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 - www.moneynet.co.uk/">Moneynet
Personal finance blog cashzilla.blogspot.com/">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:

Brocktown News

Fed's Direct Loans to Banks Climb to Record Level (Update2)
Bloomberg - 11 hours ago
By Christopher Anstey and Steve Matthews May 15 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve's direct loans of cash to commercial banks climbed to the highest level ...
Investment firms' borrowing at fairly steady pace The Associated Press
Fed auctions $7.2B in Treasury securities CNN
Dealers submit $7.24 bln bids at $25 bln TSLF auction Reuters
Wall Street Journal Blogs - Financial-Planning.com
all 198 news articles


South Carolina Now

Cash America shuts Ohio stores as lawmakers ban payday loans
Houston Chronicle, United States - 14 hours ago
2008 AP The announcement Thursday comes one day after the state Senate approved a bill that would ban two-week loans that support the payday lending ...
Limits on payday loans welcome, new solutions needed by Ohio consumers The Morning Journal
Bad credit home loans NewDesignWorld (press release)
Cash America to close Ohio locations, cuts profit outlook Bizjournals.com
Reuters - Times Bulletin
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Bad loans at Philippine banks inch up in February
Reuters India, India - 1 hour ago
MANILA, May 16 (Reuters) - Philippine commercial banks' non-performing loans edged up to 4.70 percent of total loans at the end of February from 4.67 ...


Deutsche, Banks Selling $4 Billion of Boots LBO Loans (Update6)
Bloomberg - 17 hours ago
The banks offered to help the LBO firms pay for the purchase and cut the price of the loans to 91 percent of face value, they said. ...
Deal to sell £2bn of Boots' debt Telegraph.co.uk
PRIVATE EQUITY'S EXODUS New York Post
Deutsche, Banks Selling $4 Billion of Boots LBO Loans (Update1) Bloomberg
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Banks set to push home loans
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 9 hours ago
By DALJIT DHESI PETALING JAYA: Banks are mapping out strategies to garner a larger slice of the home loans market as intense competition continues to exert ...


US leveraged loans have worst ever quarter - Fitch
Reuters - 12 hours ago
Loans made to fund leveraged buyouts were scarce, with only $5.4 billion being issued in the first quarter, down 89 percent form $47.8 billion in the fourth ...
Fitch: Q1 Results Demonstrate Full Extent of Slowdown in Leveraged ... Business Wire (press release)
all 7 news articles


AFP

Japan plans 4.8-bln-dlr loans for climate change: report
AFP - 12 hours ago
TOKYO (AFP) — Japan plans to extend up to 500 billion yen (4.8 billion dollars) worth of low-interest loans to developing countries over the next five years ...


Uganda: Mbarara Dons Appeal for Student Loans
AllAfrica.com, Washington - 3 hours ago
LECTURERS at Mbarara University of Science and Technology lecturers have petitioned Parliament to lobby the Government to set up loan schemes for science ...


RBA Says Australian Mortgage-Bond Market Is Improving (Update1)
Bloomberg - 4 hours ago
Australia's five largest banks, led by National Australia Bank Ltd., have increased their interest rates this year on home loans by an average of 90 basis ...
Australia has faired subprime crisis well: RBA ABC Online
When the credit squeeze eases The Age
Australia relatively unscathed by subprime woe: RBA Reuters
Melbourne Herald Sun - ForexTV.com
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RLPC-CS sells 135 mln euros of European leveraged loans
Reuters - 16 hours ago
VX: Quote, Profile, Research) sold a 135 million euro portfolio of high-quality European leveraged loans in a secondary market auction on Thursday, ...

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