9 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans

You’ve found yourself in a tough financial situation. The bills have started piling up and you need some extra money for day-to-day essentials that you can’t afford. Your paycheck isn’t coming soon enough and you could really use a cash boost to get you through the week.

This is something that a personal loan can give you. They can be a real lifesaver when you’re in a tight spot. This is why lots of people take out these loans when times get tough. However, you should never rush into a loan without being completely informed of what you’re getting yourself into. Here are some of the questions you should be asking when it comes to personal loans.

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1. What are Personal Loans used for?

Just like most other external financing options, personal loans can have a wide variety of uses. It depends on what you intend to spend the money on. However, oftentimes you’re going to have to disclose the reason for your personal loan request. This can be used to determine whether or not it would be a sound investment.

From a personal standpoint, it might not seem important to ask yourself what the loan is for. It’s pretty obvious – you need the extra money for one reason or another. Some people choose to invest in a personal hobby while others wish to pay their bills and debts early to stop interest from piling up. Your main reasoning for taking out the loan can give you some insight into how much money you should ask for.

Taking out a loan for personal reasons can backfire on occasion. These loans can give enormous sums which might tempt you to take on a much bigger loan than you might be able to handle. Loan repayments seem very far away at times, which might tempt you to spend that money on something that isn’t essential. Stick to your original plan and make sure you utilize the loan properly.

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2. How do I Qualify?

Every kind of loan has a set of criteria for the borrower. Banks and individuals can’t just hand out loans without making sure that the borrowing part is able to repay them at some point. Otherwise, they might very quickly run out of funds to give out. Your chances of approval depend on a couple of factors. Your ability to pay off the monthly repayments is one of them. It’s likely that the lender will take a look at your finances and credit rating to see if you qualify.

What do you do if the numbers aren’t exactly in your favour from the start? If you tend to miss out on bills or have any outstanding debts, they are likely to have a negative effect on your chances of obtaining a personal loan. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as the criteria for personal loans differ from lender to lender. Besides, if you’re not in a huge rush to take out the loan, you can always work on the negative aspects of your finances.

Start by measuring how financially reliable you are. If you constantly miss repayments, you are unlikely to qualify for future loans. Remedying this should be your priority. Work on your credit by making solid financial decisions and avoiding too much debt. You should have good credit before applying for a loan, as a rejection will be noted on your credit report.

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3. What Documents Do I Need?

Any application process will require specific documents to help verify your identity and financial status. You can’t expect the lender to do all the research on their own. They will want these documents in front of them to see if everything checks out.

Your documents should provide them with enough information about your income, expenses, and current financial situation. However, finances aren’t the only things they’ll be looking at. There are also certain personal aspects of your life that could affect your finances and decision-making. Your marital status is a good example. Financial decisions affect your entire household, so it’s something worth noting in the documentation.

These documents will help build a picture of who you are and whether or not you are a reliable borrower. Your overall eligibility will be affected by the information on these documents. They’ll influence how much money you can be lent and what the rates will look like for your repayments.

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4. What’s the Upper Borrowing Limit?

One of the most pressing questions people have about any loan is how much they can borrow. After all, it’s all about the funds, so borrowers need to be informed about the upper limits of the loan. Personal loans are no different in this regard. Since they aren’t often done through banks, it’s not uncommon for people to be misinformed when it comes to what they need to qualify for a bigger loan.

Personal loan amounts vary from lender to lender, since it’s not a centralized system. People can choose how much money they want to invest, and they can pick the rates and terms of the loan. It mostly depends on the lender’s view of your finances. Some of the most important factors include your income, credit score, and liabilities. At the same time, the purpose of the loan is just as important. Once they’re familiar with what your plan is for the loaned money, they’ll be better able to gauge whether or not they should give out the loan.

You can always do the math on your own and determine roughly how much you’re projected to get. Personal loans are a different system, but they abide by many of the same rules and ideas that regular loans do. Just grab a calculator and you can get a good estimate of how much you’ll get from a personal loan.

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5. How Long Can I Take to Repay the Loan?

One of the best parts of personal loans is that you can make a deal with your lender for just about anything. This includes how long it’s going to take you to pay off the loan. Generally, there are a few rules that can help you get a better grasp of how long you’re going to be paying monthly rates. The longer it takes, the smaller your payments are. This might sound ideal, but not everyone wants to be in debt for a long while, and the interest is what really gets you.

When you decide on your ideal loan type, you need to take other factors into consideration. How comfortable are you with the offered repayment amount? If it’s a little too rich for your tastes, make sure you avoid the loan entirely. Look at all of your other debts during this time as well. Piling on new debts wouldn’t be a good decision, even if you’re given some good rates. Servicing your leftover debts should be on your list of financial priorities before anything else. The longer your loan deal, the longer you’re going to be limited in the scope of financial decisions you can make.

When it comes to actual numbers, loans are usually made out to be one to five years. As long as the interest isn’t too much, you should be able to reasonably pay off your loan.

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6. How Often Can I Make Repayments?

Another important matter is how often you can pay your loan in instalments. Again, this depends on the deal you’ve made with the lender. Some lenders will offer you to pay in monthly rates, while others might prefer weekly rates instead. There are even options for fortnightly payments if you choose certain lenders.

Before you decide to sign up for a loan, consider whether or not you want a fixed-rate loan structure. In this scenario, you’re obligated to pay the regular required repayments on a schedule. Fixed-rate loans are specific because they incur fees for early repayments. The lender normally expects you to stick to the schedule to get a worthwhile amount of interest through the investment. If you have the additional funds, you can always pay off parts of the loan early, even if it costs you a fee. The fee itself can vary from lender to lender, which means it could range from favourable to not very convenient at all.

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7. How Quickly Do I Receive the Loan Money?

As with any financial agreement, you’re going to be wondering when the funds are going to arrive. While certain loans from institutions such as banks might take a while to process, personal loans are a lot more convenient in this regard. You can expect the loan money to be transferred to your bank account within the same day that you sign your agreement.

Whether you decide to make your loan agreement online or in-person doesn’t really matter. The electronic version of the lending process is just as quick and efficient as it would be in person. It’s particularly useful for situations where you require the additional funds right away. Whether it’s billing or making a down payment on a vehicle, you can be sure that the loan will prove itself useful immediately.

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8. How is Interest Charged?

One of the pressing matters on your mind will be the rate of interest that your loan demands. It’s the most essential part of the loan that could have the biggest impact on your finances should you neglect your debt. Some rates are fair while others are downright terrifying for the average borrower. You can find both options when looking through personal loan options.

When you decide to apply for a personal loan, the choice is entirely on you. Some loans will be reasonable in terms of interest rates while being unreasonable in terms of how often repayments need to be made. In other cases, you’re going to find loans that aren’t at all worth your time and effort, so you might decide to avoid them.

The great thing about personal loans is that you can tailor-fit the loan to your needs and financial capabilities. You can wait to be matched with a lender that will provide you with an ideal loan and then use this opportunity to improve your financial situation.

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9. Do I Need a Guarantor?

Oftentimes, your current financial situation won’t facilitate a good loan opportunity. Perhaps your credit score is mediocre or you have additional debts that need paying off. These circumstances can make it a lot harder to obtain a personal loan, but it’s still not out of the question. There are ways of improving your chances and reliability without affecting your finances.

You can always get yourself a guarantor for the loan. Many banks and credit unions allow borrowers to take out a personal loan with the help of a guarantor. One can be utilized to help you get better rates on a loan that you can obtain as well. Any third party that legally stands by your side will increase your chances dramatically.

The downside is that they will encounter problems if you don’t pay off your loan on time. In the event that you default, the lender can seek payments from the guarantor. They take on part of the responsibility of paying off the loan. You need to make sure that you’re serious about paying off the loan so that you do not endanger the finances of your guarantor.

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Conclusion

Personal loans are a very useful way to get a large financial boost in situations where you find yourself strapped for cash. Compared to other loan options, they tend to be a lot more lenient when it comes to the eligibility of the borrower. However, just like every source of external financial backing, they have their own benefits and drawbacks.

It’s important that you do your research before deciding to take out a loan, whether it’s a personal or business loan. Understand that you might not get your desired loan amount if your finances aren’t in order. As long as you put in the necessary effort to improve your credit score and find all the required paperwork, you’re going to have a pretty easy time applying for a personal loan. Use this extra money responsibly and you’re going to enjoy the benefits that personal loans provide you.