Loans Information

Lions and Loans: Why Finance Should Always be Personal


Different types of loans are available for almost every aspect of your life: personal loans, car loans, secured and unsecured loans, home loans, homeowner loans, student loans, graduate loans and career development loans (CDL). If you've suffered from credit problems in the past and now hold sub-prime characteristics, then you will be eligible for adverse credit and adverse loans.

You can always borrow money these days, but it is crucial to read the small print as the difference between interest rates is enormous and stories of people forced to pay off amounts which are five times the amount of their original loan are not uncommon.

There are also numerous stories on unemployed couples being sold loans, such as the case of Julie and Kevin Davies, reported by the BBC. The couple were already experiencing difficulty in paying off their existing debts of £4,000, when they were sold another £20,000 loan by Lloyds TSB.

Loans of £1,000 to £25,000 can be taken out and repaid over a period typically varying between six months and 10 years depending on your credit history and available finances. Loans are usually secured or unsecured. Secured loans are tied to your house, so you can be forced to sell the house if you are unable to make the repayments. Unsecured loans do not impose the same restriction, though a default on repayments may result in being "credit blacklisted". Once blacklisted, you may get future credit card, mortgages and hire purchase applications rejected, as well as face a potential higher rate of interest for all existing debts.

It is absolutely crucial that you shop around for a loan and not just through the high-street banks. The internet offers a wealth of information available and there are many sites which compare the prices of products, and to really ensure you get a good deal - compare the different comparison sites. In the UK moneyfacts, moneyextra and ( moneynet ) offer price comparison services for a wide range of loans, amongst other financial products. These sites also offer consumer information guides, which you can either print directly off the website or download on to your computer.

Do read all the terms and conditions carefully and ask friends, family and your financial adviser / bank adviser if you don't understand a particular statement. The annual percentage rate (APR) is particularly important and can make a difference of thousands of pounds over the term of the loan.

Unsecured loans can be purchased from building societies and banks, as well as certain high street shops. Unsecured loans may be taken out for something specific or simply to make life more 'comfortable'. The process usually involves:

* Requesting a typical amount for the loan

* Discussion of interest rate (APR) and possible loan payment protection insurance

* A credit check, you may wish to get one of these first, so you know what to expect

* Reading the terms and conditions and then signing the agreement

* Money can then be transferred into your account

In the discussion of secured versus unsecured loans, moneynet explains that although secured loans can offer lower interest rates and repayments, many people do not wish to jeopardise the potential loss of their home in the default of a repayment of a secured loan. In unsecured loans, pay attention to the difference in APR, term of the loan and any additional charges such as an early settlement charge or redemption penalty.

Resources:
Mortgage and loan comparisons - Moneynet
Personal finance blog Cashzilla

About Rachel Lane:
Rachel writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla:
Rachel is a disillusioned, disaffected and broke graduate, exploiting new media for financial therapy.

E-mail: rachel@positiveinterest.com or online@moneynet.co.uk

Phone: 0131 561 2251


MORE RESOURCES:

Wall Street Journal Blogs

December 22 Is Deadline to Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster ...
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
The deadline to file applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) is December 22, 2008. Small businesses and small agricultural cooperatives that ...
Small business loans dwindle The Tennessean
Loans available for September storm damage Columbia Missourian
Wells Fargo named top small-business lender in Texas Bizjournals.com
Marshall County Journal - Salt Lake Tribune
all 264 news articles


Los Angeles Times

Democrats support FDIC loan plan
The Associated Press - Nov 18, 2008
He cited a program the government announced last week in which borrowers with loans owned or guaranteed by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would ...
Hiccups appear in bank loans Burnet Bulletin
CORRECT: Modified mortgages often re-default MarketWatch
Loan Modifications For Banks Could Mask Future Losses CNNMoney.com
Bristol Press - New York Times
all 1,027 news articles


FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime
BusinessWeek - 4 hours ago
Washington, meanwhile, has vastly expanded the availability of such taxpayer-backed loans as part of the emergency campaign to rescue the country's swooning ...
FHA lowers limits on loans Arizona Republic
FHA Relaxes Program Rules for Homeowners Washington Post
all 3 news articles


CMBS Market Begins to Show Fissures
Wall Street Journal - 14 hours ago
The rapid deterioration of these loans fed worries that the weakening economy and higher unemployment rate would drag down the $800 billion market for ...
Big CMBS Loans Near Default; CMBX Soars, REITs Tank Seeking Alpha
UPDATE 1-Big CMBS loans seen near default, index yields soar Reuters
Commercial-Mortgage Bond Risk Rises After Loan Delinquencies Bloomberg
Reuters - Wall Street Journal
all 31 news articles


Voice of America

Ailing automakers plead for $25b in loans
Boston Globe (registration), United States - Nov 18, 2008
The chief executives of Chrysler and Ford also pleaded for the loans, which would come on top of a $25 billion package approved in September to help the ...
Auto Execs Reset Bailout Pitch; Republicans to Rewrite CAFE for Loans Ward's Auto (subscription)
Republican Leader Presses Compromise as Auto Chiefs Renew Plea Bloomberg
Big 3 automakers warn of crisis without bailout MarketWatch
New York Times - MarketWatch
all 2,546 news articles


WCBD

Loans to Detroit
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 8 hours ago
The debate in Congress over a bailout of GM, Ford and Chrysler comes down to this: Should the taxpayers throw $25 billion in bridge loans to Detroit, ...
Auto industry needs bailout to tide it over Examiner.com
all 122 news articles


Boston Globe (registration)

Housing agency loosens foreclosure aid rules
Reuters - 14 hours ago
The Hope for Homeowners program will now insure home loans that have had as little as 3.5 percent of their value erased by the original lender. ...
HUD Said to Entice Banks to Enter Foreclosure Program (Update1) Bloomberg
US broadens rules for mortgage-aid plan Philadelphia Inquirer
Government To Let More Homeowners Swap For More Affordable Loans KWTX
BusinessWeek - Seattle Post Intelligencer
all 84 news articles


Ottawa Citizen

Loans to automakers make the only good deal for US
Detroit Free Press, United States - 18 hours ago
So consider this deal: For a loan of $25 billion, you could create an industry that would directly and indirectly create 13 million jobs, one out of every ...
Big Three in need of loans Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
EDITORIAL: Loans OK if companies make major changes Trading Markets (press release)
google news commentComment by Gary Chaison Prof. of Industrial Relations, Clark University
Concord Monitor
all 380 news articles


Wachovia, Golden West Loans Probed by US Prosecutor (Update1)
Bloomberg - 11 hours ago
His office and SEC investigators in San Francisco are also scrutinizing whether the banks misled investors about the quality of Golden West's loans, ...


Pr. William Board Wants To Help Provide Loans
Washington Post, United States - Nov 18, 2008
The Board of County Supervisors agreed in principle to make loans available to county employees, many of whom drive long distances to work because they ...

Loans - Google News

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