Fluent Money secured loans review

Fluent Money is one of the UK's largest secured loan brokers, now part of Mortgage Advice Bureau. They offer Fluent Money secured loans from £10,000 to £500,000 over terms of up to 30 years, and the application process is fully online with support from a dedicated case manager throughout. Fluent Money is rated "Excellent" on Trustpilot, with customers reporting that the application process is smooth and the team is supportive throughout.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Best for: homeowners seeking larger loans, those with imperfect credit, and people who want a dedicated case manager and support throughout the process.

Not ideal for: those seeking the lowest possible fees, or borrowers who prefer to manage everything online without phone calls.

Key strengths

• Extensive lender panel covering most circumstances
• CeMAP-qualified advisors
• MyFluent app for tracking your application 24/7
• Accepts applicants with past credit issues

Key weaknesses

• Fees can be higher than some competitors
• Phone-based service, less suited to those who prefer a fully online process
• No unsecured loan options available

Before looking at Fluent Money specifically, it's worth understanding what you're considering. A secured loan uses your property as collateral, which means the lender has a legal claim on your home if you can't repay.

Secured loans are also called:

• Second charge mortgages
• Homeowner loans
• Second mortgages

How secured loans work

A secured loan is usually a second charge mortgage, sitting behind your existing mortgage. You can typically borrow between £10,000 and £500,000, repaid over a term of up to 30 years.

1. You borrow a lump sum, typically £10,000 to £500,000
2. The loan is registered as a "second charge" on your property
3. You repay over a fixed term, usually 3 to 30 years
4. Interest is added, increasing the total amount you pay back
5. If you can't repay, the lender can ultimately repossess your home

Secured loans generally have lower interest rates than unsecured borrowing because of the reduced risk to the lender. The key difference from an unsecured loan is risk: because your home is on the line, lenders are often willing to lend larger amounts, offer longer repayment terms, and accept borrowers with imperfect credit.

Common uses for secured loans

• Home improvements and renovations
• Debt consolidation, combining multiple debts into one
• Large purchases such as cars, weddings or holidays
• Business investment
• School fees or university costs

Fluent Money was founded in 2008 by Kevin Hindley, Tim Wheeldon, Simon Moore and Paul Ford. Originally focused purely on second charge mortgages, the company has grown significantly since, launching Fluent Loans as its consumer-facing brand in 2015, taking investment from Beech Tree Private Equity in 2016, acquiring Brytannic Extra Finance (renamed Fluent Mortgages) in 2017, and launching Fluent Lifetime for equity release products in 2018. Mortgage Advice Bureau acquired the group in 2022.

Today, Fluent Money operates from Bolton with around 290 employees, including approximately 125 qualified advisors. They're part of Mortgage Advice Bureau, one of the UK's largest mortgage intermediary networks.

Regulatory status

Fluent Money Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This means they must follow strict rules about how they treat customers, including giving suitable advice based on your circumstances, being transparent about fees and costs, not pressuring you into unsuitable products, and handling complaints fairly.

Important warning: the Financial Conduct Authority has issued alerts about clone firms pretending to be Fluent Money. Always verify you're dealing with the genuine company by checking their official website and the Financial Conduct Authority register.

Fluent Money is a broker, not a lender. This means they don't lend money directly but instead search their panel of lenders to find options that match your needs, whether you're consolidating debts, funding home improvements, or managing other major expenses.

Secured loans

Loan amounts: £10,000 to £500,000, with some sources suggesting up to £1,000,000 for exceptional cases.

Loan terms: 3 to 30 years.

Common purposes:

• Debt consolidation, including existing unsecured credit and other credit commitments
• Home improvements
• Large purchases
• Business investment
• School fees

You can use a secured loan to combine existing credit commitments into a single monthly payment. However, consolidating debts this way can extend your repayment term and increase the total amount you pay back overall, so it's worth weighing this up carefully with an advisor.

Acceptance criteria:

• Homeowner with an existing mortgage
• 18 years or older
• UK property as security
• Sufficient equity in your home
• Affordability assessment passed

Other products

Beyond secured loans, Fluent Money also offers first charge mortgages (through Fluent Mortgages), lifetime mortgages and equity release (through Fluent Lifetime), bridging loans (through Fluent Bridging), and protection insurance. This review focuses specifically on their secured loan service.

The overall cost of a secured loan includes not just the interest rate but also any fees and charges, so it's important to compare these when looking for the most suitable deal. Secured loans can offer lower interest rates than unsecured borrowing because they're backed by your property, which reduces the risk to the lender.

What is APR?

APR (Annual Percentage Rate) shows the yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and mandatory fees. It's designed to help you compare different loans fairly.

What is APRC?

For secured loans, you'll often see APRC (Annual Percentage Rate of Charge) instead. This includes all standard fees and gives a more complete picture of total costs over the loan term.

Fluent Money's representative rate

Fluent Money quotes a representative rate, meaning at least 51% of successful applicants receive this rate or better. The remaining applicants may pay more, depending on their circumstances. Because rates change frequently and depend entirely on your individual circumstances, we don't publish specific figures here - speak to an advisor for a personalised illustration.

What affects your actual rate?

Credit score: better credit typically means lower rates. Fluent Money works with lenders who accept imperfect credit, but expect higher rates if you have past missed payments, defaults, county court judgments (satisfied or unsatisfied), or previous mortgage arrears. Your credit report is reviewed as part of the application process.

Loan-to-value (LTV): this compares your total borrowing, mortgage plus new loan, to your property's value. Lower LTV usually means lower rates. Many lenders cap LTV at 75-85%.

Loan amount and term: very small or very large loans may attract different rates than mid-range borrowing, and longer terms spread costs but can mean more interest paid overall.

Employment type: some lenders charge more for self-employed applicants or those with irregular income.

The application process for secured loans may take longer than an unsecured loan because of property valuations and legal procedures.

Broker fees

Fluent Money's broker fees vary depending on your circumstances and loan amount. They state on their website that fees may be payable depending on your choice of financial product, and that fees will be discussed at the earliest opportunity.

Some competitors have criticised Fluent Money's fees as higher than average. But it's worth noting that Fluent Money's fees typically include valuation and legal costs, fee structures vary between brokers, and the cheapest broker isn't always the best value if it can't access the right lenders for your situation.

Always ask upfront what fees you'll pay and whether they're added to the loan or paid separately.

Lender fees

In addition to broker fees, lenders may charge arrangement, valuation, legal and early repayment fees.

Total borrowing costs include the loan amount, interest charged over the term, and any fees on top. Because the total depends on the rate, term and fees you're offered, ask your advisor for a personalised total cost figure before you commit. This is why a secured loan should be a considered decision, not taken lightly.

The amount you can borrow depends on several factors:

• Your income and affordability: lenders will assess your income, credit commitments and regular expenses to determine what you can afford to repay. Spreading repayments over a longer term, often between 3 and 30 years, can reduce your monthly outgoings, though it may increase the total interest paid over the life of the loan.
• The equity in your property: the more equity you have, the more you may be able to borrow. If you're tied into your existing mortgage, check whether it carries early repayment penalties that could affect your ability to refinance.
• Your credit history: a better credit score can help you access lower rates and higher loan amounts.
• The lender's criteria: each lender has their own rules on minimum and maximum loan amounts, acceptable purposes and maximum term.

Equity available

Your equity is your property's value minus any existing mortgage. Lenders typically allow borrowing up to 75-85% of your total property value, including your existing mortgage.

Example:

• Property value: £300,000
• Existing mortgage: £180,000
• Maximum LTV: 80%
• Maximum total borrowing: £240,000
• Maximum new secured loan: £60,000

Affordability

Even with enough equity, you must prove you can afford repayments. Lenders assess your income (employed, self-employed, pension, benefits), existing commitments, living costs, and potential interest rate increases. Lenders usually want total monthly debt payments, including the new loan, to stay below 40-45% of your gross monthly income.

Credit history

While Fluent Money works with lenders who accept imperfect credit, your history affects how much you can borrow. Someone with excellent credit may access up to 85% LTV, while someone with recent defaults might be limited to 65-70% LTV.

Fluent Money works with a range of lenders to cover various circumstances. Many lenders on their panel accept defaults, making it possible for applicants with previous credit issues to be considered.

When checking your eligibility, the initial check uses a soft credit search, which does not affect your credit score. A full hard search only happens if you go ahead with a formal application.

Standard eligibility

To be considered, you typically need to:

• Be 18 or older
• Own a property in the UK, or have a mortgage on one
• Have some equity in your property
• Meet affordability requirements
• Have a UK bank account

Accepted circumstances

Fluent Money's lender panel includes specialists who accept a wide range of employment types, including full-time and part-time employed, self-employed (typically 1-2 years' accounts needed), contract workers, company directors, retired or pensioners, and some claiming certain benefits.

On credit history, the panel includes lenders who accept defaults (satisfied and unsatisfied), missed payments, high credit utilisation, previous county court judgments, previous mortgage arrears, and limited credit history.

Property types accepted include standard construction houses and flats, ex-local authority properties, some non-standard construction depending on the lender, and buy-to-let properties.

Situations that may be difficult

Some circumstances make approval harder, including very recent significant credit issues within the last 6-12 months, active arrangements with creditors, very low equity below 15-20%, properties in serious disrepair, very small loan amounts below £10,000, and unusual property types such as houseboats or mobile homes.

Customer feedback provides insight into the real experience of using Fluent Money. Many reviewers highlight that Fluent Money's advisors are helpful, especially for clients with complex financial situations.

MyFluent app

Fluent Money provides a mobile app, MyFluent, that lets you track your application progress, upload documents securely, message your case manager, and view important dates and deadlines. This technology-enabled approach helps keep things moving and reduces uncertainty during the process.

Trustpilot rating

As of early 2026, Fluent Money has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 from more than 8,800 reviews, with around 90% rated "Excellent".

What customers praise

Based on review analysis, customers consistently mention helpful staff, clear communication throughout the process, support for complex situations such as being turned down elsewhere, and quick turnaround on some applications.

What customers criticise

Some negative reviews mention communication becoming less responsive later in the process, lengthy timelines in certain cases, and applicants feeling that expectations were set too optimistically before a case ultimately couldn't proceed.

Our assessment

Fluent Money's review profile is strong overall. The volume of reviews and high average rating suggest consistently positive experiences for most customers. That said, secured loans are complex products, and not every application will succeed. The negative reviews highlight the importance of getting clear feedback early if there are concerns about your application, understanding timelines upfront, and asking direct questions about your likelihood of approval.

We've covered the key strengths above. Here's where Fluent Money may fall short, depending on your circumstances.

Cons

• Fees can be higher - some competitors advertise lower broker fees. While Fluent Money's fees may include more services, it's worth comparing total costs.
• Phone-based process - if you prefer managing everything online without phone calls, Fluent Money's advisor-led approach may not suit you.
• No unsecured options - if a secured loan isn't right for your situation, Fluent Money can't help with alternatives like personal loans.
• Variable fee disclosure - exact fees aren't published upfront, which makes comparison shopping harder before you speak to an advisor.
• Processing time varies - while many cases complete quickly, complex situations can take significantly longer.

Understanding where Fluent Money sits in the market helps you decide if they're right for your circumstances.

Fluent Money vs Loan.co.uk

Both are established secured loan brokers, but they take different approaches.

When to choose Fluent Money: complex circumstances, a need for personal guidance, or you value technology-based tracking.

When to choose Loan.co.uk: you're fee-sensitive, have a straightforward case, and prefer less phone contact.

Fluent Money vs going direct to a lender

Using a broker like Fluent Money gives you access to multiple lenders through one application, expert guidance on which lender suits your circumstances, help with documentation and process, and may give you access to broker-only deals.

Going direct means no broker fee, though lender fees still apply, a direct relationship with your lender, and may suit very straightforward cases.

For most homeowners, especially those with any credit complications or unusual circumstances, using a broker like Fluent Money typically opens up a wider range of options than approaching a single lender directly.

Ideal candidates

Fluent Money is a strong choice if you:

• Need a larger loan, £25,000 or more: their panel is well-suited to substantial borrowing
• Have imperfect credit: they specialise in finding solutions for non-standard situations
• Want guidance through the process: their advisor-led approach suits those who value support
• Have complex income: self-employed, contractors and those with irregular earnings benefit from their experience
• Want to track progress: the MyFluent app provides transparency many competitors lack

Less suitable for

Fluent Money may not be ideal if you:

• Are very fee-conscious: some competitors charge less, which may matter for smaller loans
• Prefer fully online processes: their model requires phone conversations
• Need a small loan: below £10,000, other options such as personal loans or 0% purchase credit cards may be more cost-effective
• Have straightforward needs and excellent credit: you might access similar rates going direct to a mainstream lender without broker fees

Our verdict

Fluent Money is a well-established, Financial Conduct Authority-regulated secured loan broker with strong customer reviews and a comprehensive lender panel. Their technology-enabled approach, combined with human advisor support, suits borrowers who want guidance through what can be a complex process.

We'd suggest Fluent Money is worth considering for homeowners seeking larger secured loans, those with imperfect credit needing specialist options, borrowers who value personal support and application tracking, and self-employed or irregular earners needing experienced help.

Consider alternatives if you're very fee-sensitive with a straightforward case, prefer fully online and minimal-contact processes, or need a very small amount under £10,000.

Before applying anywhere, remember:

1. A secured loan puts your home at risk, so only borrow what you can afford
2. Compare total costs, not just headline rates
3. Understand all fees before committing
4. Consider whether a secured loan is the right product for your needs