Holiday Loans

A holiday loan does exactly what it says on the tin - it is a loan that enables you to finance a holiday to wherever you wish to go - whether it is a fortnight in Butlins, or trekking though the Amazon, the loan can be used for any holiday you wish. Holiday loans can also be used to pay for other debts you may have gained during Christmas or summer holidays, and this is generally offered by lenders as a consolidation loan.

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What does a Holiday Loan offer?

A holiday loan is generally offered to customers with good credit histories. In most cases they come in the form of an unsecured loan, but in some cases, the lender will ask for some collateral on the loan to ensure their money is secure. How much you will be able to borrow will very much depend on your credit history, but could be anywhere between £5,000 and £50,000.  Larger loans will generally require the loan to be secured. Holiday loans can be applied for quickly as there is very little legal documentation required to apply for one.

Lenders generally ask for holiday loans to be repaid on a monthly basis. Holiday loans can be quite flexible as some lenders offer the option of 'skipping' some repayments at certain times of year, such as Christmas, which could help you free up your finances at certain times of the year. The disadvantage to doing this is that your unpaid balance will still accrue interest, making the cost of the loan higher each time you chose not to make a repayment.

Holiday loans come with a wide range or repayment periods. Loans tend to be cheaper if you take them out over a shorter repayment period, so keep an open mind to shorter repayment periods if you can as it may save you money in the long run. Although shorter loan terms tend to come with a higher APR (Annual Percentage Rate) than longer term loans, think about the total you will be repaying over all. It may save you money in the long term to get a shorter payment term with a higher APR.

Comparing APRs of the holiday loans on offer is a good place to start shopping around for the best deal. It is worth noting that lenders have to advertise typical APR. Typical APR is the rate they offer to 66% or more of their customers, and is not necessarily the APR they offer everyone. Other things to consider before applying for a holiday loan are what you realistically need to borrow for your purposes, and what you can afford to repay. Do not be tempted to borrow more than you need.

Holiday loans are not without some risks. For example, if you fail to keep up the payments on your loan, you could risk being taken to court by the lender. If you secured your loan against some collateral, it could be at risk because your lender could force you to sell your property to repay your debt. Failure to keep up repayments could also lead to CCJs (County Court Judgments) being leveled against you.

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