Personal loans are loans taken out for personal purposes, as opposed to business or commercial reasons. They’re often used to cover unexpected expenses like medical bills, car repairs, or to help people make it to their next payday.
Useful Tips about Personal Loans
Here are some important tips that can help you get the most value from personal loans:
- Do not go overboard when borrowing; instead, keep the loan amount to a minimum.
- Do not simply select the first quick cash loan that you find, shop around.
- If there are no early payment penalties, try to pay off your loan early.
- Use a loan to pay off higher-interest credit card debt.
- Try to manage out-of-control spending before getting a personal loan.
- Always check the rate and terms before signing the loan documentation.
- Read everything carefully, and do not sign in a hurry.
- Always check that your credit report is accurate before getting a loan.
- Only take a loan from a duly registered and reputable lender.
Key Features
Personal loans offer specific benefits compared to many other consumer credit sources, including:
- Personal loans are versatile
Unlike a mortgage or car loan, these loans can serve many purposes.
- Good for debt consolidation
You can lower your monthly payments by consolidating higher-interest debt into one low-interest personal loan.
The existence of multiple lenders has led to competitive rates, benefiting borrowers.
- Excellent credit not required
You can get a personal loan even with bad credit, although you’ll pay higher rates than borrowers with excellent credit scores.
Personal loan approval is typically faster than mortgages and home equity loans, which can take at least a month. When applying online, you can get an answer as soon as the next day.
- Enough time to pay it off
Personal loans usually offer sufficiently long repayment periods, ranging from one year to seven years, depending on the lender and your credit score.
Related Fees
Depending on your lender, you may find different types of fees included in your personal loan. Some of the personal loan fees may include:
- Application fee – cost of processing, document preparation, and review
- Brokerage fee – applies when using a broker instead of a direct lender
- Closing fee – can be a lender’s or broker’s commission
- Commitment fee – may apply to loans that are not immediately funded
- Document preparation fee – the cost of drafting documents
- Processing fee – credit checks and Underwriting
- Paper copy fee – may apply if borrowers want physical copies of loan agreements
- Underwriting fee – assessing the level of risk with a specific borrower