Who is a loan broker and what can he help with

Who is a loan broker and how does it work

A loan broker is an intermediary who helps a person get a loan. Such a specialist selects a bank, analyzes proposals, prepares documents and negotiates with a financial institution.

Credit brokers are different. Some do only car loans or mortgages, others help to open lines of credit for small businesses, others are looking for money for large transactions between corporations. Let's focus on intermediaries between banks and individuals.

A good credit broker constantly monitors the banking market and studies financial products in order to know about the best options and conditions, as well as suspicious companies.

The broker also studies potential clients first. For example, he discusses with the borrower his goals and condition: how much the person receives, where he works, whether there are other obligations, and so on. If all is well, then the intermediary negotiates the terms of payment with the client. The latter usually depend on the complexity and size of the loan and range from 2 to 20% percent. Some credit brokers also offer a fixed rate of 5-10 thousand rubles.

Then the intermediary finds the best options, asks the client for all the necessary documents and draws up an application for the bank. If approved, the broker checks the loan agreement and conditions, explains them to the employer and completes the transaction.

Sometimes credit brokers cooperate with clients even after the loan has been issued. For example, they help to refuse imposed insurance, commissions that have appeared from nowhere and other additional services. And if it doesn't work out, then they make a pre-trial claim.

When the help of a loan broker comes in handy

If a person is poorly versed in the sector, then he can easily make a mistake. For example, contact a popular bank, whose advertisements are constantly shown on TV, and, as a result, overpay tens of thousands of rubles due to high interest rates. Or you can apply to the institution with the best rate and get refused after several weeks of negotiations.

A good loan broker can help you avoid these kinds of problems. Such a specialist can save the client both time and money. For example, to track down a dubious condition when an apartment is taken away as a pledge for a delay. Or even advise against going to the bank: perhaps in a specific situation it will be more profitable to save up on your own or choose leasing.

What are the risks when working with a credit broker

The main difficulty is that the work of credit brokers is almost not regulated by anything. There is not even such a concept in Russian legislation. Intermediaries do not need a license, there is only a contractForm of agreement with a credit broker / ConsultantPlus between the two parties and professional standardCredit Brokerage Specialist / Register of Professional Standards of the Ministry of Labor of Russia. In Russia, a credit broker is just a company that removes some of the organizational worries. In theory.

In practice, you should be more careful, because under the guise of a consultant-intermediary, a non-professional or even criminalwho are called "black brokers".

Waste time and ruin your credit history

Perhaps the credit broker really works and is not cheating anyone. But if he is not a professional, then he will only waste the client's time: first he promises to approve a loan and a low interest rate, and then he will mindlessly send an application to all banks. In addition to wasted days, rejections are not profitable in themselves, because everyone ends up in credit history person and reduces the chances of approval of future applications.

And a loan broker can also earn by quantity. For example, recruit many clients and send requests on their behalf. Even if two thirds are refused, the last third will pay off. But other people will waste time and ruin your credit history.

Give a lot of money

Moreover, not only because of the broker's unprofessionalism, but also because of his malicious intent. Different schemes are used, here are the most popular:

• Hidden services. Long and confusing contracts include references to offers, additional agreements, and so on. These points may hide unexpected payments, fines or commissions.
• Sly formulations of avoiding responsibility. That is, they take money not for a result or a consultation, but for a subscription to "information services". In such cases, the client can be charged 200-300 rubles per week, while the intermediary is “working”.
• Promotion of bank products. Some brokers for money negotiate with unscrupulous financial organizations that they will promote their products. It is not a fact that such an agreement will be beneficial for a client who may well overpay.

Become an accomplice in a crime

Credit brokers who charge very high commissions, 25-30% or more, often turn out to be the very "black brokers". The latter spend money on bribing bank employees, issuing fake income certificates, “drawing” the ownership of the apartment. The client will also be responsible for this.

The bank always checks data in several independent databases. Let's say that information about income and tax payments is requested from the Pension Fund and tax, information about the owner of the apartment - in Rosreestr. So the truth will come up anyway. If not immediately, then at the next audit.

Everyone will be punished: from a corrupt bank employee to a broker and his client. One is charged with commercial briberyCriminal Code of the Russian Federation, article 204 "Commercial bribery", others - fraudCriminal Code of the Russian Federation, article 159.1 "Fraud in the field of lending" in the field of lending. At best, everyone will get off with a fine of hundreds of thousands of rubles, but there is a great chance of a real conclusion. Too risky for the sake of a simple loan.

How to choose a good loan broker

Credit brokers do not have licenses or a single registry, so you have to rely on indirect signs of reliability.

Deal with documents

On the Internet, it is easy to find data about a real company: when did it appear, what exactly is the name of the legal entity, who is the founder and director, where is it registered, is it liquidated. This is a basic check of the counterparty in search engines and in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (Unified State Register of Legal Entities).

Then you can dig deeper and see if the company is doing well with taxes, courts and inspections:

• arbitration file will allow you to check if the company is suing its partners;
• Unified State Register of Taxpayers (USRN) will show if the company has problems with taxes and fees;
• check register The Prosecutor General's Office will demonstrate whether the regulators were interested in the intermediary.

After that, it is useful to take a look at the contract that the loan broker offers to sign. It is necessary that all legal data coincide with the databases: the name, the form of the company, the address, and so on. The rights, obligations and responsibilities of both parties must be clearly stated. But there should be no subscriptions for "information services", incomprehensible rewards and fines. It is better to clear things up in advance, and if something remains dubious, then it is safer to refuse and look for another option.

View ratings and reviews

Useful to check reviews on portals that specialize in the banking market. If a broker has been working for a long time, there will be opinions of clients about quality and timing, service and other pitfalls.

The main thing is not to forget that reviews are also bought and sold.

It also makes sense to analyze the ratings of credit brokers. The presence even in the 100th place is already good, because the company at least really works and shows some results.

Ask broker about work

At the meeting, it is worth asking the loan broker how he organizes the process. It is good if the intermediary does not guarantee a specific result or rate, lure you with a discount that will burn out in 12 seconds, or rush to sign the contract without reading it.

It is ideal if the loan broker can explain the whole process calmly and clearly. Like, let's start with this, then there will be something, then a "black box" inside the bank, and finish like this. A good specialist will probably give a couple of examples: it was like this with one client, so with another, but decided like this.

Clarify how payment is structured

Everyone works differently: some are ready to take interest, others agree on the amount in advance, and still others suggest combining both approaches.

There is no single correct option, it all depends on the tasks. If we are talking about a simple consumer or car loan, then, most likely, a fixed payment will be more convenient: there is a service, there is a procedure, the result does not depend on anyone. But if we are talking about a complex transaction where you need to take one loan, restructure another and arrange a deposit for something else, then a percentage is better.

What is worth remembering

1. A loan broker is an intermediary who helps people get a loan, get a mortgage or restructure a bank loan.
2. A good broker knows the market and can select the best offers for his client, and at the same time save his time and effort.
3. Credit brokerage in Russia is almost unregulated: there are no compulsory licenses and special reporting. Therefore, there are scammers on the market who take money for nothing, and "black brokers", for cooperation with whom you can get a fine or even go to jail.
4. A good credit broker does not draw up a confusing agreement, clearly stipulates his remuneration, does not have problems with legal documents, courts and customer reviews.