Monday, February 20, 2012

What is a good interest rate on a personal loan?



The definition of what a “good interest rate” is for a personal loan varies depending on many factors that are important to know before you proceed in getting a personal loan. If you have a larger bank account balance than someone else, or if you have collateral to put up on the loan, don’t at all be surprised if you get a better interest rate than someone else. There are many factors that are taken into account when you go to get a personal loan, and if you pay attention to certain factors, then you’re going to maximize the potential for you to get the best loan that you possibly can, which is the best case scenario when you’re working with something as individualized as a personal loan.
Who are you getting the loan from? There are many banks, intermediaries and other lending agencies out there who offer these personal loans, and depending on your business structure, you may get drastically different quotes for a personal loan than another similar institution. It’s important to look around at all of the different lenders in your community that will offer you a personal loan. If they are experienced and have highly competent staff who have experience in handling personal loans, then you’re likely to get a better interest rate than another more inexperience lending agency or bank.
Are you getting a secure or an unsecure loan for your personal loan? These two different types are different, and the type that you choose will impact your interest rate on your personal loan. For secured loans, your personal loan is guaranteed by collateral property that you put up for the loan, and this means that you’re a lower credit risk, translating to a lower interest rate. So, the higher the value of the collateral property, the lower your interest rate is going to be. The trouble is, if you get a secure loan and for whatever reason, you can’t pay the loan back, then you can lose your home or another valuable piece of property or assets. So if you’re unsure of the steadiness of your financial future, then getting a lower interest rate with a secure collateral loan may not be a good idea for you, and can backfire in a big way.
When you’re getting an unsecured loan, you don’t have to put up any collateral in order to get the personal loan. There is no collateral put up for this loan, which can be a good thing, but this means that you’re not likely to get as low a rate as you would if you had a secured loan instead. And why will you not get as good an interest rate if you’re getting an unsecure loan instead of a secure loan? This is because you’re considered to be a higher credit risk, as you don’t have any property that can be taken from you as “lost assets” in the event that something happens and you can’t pay back your personal loan. So if your goal is getting the lowest interest rate for your personal loan that you possibly can, and then try to find some form of asset or property that you can go to the lenders with, to see if this can be used as collateral to work with a secure loan.

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