Much like applying for other personal loans, applying for personal loans for single parents will likely require the following:

• Proof of identity
  
• Proof of residence
  
• Proof of income
  
• Details of assets (e.g. car, home)
  
• Details of liabilities (e.g. credit cards, other loans)
  
• Loan amount
  
• Loan term
  

It may be much more difficult for a self-employed borrower to successfully apply for a personal loan if they also have bad credit. Many lenders already consider self-employed borrowers to be riskier than those in full time employment, so several self-employed personal loans require borrowers to have excellent credit.

If you’re a self-employed borrower with a bad credit history, there may still be personal loan options available to you, such as securing your personal loan against a vehicle of equity in a property, though your interest rates may be higher than those of other borrowers. Consider contacting a lender before applying to discuss your options.

Personal loans may require a borrower to provide proof of identity, proof of residence, details of any other outstanding loans (including credit cards), details of assets they own (e.g. savings, car, property), and proof of income.

While borrowers in full-time or part-time employment can often provide payslips and similar documents to prove their income, self-employed borrowers may need to provide other information, such as bank statements or tax returns, to demonstrate that their income can cover a loan’s repayments.

While some personal loans can be secured by the value of an asset, such as a car or equity in a property, student personal loans are often unsecured, with higher interest rates.

Some lenders also offer guarantor personal loans to students. These loans have lower interest rates, as a guarantor (usually a relative of the borrower with good credit) will guarantee the loan, taking on the financial responsibility if the borrower defaults.

Completing an online personal loan application can often take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Depending on your lender, processing your personal loan application may take anywhere between 1 and 24 hours. If your personal loan application is approved, you may receive the money in your bank account the following business day, or even the same day, in some cases.

Fixed personal loans keep your interest rate the same for the full loan term, while interest rates on variable personal loans may be raised or lowered during your loan term.

A fixed rate personal loan keeps your repayments consistent, which can help keep your budgeting consistent, without worrying about ending up out of pocket if your rates were to rise. However, on a fixed loan you’ll also potentially miss out on more affordable repayments if variable rates were to fall.

Most lenders will need to you provide the following information in your application for a fast loan:

• Proof of identity
  
• Proof of residence
  
• Proof of income
  
• Details of any assets you own (e.g. car, home etc.)
  
• Details of any liabilities you owe (other personal loans, credit cards, mortgages etc.)
  
• How much you want to borrow
  
• How long you want to pay it back
  
• Purpose of your loan
  

Like other personal loan applicants, single mothers will likely need to provide a few documents to any potential lender, such as personal identification, bank statements (savings, loans, credit cards), proof of address, and proof of income (payslips, tax returns).

Generally, bad credit personal loans can be used for one or more of the following purposes:

• Debt consolidation
• Paying bills
• Buying vehicles
• Moving expenses
• Holidays
• Weddings
• Education

Some lenders restrict how their bad credit personal loans can be used as part of their commitment to responsible lending – be sure to check before applying.