Member Article

Oldham gives Everyday Loans the warmest of welcomes as it opens its 71st branch in the town

The people of Oldham gave Everyday Loans the warmest of welcomes recently when it opened its doors in the town.

The UK’s largest non-standard branch-based lender of unsecured loans is now serving Oldham customers from its newest and 71st location on Albion Street. The opening has also created three new local jobs.

Everyday Loans provides ongoing face-to-face financial support to help customers back on to a firmer financial footing and back into mainstream lending. All applicants benefit from an income and expenditure review as part of the approval process. It is the only unsecured loan provider to operate in this way.

This latest branch launch meets growing demand for near-prime credit, which is estimated to stand at between 10 million and 14 million Brits. That’s around a quarter of the total UK adult population – and over 43,000 people in Oldham - who don’t qualify for personal loans through traditional, mainstream banking. Often, this based on relatively minor credit history blemishes or bumps in the road, when life doesn’t quite go according to plan.

Joining branch manager Damon Howarth is customer account manager Catherine Gleeson and Waleed Cheema who are new to Everyday Loans and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the business.

The three-strong team is already providing customers in and around Oldham - many of whom have had difficulty paying bills or managing their money in the past - with a professional and friendly environment to discuss their finances and get back on track. Fully FAC-accredited and committed to responsible lending, it offers a case-by-case approach, expertly tailored for each individual customer, ensuring that they can comfortably afford repayments.

Branch manager Damon Howarth said: “We have a wealth of financial services experience and our management team knows what it takes to deliver a straightforward, face-to-face professional service. We take the time to understand our customers’ needs on a human, personal level, which online processes and algorithms can miss. It’s this personal approach that engenders trust and builds long-term relationships.”

The company’s Managing Director Jon Wiggins said: “Of course we take credit history into account, but we believe each of our customers should have the chance to build a creditworthy future. We also support them throughout the repayment period and, if after six months the risk has reduced, we do all we can to improve the terms of the original loan.

“It’s this highly personalised approach that makes us most proud - and upon which we are expanding our branch network. Our unique business model and the calibre of our branch and account managers means we deliver high levels of customer satisfaction and we’re very much looking forward to supporting the people in and around Oldham with their borrowing needs.”

With a geographical reach now spanning from Northern Ireland to Scotland and to the South Coast of England, there are over 55,000 borrowers who are benefitting from the ongoing support that such a local branch network can provide.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Souter .