Loans come a little later — and that's fine

Unlike a builder card or car finance, a personal loan isn't usually a day-one move after your IVA. Lenders want to see a bit of fresh, on-time history first — often six to twelve months of it — so they can trust the picture has changed. That's not a setback; it's the rebuilding you're already doing turning into borrowing power. Wait a little, and you'll reach better, fairer options than if you rush.

Who lends fairly after an IVA

The lenders worth your time are the ones who judge affordability, not just a credit score. Several use Open Banking to look at your actual income and outgoings, which suits a recovering file far better than a score alone. Community lenders and credit unions sit at the fair-value end too. We only point you toward lenders whose criteria you're likely to meet — and never toward anything that fails our own fairness test.

The lines we won't cross

This matters, so we'll say it plainly: we will never introduce you to a payday or high-cost short-term loan, or a guarantor loan. They're expensive, they're easy to fall into after a debt solution, and they're exactly the kind of borrowing AfterMy exists to steer you away from. If a deal looks too easy and the cost is buried, walk away.

How to give yourself the best shot

• Build first: a few months of on-time payments and an active builder card make a real difference.
• Check eligibility with a soft search: it shows your likelihood of acceptance without marking your file.
• Borrow only what you need, for a clear reason: affordability is the test, so keep the repayment comfortable.
• Don't scatter applications: several full applications in a short time look like trouble and dent your file.

Mistakes to avoid

• Rushing a loan the week your IVA completes, before any new history exists.
• Turning to payday or guarantor loans because they say yes fastest — they're the trap, not the answer.
• Applying to lots of lenders at once and collecting hard searches.
• Borrowing more than the repayment comfortably fits — affordability is what gets you approved and keeps you safe.