Freelancers Loan

How to get a loan when you're self-employed or have no proof of income.

The more you can show you're in control of your finances, the better your chance of getting a freelancers loan. With so many people starting their own businesses, many lenders are starting to see entrepreneurs and freelancers as an opportunity not a risk. At worst, speak to your bank manager. With past statements and ideally accounts of some sort, there's no reason for freelancers not to obtain credit at ordinary rates.

Unfortunately, freelancers and the self-employed fall into the same category as bad debtors in the eyes of many institutions. As such, for many a freelancers loan is a bad credit loan. The important question to ask is whether you have any proof of income. An accountant's certificate will ensure you a better deal; whereas if you are self-certified (you only have your own word as proof of income), you are liable to have some doors closed to you.

Some companies specialising in bad credit cases do differentiate between those and freelancers loan requirements- for example Paragon Finance. But equally, you can pursue your case with many normal lenders who may be inclined to lend sympathetically. MoneySupermarket, for example (www.moneysupermarket.com) lists over 200 loans available to persons not suffering traditional debt problems (CCJ's or bankruptcy) but not specifically excluding the self-employed.

Your bank is also worth talking to for a freelancers loan. Internet-only lenders (admittedly they do offer the best deals) won't talk to you to assess your individual circumstances; but that's what your bank manager is for. And if you are a homeowner, and can show that you have kept up mortgage repayments successfully, there's that much more chance of being lent a sympathetic ear. If you're actually happy to put up your home as collateral (and that's different to having a home but applying for an unsecured loan), you will have almost as many options as an employed person scouring the high street.