The research suggested a £1,200 difference between the cheapest and most expensive loan.

And wealthier women were 50 percent more likely to carry expensive loans than their male counterparts.

Paying off a policy loan may not be the best move for people who have other, more expensive loans outstanding.

However, at current high interest rates, many employees cannot afford to pay the interest on expensive bridging loans.

Higher rates could also lead to more expensive loans for automobiles; robust car sales have been another pillar of the economy the last few years.

Banks and other lenders should voluntarily rein in brokers who direct clients to unjustly expensive loans.

Many students, should they wish to study beyond undergraduate level are forced to take out large expensive loans.

A broker who steers a borrower to a more expensive loan can snag a bigger fee for himself.

Companies that provide expensive, short-term loans to desperate borrowers face tougher regulation by the government.

The study reported that many minorities were taking out more expensive loans - called subprime - which are geared to home buyers with poor credit.