Can I apply for a Firth Finance loan?
Firth Finance is almost fully paperless, as such our quick and easy application process is online and shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of your time.
To be eligible for one of our loans, you’ll need to be aged between 18 and 65, not have been declared bankrupt, had a Debt Relief Order, an Individual Voluntary Agreement or a CCJ in the last 6 years. You must be resident in Northern Ireland, Lancashire or Yorkshire.
In order to complete the forms and to receive communications from us you must also have an email address that you monitor frequently and a mobile phone. Unfortunately if you don’t have these we will not be able to process your application. It will also be necessary for you to have the ability to logon to your Online Portal Account to see your balance, settlement figures, payment requests and much more.
If you are a new customer to Firth Finance and you application is successful, only one loan will be issued into your household to begin with. If your partner, a sibling or another member of your household would like to apply for a loan, unfortunately they will need to wait until the first loan has been paid in full before applying.
What is the loan application process?
As is the case with most Financial Services these days, our application process is all online. You can now only apply for a Firth Finance loan by completing the simple online application form HERE.
Please note, if you are unhappy about agreeeing to a credit check, we may not be able to proceed with your application. All new customers to Firth Finance must have a Credit Check which must be re-assessed every third loan, or every 365 days whichever comes first.
Once we receive your fully completed application we will verify your details and provide you with a “decision in principal” within 24 hours. During Easter, July and Christmas this can take up to 48hrs.
Firth Finance implements a 7 day “Cool-Off” period. This means that if your application is successful, the earliest you will receive your loan will be 7 days after you submitted a completed application. This gives you time to change your mind and consider if borrowing is right for you.
You can choose to receive your funds in cash, but most of our customers prefer a direct payment directly into their nominated bank account.
Your first installment will be due the week after you receive your loan. Existing customers can then request to move to fortnightly installments after the initial payment. New customers will be required to pay their first loan on a weekly basis.
What documents do I need to provide to apply for a loan?
To help with progress, you will be asked for Official/Government Issued Photographic Identification with your application. Please be prepared and have this on-hand when completing the form online, if you can’t provide this at that stage your application may take longer.
- Photo ID: such as a non-expired driving licence (provisional or full) -or- passport -or- any other government issued form of photo ID.
- Proof of address: Your driving licence is acceptable only if it hasn’t been used for your Photo ID -or- alternatively 2 utility bills -or- 3 months of bank statements.
- Proof of income: such as 3 months of payslips -or- all of your benefits award letters -or- or 3 months of bank statements.
- Proof of expenditure: we may or may not ask for this depending on your individual circumstances, if we feel that it is necessary we will send you an Open Banking link via email or text.
- This link will give us permission to have a Snap-Shot of your bank account transactions for the last 4 months, we will retain this information on our secure server for 365 days only. We will only accept this as Proof of Expenditure without exceptions. The bank account that we require to see is the one that you receive your salery/benefit payments into and that you use on a daily basis to make payments from.
Driving licences will not be accepted if they are due to expire within the next 4 weeks, Passports will not be accepted if they are due to expire in the next 3 months.
Paper documents aren’t necessary as images can be uploaded to our secure server online (please check your emails including your Junk folder for this request), however it’s best to make sure you are prepared in advance and your documentation is valid and up to date.
Please note, any information you share with us will be treated in the strictest of confidence and only for the purposes of your loan application.
What is an affordability assessment and why is it important?
It’s important that your loan is both manageable and affordable for your individual circumstances to avoid running into financial difficulties.
As a responsible lender, we always work to protect our customers. Therefore, all loan applications are subject to an affordability assessment before a decision can be made.
You will need to provide supporting documents. The documents we can accept as proof will be discussed with you.
We’ll also need to review your outgoings and how much you spend on bills and other regular payments (your committed expenditure).
Our affordability assessment only concerns your finances, so we will only need to know information regarding your own income and outgoings.
What fees and charges are associated with a Firth Finance loan?
All Firth Finance loans have no hidden fees or late payment charges, so you’ll know exactly what you’re paying back when you take out your loan.
You will even receive a rebate if your loan is paid back early!
- No upfront costs
- No hidden fees
- No late payment charges
- Fixed interest rate that will not change
- No early settlement fees – in fact you may get a rebate!
Do I need a bank account?
Yes. Once your loan is approved you will be assigned a Firth Finance Representative who will be on-hand for any queries you have. For security reasons, your loan is usually paid directly into your bank account. Representative can arrange to visit your home to facilitate your loan and repayments in cash, however if you have received your loan into your account and pay your installments using the debit card attached to it then in the unlikely event that there are queries on your loan account then a simple statement can help come to a conclusion quickly and easily.
What is APR on a loan?
APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, refers to the total cost of your borrowing for one year. It takes into account the interest rate and additional charges of a loan offer. All lenders must tell you what their APR is before you sign a credit agreement.
It’s important to remember when comparing representative APR that what you actually pay in interest depends on what you borrow, and how and when you pay your debt off.
As a general rule for a loan, the more you borrow, the lower the APR is likely to be.
You will only ever pay back your loan amount plus the interest charges. This is referred to as the “Total amount payable” and varies from loan to loan.
One of our Firth Finance Represenatives is always on-hand to help explain the cost of borrowing on our loans, including the APR and total amount payable.
When should I expect to make my first repayment?
Your first repayment is usually due 7 days after you have received your loan. Your repayments will then continue weekly for new customers with the option of fortnightly for existing customers. Unfortunately we can no longer facilitate monthly payments.
How do I make my repayments?
Most of our customers pay us by Recurring Transaction – this is when you authorise us (and your card provider) to take regular payments from your card. This is by far the easiest method, it takes 2 minutes to setup and we do the rest. No more ATM visits to get cash and waiting in for your Agent to call, no more forgetting to call the office with your card number. We have fould that the customers that either have no arrears or the lowest arrears pay by this method.
You can choose to pay your loan installments via card by calling our payment line 028 9744 0790. Just use your Agreement number so we know who the payment is from and you will see this in your Online Portal payments screen almost immediately.
We can remind you every week – just tell us to setup a Pay-By-Link payment type and we will text you a reminder every time your payment is due. The text will have a link that will take you to a payment screen, it’s as simple as putting in your card information and authorising the payment.
And as always, via our friendly home collection team, who will work with you to provide a personal and convenient service at your doorstep.
It is not possible to use a credit card to make a repayment.
We no longer accept personal cheques.
from 01/01/2024 we will no longer be accepting Bank Transfers.
Please note, it’s important to make your repayments on time to avoid going into arrears.
What if I miss a payment?
Please talk to your Representative as soon as possible if you feel you are struggling to make your repayments.
At Firth Finance we have no hidden fees or late payment charges, however, if you frequently miss payments, our Credit Manager will contact you to review your account and will endeavour work out a solution with you.
Can I pay my loan off early?
You can choose to repay your loan early in full and you may therefore qualify for an early settlement rebate.
We always recommend that customers voluntarily increase their repayment amounts if they can in order to settle their debt as quickly as is affordable.
Why should I choose Firth Finance?
Firth Finance has provided home credit in Northern Ireland since 1971. We are a leading doorstep lender in Belfast and indeed across the province.
Our company is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to trade as a responsible lender with family values and morals, making sure our customers always come first.
We offer small loans with fixed interest charges and no hidden fees or late payment charges. We consider all applications and will look at your individual circumstances before making a decision.
All our customers are assigned a friendly, local Representative, who is always personally on-hand to answer any queries you may have. We also offer a home collection service as a convenient way to make your repayments.
What if I have a less than perfect credit score?
If you suffer from a lack of, or a bad credit history, it can be extremely difficult to secure a loan from many lenders.
We consider all applications. Once we receive your details, we will run both a credit check and an affordability assessment. We will consider your incomings and outgoings to make sure your loan is both manageable and affordable.
Can you lend outside of Northern Ireland?
We currently lend to Northern Ireland and the Counties of Lankashire and Yorkshire.
What is a responsible lender?
A responsible lender will always act in a customer’s best interests, ensuring affordability, transparency of terms and conditions and supporting a borrower if they experience repayment difficulties.
At Firth Finance our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we work hard as a responsible lender to instil our family values and morals in the relationships that we build. Our customers can make informed decisions by having all necessary information clearly detailed upfront.
Firth Finance, as a reputable lender, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and must meet the requirements set out by them to ensure our borrowers are treated fairly.
What should I do if I find myself in financial difficulties?
If you currently have a loan with Firth Finance and are unable to make your repayments, please get in contact with us as soon as possible and we’ll work with you to find a solution.
Additionally, you can gain access to free money advice from the following:
We can also send you printed Debt Advice that has been prepared by the Financial Conduct Authority, on request.
As an existing Firth Finance customer, can I apply for an additional loan?
If you are an existing customer and are considering applying for a further loan, we may be able to help. Depending on your circumstances, we may need to carry out another credit check and/or an affordability assessment to check if the terms of the newly proposed agreement are suitable for you.
Existing customers may be eligible to borrow up to £1200 per household, or £600 per person. Please contact your Firth Finance Representative who will be able to guide you through the options you have available.
Please note that if you increase your borrowing, you may be extending the terms of your debt, therefore increasing the total amount you repay.
Is the information that I share with you kept private?
All customer information is guarded with the strictest of confidence and in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.
We will only discuss details of your loan with you and will not share details with other family members or friends unless you advise us otherwise.
If you have any further questions about our loans or our application process, then please feel free to get in touch.
Open Banking - Will I be charged?
No, it is completely free for all customers
Open Banking - I have entered the wrong information, can you change it?
This cannot be changed. To enter new information please email or call our offices and we will provide a link so you can re-enter your information
Open Banking - I have forgotten my bank login details.
You can try doing the journey on your mobile phone instead of your laptop or desktop, this uses app to app authentication. If you don’t use mobile banking or if this does not work, you will need to contact your bank for assistance.
Open Banking - Will this affect my credit file?
A soft Credit reference agency search will be done to confirm which banks you hold current accounts with, this won’t be visible to other lenders.
Open Banking - How do you connect with my bank account?
We use a third-party Account Information Service Provider (AISP) called concents.online which uses Open Banking APIs. Open Banking APIs are made available by your bank under the new Open Banking regulations. Open Banking is regulated, monitored and build on the principles of GDPR.
Open Banking - Can I connect with more than one bank account?
Yes. When you successfully connected your first account, you will see the option to “Add Another Bank”. This is located below the tick on the “Thank You” page.
Open Banking - I can't see my bank on the list.
Please use the search bar at the top of the Bank Selection page (look for the magnifying glass), if you still can’t find your bank, it may not be available. Not all banks have Open Banking APIs available.
Open Banking - I can't connect to my bank, it's showing an error with a message to wait and try again later (or similar).
Bank connection success rates may fluctuate throughout the day, particularly during peak times. You should follow the instructions from the bank.
Open Banking - Is it safe?
concents.online uses bank-level security and rigorously tested software and security systems. They are regulated by the FCA and authorised to access the Open Banking API’s made available to them through the UK Government Open Banking initative. Their FCA registration number is 792642.
Open Banking - I want you to delete my data.
You have given concent for us to view a snapshot of your transactional data. We will request that the data we hold is deleted.
