Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Personal Loans

A wide variety of personal loans come with different rates of interests. Zeroing in on specific personal loans with a suitable rate of interest is a mammoth task and requires a planned approach. With a huge risk factor being a part of personal loans, it's always advisable to look up for alternative options to get loans. If you are fortunate enough to have a rich relative who can be your sponsor, you're lucky! The other options like home equity, credit cards, and 401(k) loan are any day better than going in for personal loans. But if you are left with absolutely no choice or want to stick to personal loans as your cash source, you better consider these tips before you borrow personal loans.

- Point number one is to get the facts straight. Do not take up personal loans without weighing the pros and cons. One way to do this is to go to online financial websites and compare the interest rates on various loans. Alternatively, you can also call the local banks in your area to learn the interest rates they offer on personal loans. This could give you a fair idea of the value of personal loans you'd be opting for.
- Don't forget to inquire about the rate cap and if the interest rate is fixed or variable. Also get some information on the annual fees.

But if you are a member of any credit union, the above-mentioned tips on personal loans are not for you. In this case, you are at an advantage. That's because credit unions offer interest rates that are 1%-2% lower than any multinational banks.

If you are regular customer of a community bank, you may even enjoy low interest rates on personal loans. Just make sure that you furnish true information to the bank to procure the loan. You might just get lucky to get a loan with fantastic interest rate. Also, don't be in haste to apply for personal loans in many banks. This could be more of a disadvantage to your prospects of getting personal loans. This has a direct bearing on your credit score. Any hasty move on your part to get personal loans could make your credit score go for a nose-dive.

So, what does this teach you? Start making sincere efforts to bring down the interest rates on personal loans by improving your credit history. If you blindly follow your bank's criteria for personal loans, your brand loyalty could cost you dear. A survey done by Intelligence Finance just goes to prove this fact. Coming back to the personal loans with low interest rates, Egg clearly states that some of these could be mere traps to fool the common man. There is only a very small fraction of borrowers who get all the benefits that are stated while taking the personal loans.

While each type of personal loans has its own plus points, the unsecured type outshines the rest. A major benefit with personal loans is the least time required for its processing. That's because it requires only the application form and your credit score for processing. You may get an answer from the bank within three business days of applying for the loan.

But always remember that personal loans should be the last option when you need money to make any purchase. It's always a better idea to postpone the purchase until you've saved enough money to make the purchase. Layaway or other modes of payment could be a better bet than applying for personal loans. So, plan out your requirements and then you can take an informed decision on borrowing personal loans.

The bottom lone is, while personal loans give you ample financial freedom to make any type of purchase, any wrong move on your part could spell disaster. Study the terms and conditions of the personal loans before you commit yourself to the financial institutions.

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