A look at personal guarantees

A look at personal guaranteesA recent survey by Wirefund revealed that over half (55%) of SME business owners do not know what a personal guarantee is. This certainly matches our experience at PBC as we see many cases where company directors cannot remember whether they signed personal guarantees or not.

 

What is a personal guarantee?

In the last decade, there has been a trend among creditors, including banks, finance providers, landlords and, increasingly, trade suppliers, to ask for personal guarantees. As the name suggests, this is a contractual promise to pay the liabilities of another. If you’re seeking a small business loan, for example, you might be asked to provide a personal guarantee of the loan. Such guarantees are unsecured, which means they are not tied to any specific asset such as property. For the lender, such guarantees make a loan agreement more secure, as responsibility for paying it back falls not just to the borrowing company but to the individual directors involved as well.

 

Why do they matter?

The unsecured nature of the guarantee means that you will be personally responsible for repayment of the loan in the event it cannot be paid back by the business itself. All your personal assets, therefore, are at risk, from the family home to cars. If you do not have sufficient assets to cover the debt, then you may be made bankrupt and with it encounter all the ongoing difficulties associated with a poor credit rating. It is also worth pointing out that if several directors give a personal guarantee to the same creditor, then the creditor does not have to take action against all of them and can instead choose to pursue just one.

 

It is clear that personal guarantees carry significant implications, and certainly, the courts have tended to take the view that the guarantor undertook the commitment with full knowledge of the facts. It is easy to sign up in haste in order to secure funding. However, it is important to seek advice in advance to ensure the full ramifications are understood should the guarantee be called upon. You may also want to consider personal guarantee insurance to provide some protection in the event of difficulties.

 

Options

Should you find yourself in a position whereby your company is failing and you are left with personal liabilities, then there are a range of options to consider from personal insolvency procedures through to negotiation of a settlement. We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation initial consultation to discuss the issues you are facing.

Why it’s important to check your credit report

Why it’s important to check your credit fileRecent research revealed that more than 2000 county court judgements (CCJs) are made every day, often without the knowledge of the individuals and families receiving them.

A CCJ is made when someone takes court action against an individual, saying they owe them money, and the individual doesn’t respond. These orders play a key part in debt recovery for businesses. However, they can adversely affect the credit rating of individuals if they never receive it, perhaps due to a recent house move and the letter being sent to an old address, and are therefore unable to either dispute it or pay it.

As CCJs stay on an individual’s credit file for six years, the fact that it exists at all may only come to light later down the line when a mortgage or similar is applied for and refused.

A credit file is a financial record of every borrower in the UK, showing their repayment behaviour over a six-year period and, with CCJs hitting the headlines, it seems timely to take a look at some of the key reasons why you should review it regularly.

Get an overview of your outstanding credit

Seeing all your current financial commitments that require credit, such as mortgages, credit cards, loans and mobile phone contracts, in once place can help with the management of your personal finances.

Apply for the type of credit that is right for you

Lenders calculate their credit scores on different criteria, so while one may reject you, another may accept your application for credit.

Identify ways to improve your credit score

There are several steps you can take to improve your score including closing any credit cards you no longer use, ensuring you are on the electoral roll and making any necessary repayments on time. Also noted on your credit file will be details of any defaults on loans or CCJs.

Protect yourself against identity fraud

A look through your file will enable you to detect any names you don’t recognise or accounts that aren’t yours. If you find any, it could mean you are a victim of identity theft.

Spot any mistakes and ensure they are corrected

This includes making sure your address details are current and removing any financial connections to people who are no longer relevant, such as previous partners who you may have held a joint account with. Errors should be reported to the credit reference agencies as well as the company responsible.

You can check your credit file as often as you like without it impacting on your credit rating and it’s well worth the time to ensure it is accurate and as good as it can be so you are in the best position when seeking credit at a future date.

Companies such as https://www.clearscore.com/,  http://www.experian.co.uk/ and www.creditreport.co.uk offer free and monthly paid for packages that allow you to keep track of your credit report and score.