Glossary
A
ACPR
ACPR is the French authority that supervises banks and insurers and can act when a bank is in trouble.
APR
The annual percentage rate is borrowing cost shown as one yearly figure, with interest and fees folded in.
APRC
The annual percentage rate of charge, the figure that puts the true yearly cost of borrowing in one number.
Arrangement fee
An arrangement fee is a one-off charge for setting up a loan, usually taken out of the amount you receive.
ASIC
ASIC is the Australian commission that licenses lenders and supervises how credit is sold and serviced.
Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM)
The AFM keeps the Dutch register of financial service providers, where you confirm a lender or broker may operate.
B
BaFin
BaFin is the German regulator that supervises banks and other financial firms and holds their permissions to operate.
Banca d'Italia
Banca d'Italia is Italy's central bank and keeps the register of banks allowed to take deposits and lend.
Banco Central do Brasil
Banco Central do Brasil keeps the register of lenders authorised in Brazil to take deposits and make loans.
Banco de España
Banco de España is the authority that licenses and supervises banks and lenders in Spain, and each Spanish lender here shows the licence number …
Banco de Portugal
Banco de Portugal is Portugal's central bank and licenses both banks and credit intermediaries, the firms that arrange a loan for you rather than …
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the authority that licenses and supervises banks serving borrowers in the Philippines.
Bank of Zambia
Bank of Zambia is the body behind the registration details of banks and credit providers serving borrowers in Zambia.
Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin)
The German regulator that authorises and supervises banks and financial firms in Germany.
C
California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation is the state body that licenses lenders operating in California and holds them to the state's …
Central Bank of Armenia
The Central Bank of Armenia licenses and supervises Armenian banks and credit organisations, and each lender here shows the number it is registered under.
Central Bank of Bahrain
The Central Bank of Bahrain is the country's monetary authority, and its licence is what lets a firm hold deposits and lend there.
Central Bank of Ireland
The Central Bank of Ireland licenses banks, credit firms and payment services, so you can check who is allowed to lend before you commit …
Central Bank of Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya licenses and supervises lenders operating in the country, whether they offer personal loans or pay-in-installment plans.
Central Bank of Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria licenses and supervises the banks and financial institutions operating in Nigeria.
Credit check
A credit check is a lender's review of your credit history, and it comes as a hard check or a soft check.
Credit needed
The score band a lender expects from you before it will approve a loan.
E
F
FDIC
The United States regulator that supervises banks and backs deposits held at insured banks.
Features
Features show how a loan account behaves in practice, from a revolving credit line to money reaching you the same day.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
The FDIC is the US federal body that insures bank deposits and supervises the banks you hold accounts with.
Finansinspektionen
Finansinspektionen is Sweden's financial watchdog, the authority that licenses companies offering credit and supervises how they treat borrowers.
Fixed period
How long the rate stays the same before the deal ends and has to be renewed.
Founded year
The year a company was established, a rough guide to how long it has been lending.
Free early repayment
Free early repayment lets you settle a loan ahead of schedule without an early exit charge.
Funding time
How long after you sign for the money to reach your account, card or wallet.
H
I
L
Legal entity
The registered company you are contracting with, taken from the imprint or a public register.
Lender type
Whether a company lends its own money or acts as a middleman between you and a third-party lender.
Loan amount
The sum a lender will agree to borrow you, from a small bridging balance to a large mortgage-style figure.
Loan types
The kinds of loan a lender offers, from personal loans to revolving credit lines.
M
N
National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR)
The NBKR is the Kyrgyz authority whose licence number appears in the registration details of local banks and lenders.
National Bank of Ukraine
The National Bank of Ukraine licenses and supervises banks and other financial institutions, and its registers show how each lender is authorised.
National Bank of Ukraine (NBU)
The NBU licenses banks and financial companies in Ukraine, and each lender should publish its registration details.
National Credit Regulator (NCR)
The NCR registers the credit providers allowed to lend in South Africa, and each lender should show its registration.
NMLS
NMLS is the US system that records mortgage lenders and gives each one an identifier you can look up.
O
ORIAS
ORIAS is the French register of authorised credit providers and banks, and its identifier separates lenders with similar names.
Origination fee as a percentage
An origination fee percentage is a set-up charge that scales with the amount you borrow.
Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK)
The OJK licenses lenders in Indonesia, and its licence number belongs in the legal details of any provider you compare.
P
R
Rate type
Rate type says whether the interest rate on a loan holds steady or moves with the market.
Repayment term
How long you have to repay a loan in full, which sets your monthly payment and the interest you pay overall.
Representative example
A representative example is a lender's worked illustration of what a typical loan costs.