Just under half (44 per cent) of loans are taken out through mobile devices, research from Hitachi Personal Finance has found, up from 36 per cent 12 months ago. Mobile users account for 26 per cent of loan applications, while tablet users account for 18 per cent, the research states. This comes after a YouGov survey found that 42 per cent of UK consumers now use smartphones and tablets to search and purchase travel and financial goods.