Smart Money Credit Union

Good:
Can apply for a loan at any point after becoming a member

Bad:
You have to be able to travel to their office to apply as no online service

Verdict:
Small financial service that can help you rebuild your credit - must live or work within Caerphilly or surrounding district

Credit Unions offer a few different unsecured loans for any purpose. Their loans are considerably cheap and are based on your proven ability to repay, this is why they do a thorough check of your income and expenditures. You need to be a member and you can apply for a loan at any point after becoming a member.

First you will need to become a member of the union. To apply for a loan, you need to complete an application, which you can download from their website (see example below) or pop into their office. Loan officers will review your application and if granted, you will receive a loan agreement form to sign and return. They will then send a cheque to your home address.

The process may in some cases take up to two weeks so this is not a good option for you if you need your money quickly. You cannot manage your loan online so if you need to make changes, you will need to contact them in writing or pop into a branch. With credit unions, the money you are borrowing is the money of other members, so if you fail to make payments, they take this very seriously. Their opening hours are very limited, which makes it difficult for you to go in to organise all your documents and sign your agreement. On the other hand, they want to help you rebuild your finances if you haven't got a good history. Their rates are extremely low and their repayments are really small each month.