In principle, any private individual can apply for a loan via LEND, provided they are of legal age, reside in Switzerland, have an account with a Swiss bank and have a regular income.

Companies must be domiciled in Switzerland and registered in the commercial register. In addition, we generally require at least two annual financial statements and an annual turnover of CHF 100,000 or more.

LEND assigns each borrower an individual credit rating (‘Scoring’) based on information provided by the borrower and third-party providers. We work with credit rating agencies (Crif, Intrum, etc.), debt collection and land registry offices, the commercial register, and, in the case of consumer loans, ZEK/IKO, and check the income and expenses of each borrower. For business loans, we check the financial indicators, consider the industry context and provide a market and industry outlook. For mortgages, we check the value of the property that serves as collateral for the loan.

Although the credit assessment process varies depending on the type of loan, it always involves assessing the risk of loan default.

A personal loan can basically be taken out for anything. There are many good reasons, such as paying off an expensive bank loan, renovating your home, making a tax back payment or covering an unexpected dental bill for your children.

For business loans, we offer financing for various situations such as growth, liquidity, investments in tangible assets, research and development, real estate, pre-financing of current assets, debt restructuring or refinancing.

In the area of mortgages, we are primarily active in the areas of bridge financing, retirement mortgages or subordinated solutions for real estate professionals.

Opening a LEND account and credit checks are generally free of charge. In the case of complex checks, such as for mortgages, certain costs may be incurred, such as for an appraisal.

Otherwise, borrowers only pay if a loan project has been successfully financed. We then either deduct this fee immediately when the loan is paid out or issue a separate invoice. The fee schedule provides detailed information on this.

For personal loans, we also recommend taking out payment protection insurance with our partner Helvetia Insurance. This protects you against the risks of (unavoidable) unemployment, death and incapacity to work. If, for example, you lose your job due to restructuring, Helvetia will continue to pay your monthly instalments for a maximum of 12 months. We will invoice you for the insurance premium with your monthly payments. Important: Insurance generally reduces the credit risk and thus leads to lower interest rates.