Uncle Buck were a direct provider of short term loans from £200 to £1,000, but went into administration in March 2020. Founded in 2004, Uncle Buck were a FCA approved lender that gained a reputation for being trustworthy and reliable.

Uncle Buck offered a flexible instalment product which could be repaid over 4 to 6 months in instalments, with the option to repay early at any time. Such instalment loans are a viable alternative to payday loans, which would typically require you to borrow money and repay the full loan and interest on your next pay date. However, instalment loans from Uncle Buck provided greater flexibility and breathing space, as do other instalment loans from similar short term loan providers.

When you take out a loan like those offered by Uncle Buck, almost all applications are completed online through the lender’s website and you will typically receive an instant decision on the screen upon completion. If successful, loans can usually be funded within 1 hour if it is between 7am to 7pm, otherwise they will be completed the next day.

Key Features

While you can no longer borrow with Uncle Buck, the loans they provided had several key features that can be found with most short term loans.

One of the best things about short term loans is how accessible they are, particularly in comparison to longer term loans. So even if you have a bad credit history, you may still be considered for a short term loan.

Many short term lenders believe that you should have access to credit when you need it, and will look at factors alongside your credit rating when making a loan decision. These factors may include your employment history and your monthly budget.

We’ve listed a few of the other key features of short term loans below:
check

Direct lender
check

Usually borrow between £100 and £1,500
check

Payment terms vary from a few days to years
check

Option to repay early
check

Same day funding
check

Online application

What is The Criteria For Uncle Buck?

To be eligible to apply with lenders like Uncle Buck, you must meet the criteria below. And when it comes to loans for bad credit and other credit histories, our lenders are willing to take a view on different credit backgrounds. They understand that it is only normal to miss the odd payment – but this should not affect your chances of getting access to finance forever.

Although Uncle Buck are no longer lending, most short term loan providers have similar lending criteria. We’ve listed the basic requirements you’ll need to meet to apply for the majority of short term loans below:
check

18 or over
check

Employed and earning a regular income
check

Employed and residing full-time in the UK
check

Your salary is paid directly into your bank account
check

Valid debit card for this account
check

Valid email and mobile phone number

How Much Can I Borrow from Uncle Buck?

If you are looking to apply for loans like those offered by Uncle Buck, with most short term lenders you can borrow between around £200 to £1,000. Some lenders may offer larger loans, depending on the products they have available and your affordability. With several short term loan providers, you can borrow more money as a returning customer.

Other factors that will impact the amount you can borrow will include your credit score and whether you have poor, fair or good credit ratings – see bad credit loans for more information. Also, your monthly income and expenses will be taken into consideration by the lender to determine how much you can afford to borrow and repay each month.

How Do Repayments Work with Uncle Buck?

When it comes to making loan repayments with Uncle Buck or similar lenders, most short term loan providers use a process known as continuous payment authority, which is used by most lenders in the UK.

This is a way of creating recurring payments, so when your repayment is due at the end of the month, it will automatically be collected by the lender and there is no need to phone up or make a manual repayment. You always have the opportunity to pause this recurring payment and change the scheduled date if you wish to – you simply need to contact them directly.

What to Consider Before Applying

There are a number of things you should consider before taking out any form of credit. So before you borrow money from lenders like Uncle Buck, you should ask yourself the following questions:

What is The Loan Used For?

Short term loans from lenders like Uncle Buck are commonly used for emergency purposes such as paying off unexpected bills, broken boilers, home repairs or car repairs. The interest rate is higher than most personal loans so it should not be used to pay off other forms of debt.

How Much Do I Need To Borrow?

It is common for applicants to try to borrow as much as possible, however, you will be required to repay the full amount and interest over the loan term – and may be better suited to a lower amount. It is important to budget carefully beforehand and think about how much you need to pay off your specific expense.

How Long Do I Need To Borrow For?

When it comes to taking out any loan, it’s important to consider that borrowing for longer can be useful to give you time to get back on your feet, but the longer your loan is open, the more interest you will pay overall.

So when you look into your loan options, you should think about how much you can comfortably repay on your next payday. If you can settle the loan in full when you next receive your wages, you may wish to take out a payday loan, which don’t tend to be more than 35 days. If you need to spread the cost of borrowing, instalment loans allow you to make monthly payments.

How Am I Going To Repay?

It is essential to think about how you are going to repay your loan. Most borrowers will use the income and salary they receive from work to pay off their loan. Using other forms of borrowing or loans to pay off your short term loan is not sensible and may lead to a spiral of debt. High cost loans may incur late fees for non-repayment, so outlining how you are going to repay your short term loan is vital.

How Can My Financial Broker Help?

If you’re looking for lenders like Uncle Buck, My Financial Broker can help! We work with over 100 direct lenders, and will do our best to match you with a suitable loan provider.

Simply complete our short online application, and you should get an instant loan decision on screen. And if approved, most short term lenders aim to pay out the funds within a few hours, or by the next business day.

You don’t need to worry about any hidden fees or charges when you make an application with My Financial broker – you can use our services for free!