Getting a loan between 70 and 74 as a retiree in France

Yes, a retiree over 70 can still borrow in France: no law sets a maximum age for credit. What changes from 70 onwards is borrower insurance, some of whose guarantees close, and the term the lender is willing to grant, which is usually set so that the last instalment falls before 80 or 85.

Between 70 and 74 you are in an in-between zone. Banks' group insurance policies frequently stop between 70 and 75, but specialist insurers offering délégation (an individual policy chosen instead of the bank's own) still accept new applicants for death cover. With a stable pension and a project of reasonable length, most files find a lender, as long as you knock on the right door. That is true whether your pension comes from the French schemes, from the UK State Pension or from US Social Security, provided it is paid regularly and documented.

What really changes on your 70th birthday

Lenders like pension income: it arrives every month, depends on no employer and cannot vanish overnight. At 70, repayment capacity is therefore almost never the sticking point. The brake is the risk of death, which the bank wants covered for the whole life of the loan.

In practice, according to brokers' guides, the PTIA guarantee (perte totale et irréversible d'autonomie, total and permanent loss of independence) generally has to be taken out before 65 and ends at around 70. Disability and incapacity cover, which relate to working life, no longer serve any purpose for a retiree. That leaves death cover, which becomes the heart of the negotiation.

Which insurance guarantees remain available from 70 to 74?

Group policies offered at the bank counter rarely accept a new member after 70 for a mortgage, and their cover often ends between 70 and 75. Individual policies taken out through délégation go further: several insurers accept death-cover applications up to 80 or 85, with cover ending at around 85 or 90 depending on the contract.

The loi Lemoine does not help at this age. Its waiver of the health questionnaire applies only if the insured share is €200,000 or less and the loan ends before your 60th birthday. Expect a medical questionnaire, sometimes followed by tests above a certain amount of capital.

How long a loan you can expect

For a personal loan, specialist lenders offer terms of up to 84 months, which would take a 71-year-old borrower to 78 at most. For a mortgage, the HCSF rule caps the term at 25 years, but at 70 a bank will usually aim for 10 to 15 years, ending somewhere between 80 and 85.

Worked example: Jacques, 71, replacing his car

Jacques receives €2,150 a month from his basic and complementary pensions and has no loans outstanding. He asks for €14,000 over 60 months. At a fixed borrowing rate of 6.50%, the instalment is around €274, or 12.7% of his income. The application goes through if death cover is accepted until 76, which individual délégation policies offer.

Key figures for a borrower aged 70 to 74

The table sums up the limits seen on the market. They vary from one contract to another and must be confirmed with each insurer, but they show the room for manoeuvre a newly minted septuagenarian actually has.

What does death cover cost at this age?

The price depends on age, health, capital and term. According to the comparison site Goodassur, an individual policy taken out around 70 costs on average about 0.95% of the capital borrowed per year, against 1.50 to 1.70% for a bank group policy. On €25,000 borrowed, the difference can exceed €1,500 over the life of the loan.

How the usury ceiling limits the total cost

Since 1 October 2026, the APR on a consumer loan above €6,000 may not exceed 8.56%, and compulsory insurance is included in that calculation. For a fixed-rate mortgage of 10 to 20 years, the cap is 4.68%. An insurance premium that is too high can therefore sink an application, which is a strong argument for délégation.

The AERAS convention for borrowers with a medical history

If you have had a serious illness, the AERAS convention, the French agreement on insuring people with health risks, sets out how your file is examined. For property loans it covers amounts up to €420,000 where the loan ends before age 71, which rules out most borrowers in their seventies. Beyond that, you need an insurer that accepts aggravated risks, usually through a specialist broker.

Steps that improve your chances

A well-prepared file often makes the difference between a refusal in principle and an offer. This is the order we recommend for a retiree aged 70 to 74.

1. Work out what you have left to live on: total pensions, minus rent or charges, tax and current repayments.
2. Choose a term that ends before 80, unless you have a specific property project.
3. Ask your usual bank first, since it has seen your pension arrive for years.
4. At the same time, obtain two quotes for death cover through délégation, from a broker or an insurer.
5. Compare offers on the APR including insurance, not on the borrowing rate alone.
6. Use the 14-day withdrawal period set by the Consumer Code to reread the offer calmly.

Why some applications are refused at 70

The main reason is still insurance: rejection by the group insurer, a loading judged excessive or the exclusion of a condition. The second is a term that is too long, which would end the credit at 88 or 90. The third is debt that is already high, often a forgotten revolving line that weighs on the lender's calculation. Non-resident retirees face a fourth: many French lenders will only lend to people resident in France, so a borrower who spends most of the year in England may need a bank with an international desk.

Mistakes to avoid

Many retirees accept the bank's insurance without comparing it, even though the loi Lagarde has allowed borrowers to choose another contract with equivalent guarantees since 2010, and the loi Lemoine lets them switch at any time. Another mistake is hiding a treatment on the health questionnaire. A false declaration can void the cover, and the debt would then fall to the heirs.

Retired couples borrowing together

When both partners are over 70, insuring each at 50% rather than 100% cuts the premium sharply. If one of you is under 70, naming that partner as the main borrower can also ease acceptance. Some insurers give a discount to co-borrowing couples or to non-smokers.

Fallback options if the bank says no

A refusal is not the end of the road. When insurance is the obstacle, pledging an assurance-vie policy (nantissement) can replace death cover: the bank repays itself from the policy if something goes wrong. Owners can offer a mortgage charge, and those aged 60 or more can look at the prêt viager hypothécaire, the French lifetime mortgage distributed by Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Épargne.

For a small one-off need, a pawn loan from the Crédit municipal requires neither proof of income nor insurance. Finally, a credit broker approaches several lenders at once and knows which ones still accept borrowers of 72 or 73. Brokers' fees are only payable if the loan goes through.

Questions retirees in their early seventies ask

Can my bank refuse purely because of my age? The French Penal Code lists age among the grounds of discrimination, so a refusal must rest on something objective, in practice insurance, term or solvency. Ask for the reason in writing and approach another insurer through délégation.

Is insurance compulsory for a personal loan? No law requires it for consumer credit, but the lender may make it a condition. Some accept a file without insurance when the amount is modest and the term short.

Can I still get a 15-year mortgage? It is possible if an insurer covers death until 85 or 86 and your debt ratio stays below 35%. A substantial deposit or real security reassures the bank.

Must I declare treatment for high blood pressure? Yes, every question must be answered accurately. Stabilised hypertension often leads to a moderate loading and rarely to refusal.

Is a broker worth it for a €10,000 loan? For the insurance, yes, because a broker compares individual policies. For the credit itself, a direct simulation with two or three lenders is often enough.