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.