Guide to Personal Loans


Here is a useful guide to Personal loans. What is a personal loan? A personal loan is money lent to an individual by a financial institution for a specific personal purpose.

A personal loan is an amount of money offered, normally by lending institutions such as banks and building societies, on the condition that it will be paid back at some later date. Personal loans are available in a whole host of formats and can range from £500 upwards.

One main difference between a personal loan and a home loan is that most personal loans are unsecured. So, that means that there is no collateral provided and the only guarantee that a borrower can give the lender is his reputation for good credit. This is also one of the main reasons why personal loans have interest rates that are a percentage higher than most other loans.

A personal loan is money you borrow from a bank, building society or other financial institution. A personal loan is a loan that's not secured by personal property or collateral like a home or car.

A personal loan is available in varying amounts with different rates, usually depending upon the purpose for which you require the loan.

An unsecured personal loan is usually more expensive than homeowner loans as the lender doesn't take a charge on your loan. In other words, with this type of loan, you do not guarantee it with your home.

You borrow an agreed sum of money for an agreed length of time, anywhere between five months and ten years. The lender offers you a personal loan because they make money by charging interest on it. The interest rate can be either fixed or variable. In most cases you'll get a decision within 24 hours.

Under most personal loan arrangements you receive a lump sum, equal to the amount of the agreed loan and in return you agree to make regular repayments. These repayments are normally monthly and cover both the interest due and the capital outstanding loan amount.

If you are looking to borrow money over a period of less than ten years, whether you need the money for a purchase or perhaps to repay existing debt, then a personal loan may be suitable for your needs.

Personal loans are just another form of credit. If you are considering a personal loan to run alongside other forms of personal credit such as overdrafts and credit cards, you must give careful consideration to whether you will be able to afford the total of your regular payments. When considering the situation it is wise to take into account your ability to pay were you unable to work due to illness or should you lose your employment.

Frequently the lending institution will ask for details of the reason you require the loan. Although the purpose of the loan may have little impact on their decision to grant the money, it can have some influence on the maximum term of the loan.

It is more likely that larger sized loans, for purchases such as cars, home improvements etc. will result in a longer repayment term. It is not uncommon for the purchase of a car to established with a repayment term of 3 years whilst the term for home improvement loans can be for much longer terms, sometimes as long as ten years.

Making repayments under personal loans is the same as servicing any debt you may have. If you find that you have difficulty in making your repayments, seek advice from your lender at the earliest opportunity. The earlier you tell them of the difficulties the more sympathetic they are likely to be. They may, for instance, accept a reduced repayment until your circumstances improve.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.







Related News



Housing fix backfires - CNN

New York Times

Housing fix backfires
CNN -12 hours ago
A new law was supposed to make it easier for buyers in expensive markets to get affordable loans. Instead, rates are going up for everyone. ...
Fannie, Freddie shun NY subprime loansInman.com (subscription)
Higher Fees for MortgagesNew York Times
Freddie pares mortgage commitments; Fannie to buy moreMarketWatch
CITY A.M. - Bloomberg
all 24 news articles

Delinquencies, Losses Continue to Rise On Loans Backing ... - Wall Street Journal

Delinquencies, Losses Continue to Rise On Loans Backing ...
Wall Street Journal -4 hours ago
By LAUREN POLLOCK Delinquencies and losses on pools of loans backing US residential mortgage-backed securities issued in 2006 and 2007 continued to weaken ...
Moody's Reviewing All 2006, 2007 Jumbo Mortgage Bonds (Update1)Bloomberg
Many mortgage bonds weakened in 1st half -Moody'sReuters
all 4 news articles

More Trouble in Savings & Loan Industry - Wall Street Journal Blogs

More Trouble in Savings & Loan Industry
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY -12 hours ago
The Treasury Department’s Office of Thrift Supervision released its quarterly review of the savings and loan industry Wednesday. Some key points: There were ...
US Savings & Loans Institutions Post Second Largest Loss EverAHN
Thrifts Posted $5.4 Billion Loss in Second Quarter (Update2)Bloomberg
US Thrifts Lost $5.4B in Second QuarterTheStreet.com
Reuters - International Herald Tribune
all 309 news articles

Former HUD Secretary Cisneros Cites Housing Decline as ... - MarketWatch

Former HUD Secretary Cisneros Cites Housing Decline as ...
MarketWatch -3 hours ago
His data determined that while the majority of sub-prime loans went to non-Hispanic whites, there was a much higher concentration of sub-prime loans to ...


A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans - Washington Post

A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans
Washington Post, United States -3 hours ago
Exceptions include situations in which the borrower fraudulently got the loan or failed to repay according to the terms of the loan. ...

Commercial loans straining Minnesota banks - Minneapolis Star Tribune

CBS News

Commercial loans straining Minnesota banks
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN -42 minutes ago
But bank watchdogs who spoke in Bloomington on Wednesday warned that the list already is growing longer -- thanks to loans going bad in a hurry. ...
'Marketplace' Report: Broke BanksNPR
FDIC Weighs Tapping Treasury as Funds Run LowWall Street Journal Blogs
Red all around for Florida banksBizjournals.com
MSNBC - Graphic Online
all 1,094 news articles

Money site hit by low demand for loans - Financial Times

Money site hit by low demand for loans
Financial Times, UK -2 hours ago
By Tim Bradshaw, Digital Media Correspondent Faltering demand for loans and mortgages has dragged down revenues at Moneysupermarket.com's personal finance ...

Fitch Takes Various Rating Actions on CBA 2006-2 - MarketWatch

Fitch Takes Various Rating Actions on CBA 2006-2
MarketWatch -12 hours ago
The downgrade and Rating Watch placement is the result of additional specially serviced loans and increased loss expectations since Fitch's last rating ...
Fitch Affirms LB Commercial Mortgage Trust 1999-C2Business Wire (press release)
Fitch Ratings Affirms BACM 2007-2MarketWatch
all 23 news articles

SF lender to students is clearing out - San Francisco Chronicle

SF lender to students is clearing out
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA -50 minutes ago
It is one of many lenders that have stopped making certain types of student loans in recent months, in part because they can no longer sell them to ...
Student debt: What a pain!San Bernardino Sun
all 2 news articles

Auto Makers to Make Public Push for Loans - Wall Street Journal

Auto Makers to Make Public Push for Loans
Wall Street Journal -19 hours ago
They are expected to soon give a more concrete figure to Washington in terms of what size of a loan package is needed, they said. ...
Automakers to Seek More Money for Retooling Vehicle PlantsNew York Times Blogs
US auto companies said to be seeking $50 billion in loansInternational Herald Tribune
Editorial: Fairness requires federal help for US auto industryDetNews.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Sydney Morning Herald
all 27 news articles