Paragon vs United Trust Bank Bridging Loans Comparison
.png)
- Cost transparency varies by lender, Paragon and United Trust Bank publish pricing frameworks differently, so use the eligibility and product guides to estimate a total cost.
- Speed depends on deal complexity and valuation approach, United Trust Bank highlights a Fast Track route for qualifying cases, while Paragon publishes a bridging term range rather than a single turnaround promise.
- Eligibility differs by loan size and security, United Trust Bank explicitly states ranges for regulated and unregulated bridging and notes different loan terms.
- Suitability is mostly about your exit strategy and property profile, both lenders frame bridging as short-term property-secured funding rather than long-term mortgages.
Products and terms at a glance
This section compares the bridging loan products that both lenders publicly describe. It is a high-level overview, so you can quickly identify where each lender fits before moving on to cost and application details.
Comparison table, core product features
| Feature | Paragon Bank | United Trust Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Product area | Bridging finance within development finance | Bridging finance |
| Loan size | Loans from £1m (published on its bridging finance page) | £125k to £15m (published on its bridging finance page) |
| Loan term | Up to 15 months (published) | Up to 12 months for regulated loans, and up to 24 months for unregulated loans (published) |
| Security focus | Property-secured bridging, including first charge lending up to an LTV cap it states for its bridging proposition | Bridging loans secured on property, with regulated and unregulated options described on its bridging page |
| Geography (as stated) | England and Wales | Not clearly limited in the same way on the summary bridging page snippet, the site positions it as a UK specialist bridging provider |
Important framing differences
- Paragon Bank’s published bridging proposition is strongly positioned around higher loan sizes, with a “from £1m” statement on its bridging finance page.
- United Trust Bank’s bridging proposition covers a wider loan-size band at “£125k to £15m”, and distinguishes regulated vs unregulated term limits.
Costs and repayments in practice
Neither lender typically publishes a single set of universal bridging “headline rates” and total cost figure for every scenario on a single static page. In practice, costs are shaped by the exact product structure (for example, charge position and whether the loan is regulated), your LTV and risk profile, and your exit route. The most useful way to compare is to understand what each lender does publish, then model repayments on an illustrative basis.
What each lender publishes publicly
- United Trust Bank: publishes bridging rates with “per month” style rate statements in its news releases, for example first charge rates and loan size limits in its announcement page about increasing maximum LTVs for first and second charge bridging, and its bridging page provides the headline loan size and term parameters. See UTB announcement on bridging LTV and rates and United Trust Bank bridging finance.
- Paragon Bank: publishes bridging availability parameters such as maximum term and minimum loan size on its bridging finance page. See Paragon Bank bridging finance. For cost-specific details, a lender may require an application-stage quote or provide pricing through intermediary channels, so public rate tables can be limited.
Illustrative repayment model, because public rates can be scenario-specific
To illustrate how repayments can look, the examples below use a simple interest-only approach for a bridging loan term, using a monthly rate assumption. These are illustrative only. Actual bridging repayments can be structured differently, may be serviced differently across the term, and can include additional costs depending on legal, valuation, and product structure.
| Input | Illustrative method used for both worked examples |
|---|---|
| Finance amount | Assumed principal advanced |
| Term | Assumed number of months |
| Rate assumption | Assumed monthly rate (illustrative), interest-only over the term |
| Monthly repayment | Monthly interest, principal repaid at end (illustrative) |
| Total repayable | Principal plus total interest over the term (illustrative) |
Worked example 1, illustrative
- Finance amount: £1,200,000
- Term: 12 months
- Rate assumption: 0.70% per month (illustrative, mid-market example where a lender quotes monthly style rates, not a claim of either lender’s exact rate for your deal)
- Monthly repayment: £8,400 (illustrative, calculated as £1,200,000 x 0.70%)
- Total repayable: £1,300,800 (illustrative, principal £1,200,000 plus interest £100,800)
Worked example 2, illustrative
- Finance amount: £2,500,000
- Term: 15 months
- Rate assumption: 0.60% per month (illustrative, midpoint-style assumption using the same monthly rate method, not a claim of either lender’s exact rate)
- Monthly repayment: £15,000 (illustrative, calculated as £2,500,000 x 0.60%)
- Total repayable: £2,725,000 (illustrative, principal £2,500,000 plus interest £225,000)
How to use these examples when comparing lenders
- If you expect to repay early, ask each lender how early redemption impacts the interest and any fees.
- If the loan is structured as regulated vs unregulated (for United Trust Bank), the applicable product and term limits can affect the cost shape.
- Focus on the interaction between loan size and the lender’s stated minimums and maximums, because a lender that only starts at £1m (Paragon) can change the feasible deal universe for your comparison.
Speed and service
Bridging is often used because a borrower needs funding between a property purchase and a planned exit, so speed is a key comparison factor. However, lenders do not always commit to a single “time to decision” across all cases. You can still compare service signals that are publicly stated.
Decision and binding signals
- United Trust Bank: its “Fast Track” bridging service sets qualification criteria for a faster route to binding, with a maximum loan size and LTV thresholds it states in the Fast Track launch page. See UTB Fast Track bridging service. This indicates that speed is conditional on meeting stated parameters.
- Paragon Bank: the bridging finance page sets product availability parameters (including term and minimum loan size), but the publicly visible snippet does not provide a single end-to-end turnaround promise. See Paragon Bank bridging finance.
Customer review signals from Trustpilot
Trustpilot ratings can be a useful signal about customer experience, but they are not a measure of bridging underwriting speed. The figures below are taken from the lenders’ Trustpilot review pages that list overall star ratings at the time of the search.
- Paragon Bank: Trustpilot review page shows a rating and review count for Paragon Bank.
- United Trust Bank: Trustpilot review page shows a rating and review count for United Trust Bank.
Service approach and account management
For bridging loans, the “service” experience often depends more on the intermediary and the specific case manager than on whether everything can be completed fully online. The public pages reviewed here emphasise product discovery and qualification criteria, rather than publishing a fully streamlined online journey for bridging in the same way as consumer lenders.
Who each lender suits
Suitability for bridging loans is largely driven by the loan size you need, the property profile, your exit strategy, and whether the transaction can meet any fast-track or eligibility constraints. The table below turns the public product parameters into decision-relevant screening prompts.
Paragon Bank fit
- Borrowers who need higher-value bridging, because Paragon states “loans from £1m” and describes first charge lending with an LTV cap as part of its bridging finance proposition, on its bridging finance page. See Paragon Bank bridging finance.
- Deals where a short development or bridging window aligns with a maximum bridging term it publishes of up to 15 months. See Paragon Bank bridging finance.
- Situations based in England and Wales, as stated on the bridging finance page. See Paragon Bank bridging finance.
United Trust Bank fit
- Borrowers who need flexibility on regulated vs unregulated bridging terms, because UTB’s bridging product states different maximum terms depending on whether the loan is regulated (up to 12 months) or unregulated (up to 24 months). See United Trust Bank bridging finance.
- Borrowers that fall within its published loan-size band of £125k to £15m. See United Trust Bank bridging finance.
- Cases where the deal can qualify for its Fast Track route, because the fast-track criteria (including maximum loan size and LTV threshold) are explicitly published. See UTB Fast Track bridging service.
How to apply
Bridging applications usually require evidence of both affordability and the value of the security, plus a credible exit plan. The lender pages reviewed here provide application forms or process-entry points, but bridging is commonly broker-driven. Below is a practical “what to prepare” guide, aligned to what the lenders’ bridging pages and supporting documents indicate.
Typical application steps, and what you should prepare
- Step 1, confirm the product fit: align your loan size with each lender’s published minimums and maximums (Paragon from £1m, UTB down to £125k) before spending time assembling a full submission. See Paragon Bank bridging finance and United Trust Bank bridging finance.
- Step 2, provide identity and director or borrower details: United Trust Bank publishes a bridging application form for individuals that includes director eligibility style questions. See UTB bridging loan application form for individuals.
- Step 3, submit property and valuation information: bridging typically requires property valuation or comparable evidence, and both lenders’ product positioning indicates property-secured lending.
- Step 4, evidence your exit strategy: prepare details of how the bridging facility will be repaid, for example sale proceeds, refinancing, or completion of works.
- Step 5, review binding conditions and drawdown steps: if you are applying under a fast-track route (UTB), align early with the fast-track criteria, since it is designed to accelerate binding for qualifying cases. See UTB Fast Track bridging service.
Online versus offline
For bridging, lenders often support intermediary submissions. The public documents found here include a downloadable bridging application form for individuals from UTB, which suggests that at least part of the process involves document exchange rather than purely online consumer-style forms. See UTB bridging application form for individuals.
Frequently asked questions
1. Are these lenders offering the same type of bridging loan?
Both lenders market bridging finance for property-secured, short-term funding. United Trust Bank explicitly distinguishes regulated and unregulated bridging terms on its bridging finance page. Paragon Bank publishes its bridging finance proposition as part of development finance, with product parameters such as maximum term and a minimum loan size. See UTB bridging finance and Paragon bridging finance.
2. What maximum term should I plan for?
Plan around the maximum terms stated on the lenders’ bridging pages. Paragon Bank states a bridging loan term up to 15 months. United Trust Bank states up to 12 months for regulated loans, and up to 24 months for unregulated loans.
3. How do I decide which lender is better for my situation?
Start with loan size fit and term needs. If you need a loan below £1m, Paragon’s stated “from £1m” positioning may make it a less direct match. If you need potentially longer than 12 months, UTB’s unregulated maximum term can be relevant. Both decisions should then be tested against valuation requirements and your exit plan.
4. What is the biggest factor that affects how fast I can complete?
Bridging speed often depends on how quickly the lender can complete valuation and underwriting, and whether your deal meets any published fast-track or qualification criteria. UTB publishes “Fast Track” qualification criteria intended to accelerate binding for qualifying cases.
5. Where do I find the complaint process if something goes wrong?
Both lenders publish complaint pages and procedures. For Paragon, the complaints procedure is on its complaints contact page, and the wider complaint-handling approach is also described at Paragon Banking Group level. For United Trust Bank, it provides a complaint page with a secure complaint form.
Final verdict
Choose Paragon Bank if:
- You need bridging finance starting at around £1m, which aligns with Paragon’s published “loans from £1m” proposition.
- Your bridging or development timescale fits within Paragon’s published maximum term of up to 15 months.
- Your deal is located within England and Wales and you want a first charge-focused bridging proposition as described on its bridging page.
Choose United Trust Bank if:
- You need bridging across a wider loan-size range, including deals down to £125k and up to £15m as stated on its bridging finance page.
- You need a longer maximum term option, because UTB publishes up to 12 months for regulated loans and up to 24 months for unregulated loans.
- You may be able to qualify for UTB’s Fast Track bridging route, which publishes specific criteria intended to accelerate binding for qualifying cases.
Sources
Official sources
- Paragon Bank, bridging finance (development finance)
- FCA Register, Paragon Bank Plc
- Paragon Bank, complaints procedure
- Paragon Banking Group, responding to customer complaints
- United Trust Bank, bridging finance
- FCA Register, United Trust Bank Limited
- United Trust Bank, complaints
- United Trust Bank, Fast Track bridging service
- United Trust Bank, bridging LTV and rates announcement
- United Trust Bank, bridging loan application form for individuals
Third-party sources
