During times like this when the world is reeling under recession, banks are trying various techniques to get more business. One of the strategies applied by banks to lure prospective customers is by offering low interest personal loans. Though the name seems very tempting and alluring, remember “all that glitters is not gold”. There are many hidden facets to such loans which people are generally unaware of. You must take all these into consideration before you decide on which loan you would like to apply for.
There are various types of low cost loans available to consumers. We shall talk about four of them in this article to help you understand the benefits and drawbacks of each personal loan. The first type of low cost loan available is the secured personal loan. This type of loan offers one of the least interest rates to the borrower which is the main benefit of this loan.
The drawback is that the loans can be availed only by pledging collateral like a car or property. Failure by you to repay the loan will result in the loss of your collateral. Since the lender stands to benefit irrespective of if the loan is repaid or not, the interest charged is very low.
The next type of low cost personal loan provided by the bank to its customers is the unsecured personal loan. As the name says, you do need to have any collateral to avail this type of loan. The lender is not well covered if the borrower does not repay his/her dues on time. Due to this risk running high, though priced low, these loans have a higher rate as compared to the secured personal loans.
In addition to the type of loan that you would like to opt for, there are many other decisions that you need to make. You need to decide on which bank you would like to borrow from. Since every bank around the street corner is willing to offer personal loans at low interest rates, it is better to shop around and go in for the one that suits your needs the best. Also, ensure that you have good clarity of all the charges involved during repayment. You don’t want to get up in the morning and realize that you have been duped!
Nothing in the world comes cheap. Remember the saying “precaution is better than cure”. Hence, it is better to take time while opting for a personal loan at low interests rates rather than getting rejected at a later time.
Posts Tagged ‘ Low Interest Personal Loans ’
Low-interest personal loans, also known as signature loans, can often be quite difficult to qualify for. Low-interest personal loans are granted to the borrower without the lender enjoying the benefit of collateral which is why they are often called unsecured loans. It is for this reason that borrowers will find that lenders’ guidelines for such loans are often significantly more stringent.
Since no collateral is offered, as opposed to a home equity or auto loans, the lender’s only recourse in the event of default is to file a lawsuit. While it is certainly within reason that the lender could be awarded some personal property or wage garnishment as a result of a lawsuit, this is generally not the case.
In jurisdictions where wage garnishments are permitted, they are generally reserved for cases involving child support payments. As lenders find themselves financially exposed with low-interest personal loans, they will often require that the borrower has a requisite level of financial stability and credit in order to consider granting them.
The underwriting guidelines as regards low-interest personal loans will vary from lending institution to lending institution. In the case where there is a pre-existing personal relationship between the lending institution and the potential borrower, the qualification criteria will often be quite a bit more lenient.
While this is often the case, the lending institution is certainly under no obligation to make any exceptions as regards their guidelines. The parameters that lending institutions will use in order to determine whether a borrower is qualified for a low-interest personal loan are solid financial assets, job longevity, good credit rating and a low debt to income ratio.
The size of the personal loan that most lending institutions are willing to offer are often limited, sometimes to as low as $5,000. While some may offer more, it is important to remember that low-interest personal loans are often quite difficult to receive approval for. In the case of a potential borrower with less than perfect credit, they will find that the opportunity for them to receive approval for a low-interest personal loan is limited to say the least.
The situation is necessarily as dire as one might believe for borrowers seeking a loan with less than perfect credit. There are countless finance companies that specialize in smaller loans for just such borrowers. While borrowers may succeed in obtaining a loan through these finance companies, they will find that the interest rates that they are offered are often as much as 10% above market interest rates and can be paid off over a one to two year period. It is highly recommended that borrowers do their due diligence as regards researching their available alternatives.
There is another option for borrowers with poor credit, cash advance loans. Cash advance loans are also know as fast cash and payday loans; they require no credit check and, as such, the borrowers credit history is of no consequence. Cash advance loans are high-risk and, subsequently, have high interest rates and are designed to help borrowers solve immediate cash-flow problems.
It is important to remember that there are financial institutions that are more flexible than others and more open to work with a borrowers of all credit ratings. In certain cases, borrowers with poor credit may find that they can obtain a loan for up to $20,000. Of course, unsecured personal loans are obtainable by almost everyone for virtually any situation.
While unsecured loans with low-interest are not easy to come by, there are alternatives available for borrowers with a less than stable financial standing. Again, with some research and by learning what is available, one should be able to find loan package that meets their needs.