrower, what you’re after is expedience and convenience, and that’s exactly what I got from Lending Works. Not only have I recommended you to friends, but I really think more mainstream car finance providers will have to up their game if they are to keep up.
Anyway, taking on debt doesn’t worry me, even at my age. It was a necessity for me at the time, but in two years I’ll be debt free. And in the meantime, I’ve got a great new set of wheels which will hopefully last me a long time!
Related articles:
- Case study: A quick chat with borrower Wayne
- Case study: We hear from borrower Carol
- Case study: Borrower Charlotte speaks to us
Get email updates for future blogs:
Our website offers information about saving, investing, tax and other financial matters, but not personal advice. If you're not sure whether peer-to-peer lending is right for you, please seek independent financial advice, and if you decide to invest with Lending Works, please read our Key Lender Information PDF first.
As with all investments, your capital is at risk.
- Summary of a post.
- Summary of a post.
In line with our risk management framework, today we published our Q4 2019 performance update.
As a platform, we take great pride in all that we've achieved since opening our doors for business nearly six years ago. We’ve
Since opening our doors back in 2014, we’ve always prided ourselves on living and breathing two key principles at Lending Works: innovation, and putting the customer first in everything we do.
Featured
Wednesday’s Budget speech, coupled with the cut to Bank of England rates, represented a decisive response to the coronavirus. Here we analyse the impact it will have on mitigating disruption from Covid-19, along with the long-term implications of this significant fiscal stimulus.
Rumblings from the Treasury ahead of next week's Budget suggest tax grabs will be needed to fund increased spending, and it appears UK enterprise could be in the firing line. Here we articulate why targeting entrepreneurs and small business is ill advised.
In a difficult climate, customer acquisition and lead generation present stern challenges for UK retailers, and a great deal of marketing spend invariably gets directed towards getting feet through the door.
There is a variety of literature and research illustrating the importance of building brand loyalty, albeit with some degree of variance.
Over the last decade, there can be little dispute that the reputation of mainstream banks – and particularly the so-called ‘Big Four’ (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and RBS) – is at its lowest ebb.
The idea of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a simple one; you lend money to those who wish to borrow, with a view to receiving a great return for doing so.
Most popular
The 2019-20 ISA season has been a damp squib, with banks disinterested in attracting savers’ cash, rates cut, and the stock market in freefall. However, the emergence of the IFISA means alternatives beckon for those seeking a stable middle ground in terms of risk and reward.
In a decade of slow recovery, the rapid rise in asset prices has been the standout. But how sustainable has price growth been, and could we be in the midst of a bubble?
- Summary of a post.
Most people consider income tax to be a given, but in the UK it is barely two centuries old. In this article, we look at how this tax has developed over the years, and also why it is set to remain at the core of our tax system for many decades to come.
Open banking celebrated its second birthday last month, but has the ‘revolution for financial services’ that was promised actually come to pass? In this article, we look at the progress the initiative has made so far, and what the future holds in the face of high levels of scepticism.
On the face of it, a 'broken' energy market needed fixing, and the price caps introduced in early 2019 were heralded as the solution. But, one year later, have they actually helped consumers save?
Recent
The Lending Works Shield does not give you a right to a payment so you may not receive a pay-out even if you suffer loss. The Lending Works Trustee has absolute discretion as to the amount that may be paid, including making no payment at all. Therefore, investors should not rely on possible pay-outs from the Lending Works Shield when considering whether or how much to invest. For more information click here.