FAQ: business lending & business loans for business owners
Business Loans Frequently Ask Questions
More about the Currum Downs Small Business Loans
Tell me about the Currum Downs Small Business Loans
Currum Downs unsecured loans offers the range of $5,000 to $100,000. The terms range between 3 and 24 month and cash flow friendly repayments, which are either daily or weekly.
How is the Unsecured Loan different from the traditional business loan?
You can apply to get your Small Business Loan in under 10 minutes on the internet or on the phone. You’ll receive an answer within the same day and the funds could be on your account within 24 hours. Traditional company loans are based on an annual rate of interest together with additional fees and charges. This company loan is a cash-based loan and you’ll know in advance the total amount due, which includes any interest, fees or charges. This is then divided into weekly or daily installment amount.
What can the Small Business Loan be used for?
A Small Business Loan can be used to fulfill almost every business use, including cash flow management, company improvements, advertising for purchasing inventory or new equipment, as general working capital, and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
About larger Currum Downs Business Loans
What is the Larger Currum Downs Business Loan?
The Larger Business Loan is a larger amount of loan to help company expansion opportunities. Loans range from $100,000 to $500,000 over a fixed term for up to 36 months. Repayments are either weekly or fortnightly, depending on your situation.
How’s the Origination Fee calculated?
This Larger Business Loan has an Origination Fee that is calculated at 2.5 percent of the loan amount.
Do I qualify for the Larger Business Loan?
To be eligible for a credit in this amount the company needs to be trading for at least 3 years with an annual turnover of at least $700K. It is necessary to be a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident) at least 18 years old and have a New Zealand company (with a valid NZBN/IRD) and be able of proving at minimum 12 months of business.
What can I use the funds for?
A large company loan is a great option for almost every business reason, such as company renovations, purchase of equipment or inventory, as general working capital and much more. The loan is not available to fund personal expenses.
Is the Larger Business Loan one that is secured?
Asset security is required for funding of more than $150,000. It’s by taking a charge over assets, and may include registering this on the PPSR or registering as a caveat.
A personal or director’s guarantee is a promise to pay back a loan that is general in nature, rather than defining security over an asset. The person who is signing the ensure is personally liable in the event that the company borrower is unable to repay the debt.
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is an online central registry run by the New Zealand Government. It reflects security interests that are registered for personal property (including objects or assets). The PPSR gives prioritisation over property that is personal to be assigned depending on the date that a security interest that is registered.
A caveat is a legal document filed to offer the legal claim to a property.
What exactly is a preapproval without Credit Check?
If you’re seeking the Larger Business Loan that exceeds $250,000, we may offer an initial pre-approval that will help ease the process. We might be able to get this done without credit checks and within six hours of your initial application. This pre-approval is based on an initial evaluation that involves you answering some financial well-being checks. This is in no way an offer, nor is it a guarantee of funds. Unconditional approval is subject to an extensive credit evaluation and any offer you receive could have different terms.
Application process
Do I qualify for funds?
You may apply for a company loan if you
- are a New Zealand Citizen (or Permanent Resident)
- are over the age of 18 and have a New Zealand business (with a valid NZBN/IRD)
- you must prove at least 6 months worth of trade (for a unsecured loan $5K – $100K) or 3 years of continuous trading (for the Larger Business Loan $100K - $500K)
How do I apply?
The application process is fast and simple. Complete the online form within a couple minutes, and an experienced business lending specialist will call you to guide you through the process.
To be eligible for up to $100,000 you’ll need proof of identity (valid Driver’s Licence) as well as an NZBN/IRD that is valid and at least 6 months of bank statements.
For larger loan sizes, you’ll need:
$100K to $250K: Details of application, including credit approval, 6-12 months of bank statements, IRD statement (if the loan is greater than $150K).
$250K to $500K: Details of the application, including credit consent and 12 months bank statement, an IRD statement as well as the two most recent years’ financial statements, plus interim financials from the current financial year such as age-related payables and aged Receivables summary.
How quickly will I receive an answer?
For an unsecured loan ($5K or more) we usually offer an answer in just one hour if you apply at quality company timings and permit us to make use of the advanced bank verification system link to immediately verify your bank account information online. If you decide to upload copies of your banking statements , we’ll be able to provide the decision within one company day.
For Larger Business Loans ($100K and up) we may be in a position to provide you with a conditional pre-approval within six hours. Once you have signed the pre-approval document, you will require to wait around 2-3 days for final approval. However, it could be faster based on the particular circumstances of each application. Some transactions have received approval in the space of 24 hours.
The quickest method can be make sure you apply during normal company hours and allow us to use our advanced bank verification system to instantly confirm your bank details online. If you decide to upload documents from your account statements it will take a little longer.
How fast will I get the money?
For the Small Business Loan ($5K or more) we typically offer an answer in just one hour, provided you apply at standard business time and permit us to utilise the advanced bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank information online. If you want to send us copies of your bank statements we can provide an answer in as little as the span of one business day.
For the Larger Business Loans ($100K to $500K) We may be able to offer you with a conditional pre-approval in about six hours. After you’ve signed the pre-approval document, you will need to wait approximately 2-3 days to receive final approval, however this could be shorter based upon the circumstances for each application. Some deals have been approved within less than 24 hours.
The quickest method can be ensure you apply during standard business hours, and allow us to use the advance bank verification link to check your bank’s information online. If you opt to upload documents from your account statements it may take a bit longer.
What’s the minimum amount I can borrow?
We offer the loan amount between $5,000 and $500,000. When you make an application for a certain amount, we will consider a number of factors that determine your well-being for your business and the level of repayments your company will be able to support. The total amount of the loan will be determined by the specific circumstances the business.
If you apply for a certain amount, we look at a range of aspects to determine how much we can lend you such as well-being for your business and the level of repayments your company can afford. The amount you receive from your loan will be contingent on the particulars the business.
Fees & repayments
How do you charge for the cost of a business loan?
When you make an application for one of our business loan, we’ll assess the risk assessment of your business and provide you with a tailored offer including the loan amount, the terms and interest rates. This business loan is an upfront priced loan and you’ll be aware of the total amount you will have to pay, including charges or interest.
What is the factor that determines the price I’m charged?
Business loan interest rates depend on several factors including the amount borrowed, the business assets the funds will be used for, the industry the business is in, how long the company has been in operation for, in the event that the business has sufficient cash flow to cover the loan, and the overall well-being or creditworthiness of the company.
What are the costs?
There are no hidden costs with our business loans. You’ll know precisely how much it is that you need to pay and when, from the day you sign up. There’s no compounding and the loan comes with no additional fees (as long as you make your payments in time).
We don’t charge an application fee. You can apply for a loan with no upfront cost or obligation to proceed.
The Origination Fee covers the costs associated with setting up and managing the loan. The only way to pay this fee if you decide to take the loan. The Origination Fee for us is 2.5 percentage of the loan amount.
Can I pay off the loan early?
You can choose to repay the entire amount of the loan in full at any time.
If you do decide to take this route, please speak to our friendly business credit specialists. We will provide you with details for repayment along with an early payout estimate. This will be calculated as the total of the principal amount remaining and accrued interest to the date of early payout plus 1.5 percent of the remaining principal as well as any outstanding fees.
How do repayments work?
To help you avoid missing payment dates and to align with your cash flow cycle we provide payments that are either daily or weekly. These are automatically deducted from your company account.
Security & privacy
Will my data be protected?
Security of your data, and being clear about how we collect the information we collect, use, share and ensure the security of your information is vital and a vital part of our relationship with you.
Is it safe to link my bank account to the platform?
Yes. We use industry recognised encryption standards to protect your personal, sensitive and financial data and our funders are ISO 27001 certified for our commitment to the security of our clients as well as their privacy. We utilise a sophisticated bank verification system link to instantly verify your bank account information online. This allows us to provide rapid response.
About business loans
What’s an asset-based borrow (a secured loan)?
An asset-based loan is when a business owner borrows from an asset that they own to make a loan. The asset can be an individual asset, such as the family home or it could be a business asset such as a truck or other piece of machinery.
The vast majority of lending institutions, even the major banks, prefer to make loans secured by an asset. If you are having difficulty paying back the loan, the asset could be transferred to the lender. In essence, it is means of securing new funding using the value of what you already own.
Do I need security to get an company loan?
Up to $150,000 in loans no asset security is required upfront to access the money however, we do need an individual guarantee. In the event that you fulfill the loan terms (as specified in the loan contract), asset security will never be needed. For loans over $150K generally there is an individual guarantee and security in the form a charge over assets.