Your education is the most important investment you can make in yourself, and getting funding for your education is equally important. For many adults who’ve made a few bad decisions financially, bad credit student loans don’t enter the picture until they want to return to college. Can bad credit rating impact whether or not they can get student loans?
Education loans are traditionally one of the lowest interest rate financial services products out there, in part because of the Federal student loan programs and grants — when Pell grants give money away for free to needy students, and getting scholarships can take the edge off, charging an outrageous interest rate for student loans doesn’t make a lot of sense. Likewise, from the perspective of a lender, people with college degrees tend to double their lifetime income potential compared to those with just a high school diploma, so lending money to college students is a good risk to take.
The premier student loan program is the Stafford loan. The Stafford loan program assumes that the typical college student is fresh out of high school, and thus doesn’t have a credit rating yet. These loans don’t even check the students credit rating, they look at financial need more than anything else. Stafford loans are capped in the total loan amount, because they were intended to fill in the gaps for books and scholarships, not fund an education entirely. The only credit history that can disqualify you from a Stafford loan is defaulting on a previous government-backed student loan.
There is a second federal loan package, called the Perkins loan. Like the Stafford education loan, it’s an excellent bad credit student loan, because it assumes that the recipient has no credit rating at all, coming out of high school. It is particularly well suited to adults returning to complete their education, because of its higher limits. It does have a more volatile interest rate than the Stafford program, and has just enough differences in the application process to be frustrating.
For students whose credit rating is better than theirs, who are worried about bad credit, the PLUS loan program offers conventional business loans at competitive market driven rates to their parents. This option is used a lot for students entering college after a stint in the military, particularly if their military stint caused a bad credit problem.
The last source of bad credit student loans are private student loan vendors. These will make an unsecured educational loan at interest rates that are generally higher than the three federal loan programs. Keep these in reserve as an emergency loan to fill out a semester’s payments; they have a shorter application cycle than any of the federal loans. Or, better yet, work on getting some scholarship and grant support, which is like a student loan that doesn’t have to be paid back if you meet certain academic requirements.
Posts Tagged ‘ Lending Money ’
The most common type of lender is the commercial bank, credit union, savings and loan companies, or investment companies. These lenders offer business loans, however, often times these loans must be secured. This could mean offering up your personal assets as collateral. Although, the business is yours to do with what you want, these loans are very risky to any un-established business. And that’s assuming you qualify. Unsecured loans, usually less than $100,000, are available to business owners based upon his or her personal credit history. Commercial banks may also request that a business have a co-signer or guarantor. This may mean finding a financial partner or checking into the various types of small business loans available through the federal government. Women and minorities have an even wider selection of entities willing to loan them business capital. Organizations such as the Women’s Business Ownership, Women Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century, and several others cater to lending money to women that wish to start-up a business, still others actually guarantee them business loans. Minority business loan programs are also available. Many businesses and government agencies or organizations allocate special funds to lend to minority business owners. The MBDA or Minority Business Development Agency is a federally funded agency that specializes in fostering minority-owned businesses. This agency can help minorities with personalized assistance and financial planning to secure adequate financing for business ventures.
One type of investor that can loan a business money is called an “Angel Investor.” These are professional investors who invest solely in companies. Angel investors are an excellent source of early stage financing. Often times, angel investors will finance a business loan that may appear a risk to commercial banks, or may appear too small to venture capitalists. One downfall to angel investors, they are often highly involved in the business itself. Many business owners do not want someone else running the show, so to speak, and opt to stay away from angel investors for business loans.
Venture Capitalists are in the business of loaning money to businesses that offer strict investment criteria and specialize in very specific high-growth industries. In return for capital, venture capitalists will acquire stock in the company. Venture capitalists generally look for businesses that can show profit within three to five years, and then they move on. However, during those three to five years, venture capitalists play a very active role in shaping the business. This often leads to a lack of control by the business owner.
Both angel investors and venture capitalists can be found by asking your business lawyer or accountant. Or you can conduct your own search via the Internet.
Many individuals turn to family and friends to acquire a business loan. Others may seek financial assistance through business partners or potential customers. No matter whom you ask to lend you the money you need for your business, having a good business plan or blueprint is the key. No investor, large or small, wants to invest in a business that doesn’t have a good foundation, and that always starts with an excellent blueprint.
The government wants your small business to succeed. That’s why they have created the Small Business Administration. This agency helps secure loans for entrepreneurs to get their companies up and running.
The end result of an SBA loan is the same as a traditional loan; ultimately, you get money in your pocket. But the means by which it gets there is a little bit different. As you can imagine, lending money to startup companies can be risky business. This is where the government steps in. To stimulate lending to small companies, the government offers to guarantee a portion of the loan to the bank. This means that if a business fails and is unable to repay its principal, the government will repay the bank for a certain percent of the default. This reduces the risk of lending money for the bank and ultimately means more resources in the hands of entrepreneurs.
It’s important to note that the entrepreneur is not in the clear if they default on the loan. Though there are plenty of stories of entrepreneurs whose debt was forgiven, the government technically only makes a guarantee for the bank.
It’s also important to note the role collateral plays in this process. Most loans, SBA loans in particular, require the debtor to put up collateral. This is the first place a bank will usually look if they need an alternative form of repayment. This means that if a business defaults, the bank has a legal right to claim some pre-specified asset. Only after that asset is claimed will it request repayment from the government.
SBA loans also differ from traditional bank loans in the way their interest rate is calculated. Normal loans are calculated based on an assessment of the risk associated with a business, along with consideration of current economic conditions. SBA loans interest rates also depend on economic conditions-they are tied to the prime rate of interest, a composite index determined by a group of large banks. Depending on the term, type, and amount of the loan there is also a fixed percentage added to the prime rate, to determine the final interest rate of the loan.
Nov
There are a number federal small business loans from the US government available to the entrepreneur. Who the loans serve and their purpose change depending on the loan product, but the government does want to see small businesses grow. Small businesses employ more people than large businesses and is strong growing trend. Additionally, as more people lose their jobs and can no longer find comparable work, many will turn to starting their own business.
The SBA has a number of loan products available for the entrepreneur. Sadly, start-ups may have trouble getting approved, but once established a business should be able to pursue them without problem. Federal government small business loans start with the SBA Community Express loan. This a low document loan with quick approval, but the lending amounts are lower. The primary SBA loan program is the 7(a) Loan which has a high maximum lending amount. One works with a bank to get a loan guarantee from the SBA. The loan requirements are rigid and turn around time can be long. Many banks will simply approve a loan if one looks like they will get approved, rather than wait for SBA acceptance. The SBA also has loan products for construction, bonding, exporting, community development, and revolving lines of credit.
However, the SBA is not the only small business loan available from the federal government. The USDA has a loan program available to businesses in rural areas. Then the government also helps community development organizations lending money. HUD gives money to community groups that they can lend to small businesses. Other agencies do the same, provide seed money to community groups to loan to small businesses. The idea is that this money keep revolving, and the government only has to seed once.
Also, the government provides grants to numerous small business centers. These centers help entrepreneurs get financing from local lenders or they can tap the government resources. This is a cost effective way the US government gets small businesses started and keeps them growing.
Nov
Many people who wish to start their own business need an injection of financial capital at the beginning of a business; the main source of funding for entrepreneurs is business loans.
Let’s take a look at what you should expect if you plan to apply for one.
First of all, you should know that most lenders have their doubts when it comes to lending money to a first-time business owner. You’re considered a high business risk at this point, and you should go in to your loan negotiations armed with a few advantages. Of course, the ideal option is to run your business for a few years, even just out of your home, and turn a good profit before approaching a bank for a loan.
That shows that you have the ability to make money and that your business won’t flop before the Open sign shows up on the door. But if this isn’t possible, if you need the cash before you can begin at all, then chances are you will need to offer some type of collateral. Collateral can be anything from your car to your home and everything in between. Depending on the size of the loan, you may require some pretty hard assets for collateral. The lender is not interested in whether or not your business will make money, aside from the extent that will allow you to pay them back on time. They simply don’t want to lose out on the loan, and so you’ll have to find some way to back yourself up.
Backing up your loan with assets, if you have them, is a good route – provided you have enough confidence in your financial situation to ensure you are not going to lose your collateral. If you don’t have enough assets to stand in for your loan, another option is to find a cosigner. Chances are you won’t get as much cash as you would if you had the assets. But having someone with good credit who is willing to sign onto your loan and promise to pay if you don’t can be the factor that gets you through the door. This is a good way for friends and family who believe in your business to help you get it off the ground, even if they don’t have the money to loan you up front.
When it’s time to borrow, do some comparison-shopping among banks and credit associations, and don’t stop until you find the lowest interest rate possible. You’re already gambling a lot here- minimize the amount you will have to pay back by doing your homework and choosing the company that offers you the best deal. If you can’t get enough to cover your beginning business expenses, consider borrowing part of the cash from a friend or relative if you can, or even asking for investors, such as customers who believe in your business, to help out. Don’t accept a high-rate, high-risk business loan just because it offers you the biggest amount.
The small business loan: The first step in a long chain of financial events. If you take the right step, it could be your leap into the business world.