What are Personal Loans?


As the term implies, Personal loans are simply loans for any personal use. They're known as personal loans because the money is for personal use, such as buying a car or home improvements. Most lenders do not stipulate what you can spend your personal loan on, generally allowing for any purpose.

A Personal Loan is a method of borrowing a lump sum of money from a bank, building society or other financial institution to finance the buying of a new car, make home improvements or go on a luxury holiday.

Personal loans have become a popular way of raising much-needed funds for personal use Personal loan amounts vary from between £500 to £25,000. Normally, you'll receive a lump sum.

In return, you agree to make regular repayments, usually monthly. Assuming you've taken out a repayment loan, which will usually be the case, some of the money you repay will go towards servicing the loan and the rest of your payment will be used to pay off capital and reduce the outstanding debt.

Personal loans are repayable on a monthly basis at a fixed rate of interest. Generally personal loans are offered by banks, financial institutions or building societies and are available in a variety of formats with variations in size, term and purpose of the loan. It is important to know the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) of the lenders so that you can do a comparison search to get the best rate of interest.

Interest rates will vary. It is also worth bearing in mind that some lenders are only interested in lending to people whom they regard as a 'safe risk' and they will be offered lower interest rates.

A personal loan could be the best option for you if you are looking to borrowing money for between one and five years and is particularly ideal if you have other debts that you're looking to consolidate into one loan to reduce your overall monthly payments.

There are two basic types of personal loan, the secured and the unsecured.

With an unsecured personal loan you will normally make payments on a regular basis to the lender who, if you should default on the payments, would have to take legal action to obtain the outstanding money.

With a secured personal loan, the lender will ask for the amount that you borrow to be 'secured' against a piece of your property, very often your home, which would become the property of the lender in the case of default.

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

About The Author

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



Chrysler to seek $7 billion in government loans - The Associated Press

New York Times

Chrysler to seek $7 billion in government loans
The Associated Press -Dec 2, 2008
The company said in a plan for federal loans delivered to Congress on Tuesday that it would seek $7 billion from the government by Dec. 31. ...
GM, Ford says CEOs will work for $1 to get gov't loansKDRV
Without Government Cash Chrysler Faces Year-End ShutdownWard's Auto (subscription)
Chrysler Reveals Strategy for Electric Vehicles, Seeks $7 Billion LoanEdmunds.com/Inside Line
AHN - New York Times
all 181 news articles


General Motors seeks $18 billion in loans from Congress - Los Angeles Times

Boston Globe

General Motors seeks $18 billion in loans from Congress
Los Angeles Times, CA -21 hours ago
This morning Ford submitted a restructuring plan to Congress as part of a request for billions of dollars in federal loans. Chrysler is also expected to ...
Another Month of Miserable Auto SalesNew York Times
US November Auto Sales Plunge 37% on Recession, Pleas for AidBloomberg
: Auto Bailout Comments from an InsiderNewsReleaseWire.com (press release)
The Associated Press - International Herald Tribune
all 847 news articles

Family loans: 5 ways to protect your cash - Atlanta Journal Constitution

International Business Times

Family loans: 5 ways to protect your cash
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA -3 hours ago
For small loans up to a couple thousand dollars, a signed memorandum of understanding is usually enough to hold up in small claims court. ...
The New York Times Features VA Mortgage Center.comMarketWatch
all 10 news articles

SBA Disaster Loans Available Following Secretary of Agriculture ... - MarketWatch

SBA Disaster Loans Available Following Secretary of Agriculture ...
MarketWatch -5 hours ago
ATLANTA, Dec 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The US Small Business Administration announces today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to ...

GM says it needs $12 billion loans by late March - The Associated Press

RTT News

GM says it needs $12 billion loans by late March
The Associated Press -Dec 2, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors says it needs $4 billion in government loans this month and a total of $12 billion by late March to keep operating. ...
GM asks for up to 18 billion in government loansAFP
GM will ‘explore alternatives’ for SaturnBizjournals.com
US automakers to slash costs for federal loansMotoring
CNNMoney.com - WXYZ
all 282 news articles

GM, Ford CEOs will take $1 salaries if Congress OKs loans - Detroit Free Press

Voice of America

GM, Ford CEOs will take $1 salaries if Congress OKs loans
Detroit Free Press, United States -22 hours ago
The automaker said it hopes not to use the loans but is requesting access to federal funds in case the economy worsens or a fellow automaker goes bankrupt. ...
Ford says CEO will work for $1 to get gov't loansKGAN
US Automakers Submit Rescue Plan to CongressVoice of America
Automakers Deliver Plans To CongressNPR
WLNS - Automotive News
all 568 news articles

Bond Risk Falls as Fed Extends Emergency Loans to Ease Credit - Bloomberg

Bond Risk Falls as Fed Extends Emergency Loans to Ease Credit
Bloomberg -16 hours ago
The primary dealer facility, or PDCF, provides loans to Wall Street bond dealers. The Term Securities Lending Facility, or TSLF, auctions loans of Treasury ...
Corporate Debt Protection Costs Climb Amid Depression ConcernBloomberg
Credit Market Risks Rise as Economic Slump Claims IndustrialsBloomberg
all 17 news articles

Automakers pledge to restructure in return for loans - MarketWatch

Christian Science Monitor

Automakers pledge to restructure in return for loans
MarketWatch -22 hours ago
Chrysler joined the gloomy chorus, asking for $7 billion in bridge loans to keep the company from failing at some point in the first quarter. ...
Chrysler Asks For $7 Billion In Loans By End Of The YearCNNMoney.com
GM says it needs $12 billion in loans to surviveInternational Herald Tribune
Big Three Automakers Make New Plea for Government LoansHispanicBusiness.com
Automobile Magazine - MarketWatch
all 3,103 news articles

UAW willing to bend as auto chiefs push for loans - MarketWatch

UAW willing to bend as auto chiefs push for loans
MarketWatch -2 hours ago
By Shawn Langlois, MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Wednesday that the union is willing to ...
Video: UAW to Renegotiate Labor Terms, Modify Jobs BankAssociatedPress
GM pushes for loans, UAW works on contractABC12.com
UAW to make concessions to win government loans for Big 3The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com
The Associated Press - DetNews.com
all 1,294 news articles

RLPC-European secondary cash loans, LevX reach new record lows - Reuters

RLPC-European secondary cash loans, LevX reach new record lows
Reuters -4 hours ago
The move lower in loans came as the iTraxx Crossover index, made of 50 mostly 'junk'-rated credits, jumped above 1000 basis points (bps), hitting record ...