The amount of your loan depends largely on:

• How much you need.
• Whether you can afford to repay it without leaving yourself short of money each month.

Normally, we advise that you borrow only what you actually need. It is unwise to spend more than 30% of your gross monthly income on loan repayments (in the case of a home mortgage, it can be up to 50%). But you must also calculate your other commitments.