Lonely men net better unsecured loans

Single men are the most likely group of people to apply for an unsecured personal loan via the internet, Halifax has found.

New research for the bank discovered that overall males were 50 per cent more likely to use the world wide web to take out a loan than women.

Additionally, close to half (46 per cent) of online applications were made by singles, with just over a third coming from married couples (37 per cent) and only one in 20 from divorcees.

And women were not closing the gap on their more web-savvy rivals.

"The number of online applications has more than doubled in the last three years and shows no signs of slowing," said Max Vialou-Clark, head of business development at Halifax unsecured personal loans.

"However, the gap between the number of men and women applying online shows no signs of narrowing and has remained constant for the last few years," he added.

London was found to be the most web-wise region, with over one in five (23 per cent) of all applications made online in the capital.

This was slightly ahead of the North West and Northern Ireland where online applications accounted for 20 per cent. Scots were the least likely group to apply for an unsecured personal loan online, with only six per cent of all applications made on the web.

But those people that do conduct their business over the internet can benefit from exclusive deals, as well as comparing different quotes quicker.

Mr Vialou-Clark concluded: "Conducting your personal finances online has the obvious advantages in terms of convenience and ease of use. Quick loan approval decisions and highly competitive pricing mean that those with access to the web can get a great deal at the touch of a button."