It is very easy to get lured into taking out new credit cards, store cards, credit agreements etc. and before you know it you have a number of small debts which add up to quite a sum. Often you take them out with the best intentions - making full repayment each month to avoid interest charges.

But it's not always easy to keep up the good work and you slip into making minimum repayments and the debts and monthly interest start to add up. The problem with this type of credit is that it usually attracts the highest interest rates, meaning that charges can quickly escalate.

If you have a number of small, high interest rate debts you could consider an unsecured debt consolidation loan. This is likely to be at a much lower interest rate and, if you take it out over a few years (say 5 or more) the monthly repayment should be much lower than servicing your existing debt.

Make sure you cancel and cut up all of your non-essential cards once they have been paid off to avoid future temptation. You could take a little extra cash with your consolidation loan which you can spend as you please.

For people with bigger debt problems there are other options which may be more appropriate such as an IVA or debt management. Our dedicated debt website, IVA Debt Problem, can help you with free debt advice and guide you down the right path.

We have updated the unsecured loans blog section of our website. It has been redesigned to match the look and feel of the rest of the website. This means that you should be able to get to any other page with just one click.

We are also updating a number of other sites, particularly in relation to our blogs. Some of these include:

• IVA Debt Problem Blog
• Yes Business Loans Blog
• Car Loans Blog

Blogging allows us to quickly update our sites with special offers, news and views. It means we can react quickly to changing interest rates, new lenders coming on board, new products coming out etc.

People take out unsecured loans for a variety of purposes. At unsecuredcredit.co.uk we can help with every type of application from a broad spectrum of applicants. We can also offer specialist loans - for instance we have a website dedicated to secured and unsecured car loans.

Carloans.co.uk is aimed at anyone looking for finance to purchase a car or other vehicle. Any type of vehicle can be financed, not just cars but commercial vehicles, motorhomes etc. As well as information about loans the site is being expanded to include content on motorsport, car news and more with up-to-date information to be found in the new blog.

Every applicant is welcome - this includes homeowners, tenants and others. They can also offer car loans to applicants with bad credit problems so no matter what your circumstances give them a call or fill out their simple online form.

Why use carloans.co.uk? The car loans website has been around for 12 years now and is backed by Cavloans.com Ltd, a company with over 30 years history and experience in the finance sector. During this time they have seen every type of application and put in place arrangements with lenders to make it as easy as possible for applicants to get a car loan.

Getting a loan these days is not always easy, even if you have a good credit history, so if it is a car loan you are after visit the specialists and get expert help and advice. Quotes are free and without obligation.

When considering a personal loan there is a choice to be made between secured or unsecured loans. This choice is available only to homeowners, so if you are a tenant your only option is an unsecured loan. This is the first benefit of unsecured loans:

1. Unsecured loans are available to tenants

Choosing a secured loan means that the loan is tied to your property. This creates problems when you want to move house (the secured loan will need to be repayed) and also if you get into difficulties making repayments which could put your property at risk of repossession. This is the second benefit of an unsecured loan:

2. Unsecured loans are not tied to your property

Unsecured loans also have some drawbacks which you need to be aware of when making a decision about them.

3. Unsecured loans have a maximum repayment term of 7 years

For small unsecured loans this will not represent too much of a problem but if you are looking at borrowing tens of thousands of pounds, for a new extension for instance, the repayments over seven years can be huge. Secured loans can be taken over 25 years meaning that your repayments will be reduced considerably.

4. Unsecured loans usually mean higher rates

Because lenders do not have any security to back up the loan they tend to charge higher interest rates to reflect the increased risk they are taking. Even with interest base rates at their lowest rate of 0.5%, APRs on unsecured loans are incredibly high. This is a consequence of the banking crisis which also affects number 5:

5. Unsecured loans are harder to get

Lenders are being more cautious (overcautious?) about who they lend to following their past bad decisions meaning that even people with good credit histories are finding it hard to get an unsecured loan at a decent rate.

At Unsecured Credit we offer our customers a choice of secured or unsecured loans. Although the market is difficult at the moment there are signs of recovery, with more lenders getting involved, and this does mean your chances of getting a loan are increased.

Using a broker like ourselves, rather than your bank, means that you have access to a number of lenders in one go backed up by our expertise in the loan market. One phone call or completing our simple online enquiry form is all it takes to get a free, no obligation quote.

Despite historically low interest base rates the cost of unsecured loans has risen considerably. The average rate charged has increased by around 50% over the past 3 years. During the same period the Bank of England base rate has reduced from over 5% to just 0.5%.

A number of lenders have withdrawn from the market and there are a significantly reduced number of loan products available. Lenders have suffered from high arrears and default rates making their risk increase and pushing up their interest rate.

This shows the need for customers looking for unsecured loans to shop around and not to take up the first loan they are offered, particularly from their own bank or building society. Getting a range of quotes makes sense and will certainly save you money in the long run with reduced monthly repayments.

Before signing up for an unsecured loan with another provider give Unsecured Credit a chance to quote you a better monthly repayment. We cannot always beat your existing deal, but if we fail to offer you a cheaper alternative you have the peace of mind that your deal is a good one.

On the subject of interest rates, the OFT are cracking down on loan sharks and the exorbitant rates that they charge. Their new campaign targets households in areas where loan sharking is prevalent. Taking out a loan with an illegal money lender is never a sensible option and not only brings with it large bills for repayment but the possibility of violence and intimidation in the event of problems.

Taking out such a loan could lead to debt problems and often causes the household borrowing the money untold problems. Up to 165,000 households are thought to be in the grip of loan sharks currently.

If you are currently experiencing problems with loan sharks you can report them to the OFT by emailing reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk, calling 0300 5552222 or texting "loan shark" and the details to 60003.

With the recent election in the UK delivering a hung parliament, and now a right-left Con-Lib coalition, there is a lot of uncertainty about the direction in which the country is headed. The forthcoming emergency budget is unlikely to deliver much good news for anyone with likely tax rises and spending cuts.

On an indivdual level there is little you can do about government financial policy. However, you do have control over your own finances and now would be a good time to review them and get yourself on a good footing so that you can better cope with any financial bad news.

It is very likely that you know how much you earn each month, but do you know how much you spend and where the money is being spent? A good start to a financial review is to get out your past few months bank statements and analyze the transactions.

One-off fixed monthly transactions, such as a mortgage or rent, are easy to spot and keep track of. Other spending areas, such as grocery shopping, which occur several times a month and tend to be different amounts each time, might surprise you when you add up your total spend.

Breakdown each statement for the last 3 months (or 6 months if you have the time) and see where your money is going. Are there any obvious areas in which you could cut back and start saving money?

Think about whether you can impose (and stick to) a monthly budget for items such as shopping. If your monthly spend for shopping is working out at £325 per month, can you work within a budget of £300? Even if you cannot always stay within your monthly budget if you have a figure in mind to aim for it is likely you will start spending less.

You might even find transactions you didn't realise you were paying! Many people who do not check their statements each month don't spot rogue payments and can end up paying them for months.

Once you know exactly how much you are earning and spending hopefully the former exceeds the latter. If not you are likely to be on the slipper slope towards debt problems and all of the misery this can entail. If this is the case seek professional debt help as soon as possible before things get too bad.

If both figures are similar then cutting back a little on your spending will give you a little breathing space, or an opportunity to save/invest for the future.

If you find that you are paying out for lots of high interest borrowing, such as on credit cards, you can either change your card for a low interest one (or low interest balance transfer deal) or think about a debt consolidation loan.

Taking control of your finances will give you peace of mind and make planning for your future easier and more affordable.

With the mortgage market contracting so sharply following the banking crisis, many people are finding it difficult to get a mortgage. Even those who have had no problems in the past and are good credit risks are not finding it easy to source a mortgage from traditional lenders.

If you have had a mortgage refused, your best option is to seek out a mortgage broker who has more flexibility than a direct lender such as a bank or building society. This is because mortgage brokers deals with a number of lenders, each of whom offers different terms and will accept different applicants.

A good mortgage broker will keep abreast of all of the latest mortgage deals and should know quickly whether there is a lender who will accommodate your particular circumstances. This means you do not have to waste time filling in application forms when there is no chance of acceptance.

Mortgage brokers can deal with "high street" lenders, looking for clean risks, and also lesser-known companies who specialise in helping those with credit problems, difficult circumstances and those turned down elsewhere. This means that no matter what your circumstances they should be able to find you a good mortgage deal.

One such mortgage broker is Handmade Mortgages. They offer a full range of mortgages including:

• Fixed rate
• Variable rate
• Flexible mortgages
• Buy to let
• First time buyer
• Debt problem mortgages

Buying a house is stressful enough as it is. Handmade Mortgages make it as stress-free as possible to obtain a suitable mortgage quickly and easily. They will always treat you as an individual, not a number, and their friendly staff are on hand to dispense help and advice when it is needed.

Mortgage quotes are free and without obligation so there is no excuse not to give them a try and see what they can offer you.

Whilst demand for unsecured loans remains popular, one area in which there has been a decline in requests is debt consolidation. It appears that many people facing debt problems are finding other solutions rather than taking out another loan.

The opportunity to write off up to 70% of debt with a debt management program or IVA is becoming more popular as the many consumers with debt problems seek to get back on track.

However debt consolidation loans still have their place and can be a very effective means of helping people with debt problems. If you have a number of debts on credit cards with high interest rates, for instance, it is very likely your monthly repayments are high. If you are only making the minimum monthly repayments specified by the credit card company it is going to take you an awfully long time to clear your debt, and it will be near impossible if you continue to use your card.

In these circumstances a debt consolidation loan could be the answer. By consolidating your debts with a long-term loan you are likely to be paying a much lower rate of interest. The monthly repayments on the loan will be substantially lower than you are currently paying to service your debt. It may even be possible to take out a loan for a higher figure, to cover your debts and give you a little extra money to spend.

Providing you are able to meet the monthly repayments your debt is effectively cleared and you can make a fresh start. It is very important to make sure you get your finances in order having cleared your debts. Identify where savings can be made and work out a budget that means your outgoings don't exceed your incomings.

At Unsecured Credit we can offer you an unsecured debt consolidation loan. Taking into account your circumstances we look at a variety of lenders offering unsecured loans and find the best deal.

We have access to a mixture of traditional lenders and non-status lenders meaning that we should be able to find you a deal no matter what your circumstances. Getting a quote is quick and easy, free of charge and without obligation. Just give us a call or complete our online enquiry form.

We are pleased to confirm our partnership with Yes Business Loans for commercial and business finance products. They offer a full range of business loans to all types of businesses including:

• B & B
• Factories
• Farms
• Guest Houses
• Hotels
• Land
• Nursing Homes
• Offices
• Restaurants
• Shops
• Small Business

This is only a small sample of the business types they can help. In fact any business looking for a loan or finance should contact them to see what they can offer. It is very likely they can help where many banks have failed.

Getting a quote for a business loan could not be simpler. Their online form will only take a couple of minutes to complete and from there they will provide you with figures and, if acceptable, the money itself very quickly indeed. They specialise in fast business loans.

Getting an unsecured loan is getting harder. The major banks, such as RBS and Lloyds, are cutting their loan books to the tune of billions of pounds! This means that there is substantially less money available for lending and the majority of this, if not all, is being lent to people with completely clean credit histories and large salaries.

So what can you do if you need an unsecured loan but cannot get one from a high street bank? Try UnsecuredCredit.co.uk of course!

As well as mainstream lenders we have a number of lenders who will consider lending to people with credit problems and other difficult and non-standard circumstances. Our aim is to get ALL of our applicants an unsecured loan.

Of course the rate you pay is likely to be higher. Unfortunately the larger the perceived risk lenders take the more profit they expect in return. There is nothing we can do about this but we will always endeavour to get you the lowest rate possible in the current market.

When considering taking out an unsecured loan always make sure you are comfortable with the monthly repayments. Don't over commit yourselves because failing to meet repayments is only going to lead to further credit and debt problems.

Making an enquiry is simple. Just complete our online unsecured loan enquiry form with your details and we will look for the best loan deal for your circumstances. It doesn't take long for us to get you a quote and, if approved, the money can be available quickly.

We look forward to hearing from you.