Finance: we refer you on

No. We advise and act as brokers on general insurance only, under AFM licence 12016589. Credit and mortgages fall under other licence categories. For those products we refer you to providers registered for them. They carry out the assessment and the advice independently and are responsible for it themselves.

All the costs of the credit, expressed as a percentage per year: interest plus any additional charges. Because every licensed provider calculates it in the same way, you can use it to compare offers. The monthly payment can mislead, because it falls as soon as the term is stretched while the total price rises.

To prevent over-borrowing. Licence holders must consult the BKR for credit from 250 euros with a term longer than one month, and also assess whether the payments fit your income and fixed outgoings. If you are refused, that says something about affordability; carrying on looking for a provider that will say yes is usually the most expensive route.

The lender often imposes requirements: own-damage cover on a financed vehicle or buildings insurance on a home or premises, with the bank as beneficiary. Payment protection is sometimes offered. That is usually not compulsory. Compare its cost with any income or life cover you already have.

Contact the credit provider straight away. It is obliged to consider a payment arrangement with you and reports arrears to the BKR. Do not wait until debt collection follows, because the costs then mount. You can find independent help through your local authority or a debt counsellor. There is no charge for that.