Bikes and cars on borrowers' shopping lists, says Lloyds

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Borrowers are applying for personal loans mostly to consolidate existing debt or to buy cars and bikes, a lender has suggested.

Nearly a third of those making applications wanted to put all their debts in one place, a survey for Lloyds Bank suggested, with another third wanting to buy cars and bikes.

It said 84% of borrowers were confident about making future repayments.

Debt charities urge debtors to budget for interest rate rises.

People should also consider how they would repay were they to have a significant change in their life, such as the addition of a child or the loss of a job.

Confidence

Lloyds said that while major purchases might prompt loan applications, there was a fall in the share of loans used to fund home improvements.

It added that borrowers were more confident in the second quarter of the year than the first when it came to making repayments on unsecured loans. The proportion rose from 81% to 84%.

The bank said that this signalled that people were increasingly "in control" of their finances.

Many analysts have warned that this confidence could take a knock when the Bank of England raises interest rates.

Such a move could come as early as the start of the new year.