Low Interest Rate Personal Loans: Short-Term Help for a More Secure Future

by Anita Vasquez

With today’s economy causing job losses and cut hours, it can be difficult to keep abreast of financial obligations. Mounting credit card debt and missed bill payments can be a slippery financial slope. Even for those of us able to pay our bills, replacing an old sofa, having necessary automobile repairs done or taking that dream vacation can become unattainable goals. One way to acquire some ready cash is to apply for a low interest rate personal loan.

A low interest rate personal loan can also be used to consolidate debt, relieving the worry of juggling multiple payments. Using a credit card may be a tempting alternative, but the interest rates are customarily higher. Teaser interest rates offered by credit card companies often end after a trial period, leaving cardholders with a large balance and a high interest rate.

Low interest rate personal loans are unsecured loans. A secured loan is one for which the borrower has put up collateral such as a house or a vehicle. An unsecured loan is one for which there is no collateral. Lenders are gambling that the borrower will pay back the loan based on their financial history. If a loan is defaulted, the lender has nothing.

Unsecured loans are approved under rather specific conditions. An excellent credit rating will determine not only whether the loan is approved, but also the interest rate of the loan. Lenders will look at the borrower’s payment history, employment record and income. Because low interest rate personal loans are unsecured, they tend to be of smaller amounts, usually only a few thousand dollars – in other words, $25000 personal loans are going to be hard to come by. Low interest personal loans can be recourse for people who do not own a house or a vehicle valuable enough to be considered collateral.

If a person has bad credit, there are several online lenders who claim to approve loans for anyone. Online lenders should be thoroughly researched and their terms carefully evaluated. Caution should be exercised when borrowing from a lender not affiliated with an established institution. Hidden fees and high interest rates can be ugly surprises for the unwary. A safer course is to improve a bad credit rating and apply at a credit union or bank. Choosing an institution familiar with you and your payment habits can help your chances for approval.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment