Monday, March 31, 2008

Which Loan Is Right For You?

A loan is an arrangement where money is lent by one person (the lender) to another (the borrower); when money is lent in this manner, the debtor must abide by the repayment terms set by the creditor. Whilst just about anything, product or service can be lent out; the information below focuses on financial arrangements only. Loans are required to be paid back and this is normally within a period set at the commencement of the contract; this is usually in regular monthly installments.

When debts are repaid a charge is added to the sum owed called 'interest' which is how the lender can gain from the service he has provided. It is not uncommon for a company to have a policy where the interest is front-loaded and paid first; then the capital sum is paid afterwards. Others will repay the debt in equal installment with the interest as part of this amount.

The primary use of a financial institution is to arrange finance but they do have many more functions. Bank loans and credit are one way to increase a person's or company's money supply; although other money raising methods do exist.

A mortgage is a very common type of debt and the primary method used by individuals to purchase a house however with this type, the money advance can only be used for the purpose for which it was intended. The financial institution is given security however; in this case the title to the house, until the mortgage is paid off in full. With this type of loan, should the borrower fail to make payments on the loan or default, then the bank or other financial institution has the right to sell the property; to recover sums owing to them, they may place it an auction.

Even small loans can be secured but this generally only happens when a person has a poor credit history which could be the case of a person buying a car; in much the same way as a mortgage is secured by the house itself. The duration of the loan period is often considerably shorter, usually corresponding to the useful life of the car; usually lasting no more than 5 years, maximum.

Unsecured loans are available from financial institutions under many different guises or marketing packages; credit cards, bank overdrafts and other forms of finance all fall into this category. The interest rates applicable to these different forms may vary depending on the lender, the borrower and the type of credit supplied.

In some countries, predatory lenders are called loan sharks and it is where they supply money at high interest rates with the sole intention of gaining control over a person. Credit card companies in many countries are often accused of a similar practice where they lend money at very high interest rates and make money out of frivolous extra charges. Try to remember what has been written here and you might not have too many problems.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Unsecured Loans Benifits: Without Collateral

One wonders if all the benefits unsecured loans provide really make up for its drawbacks. In this article we analyze both pros and cons of Unsecured Loans and explain why in some situations unsecured loans are the best choice.

As with most things, what may be useful for some people can be useless for others and what is disposable for some people can sometimes be essential for others. This is also true as regards to loans. Unsecured loans can sometimes be helpful and sometimes they are the only choice some people have to get finance.

Any Purpose?

When financial institutions want to promote unsecured loans, they usually claim that you can use an unsecured loan for any purpose. The truth is that there are secured loans that can also be used for any purpose. A home equity loan does not have a specific use and the money you get can be used for whatever you want. Thus, the "any purpose" benefit does not seem to be such an advantage.

No Collateral

The other common claim is that since unsecured loans do not require collateral, the risk of repossession does not exist. This is actually true but what they forget to state is that the lender is still entitled to take legal actions to recover what he has lent. Collateral is only a guarantee, it gives the lender several rights over the asset in case there are more creditors willing to recover their money. All the other debtor’s assets will be sold before in order to pay other debts.

Loan Amounts

It is a common belief that one can borrow more money with a secured loan than with an unsecured loan. This is only true in some cases. With a secured loan, one can borrow as much money as the asset’s value can guarantee. However if someone has a good credit score and many assets, all of this would be "guaranteeing" any loan he might request and thus, he can get a higher amount by applying for an unsecured loan. This is especially true when it comes to unsecured business loans.

All the above is also applicable to loan’s length. Loan lenght is also determined by the risk involved for the lender and someone with many assets and good credit, even if he does not offer an asset as collateral, is a low risk prospect.

Tenants And Non-Homeowners

As stated at the beginning of this article, unsecured loans are sometimes the only choice some people have in order to get finance. Tenants and Non-homeowners can not offer an asset as collateral and thus, have no other choice but to apply for an unsecured loan.

Due to the highly competitive nature of the unsecured loan market, the interest rate charged for unsecured loans has been decreasing over the years and at the present time unsecured loans’ interest rate does not differ much from secured loans’ rate. So, it is not strange that many homeowners are opting for unsecured loans and holding back to their properties in case they need to request a secured loan in an emergency situation.

Source:-http://www.buzzle.com