• @BorgDrone
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    19 months ago

    How can a lender know you’re living well within your means?

    It basically goes like this: here (the Netherlands) debt is registered, including what your monthly payments on those debts are. When you want to get a new loan you go to the bank with proof of income, they then look at your existing debt / payments and make an estimation of your cost of living. You will only be approved for a loan if monthly payments for current and the new loan + cost of living < your income.

    You’re not supposed to be able to borrow more than you can afford the payments on.

    Of course you can still get into trouble if you have a sudden drop in income, but at that point you can’t get any additional loans.

    They also register non-payment of debts, not just on loans but also on things like energy bills, rent, cell phone plans, etc.

    The best situation is that they have no records on you, because that means that you have no outstanding debt and no failures to pay.