Personal Loans - What your mama never told you

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Cash Advance Payday Loans - User Guide
If you considering using a Cash Advance Payday Loan service for the first time, this article addresses the most frequently ask questions.

WHAT IS A CASH ADVANCE PAYDAY LOAN?

A cash advance provides you with emergency cash when you need it most... usually between paydays! It is just as it sounds... a short-term cash advance. Normally there is very little paperwork involved. Ju... Read loans article



Personal Loans and Lines of Credit
Personal Loans

Normally, a personal loan is unsecured meaning there is no collateral. When you obtain a personal loan, you borrow an amount of money for a set period of time and pay interest on the outstanding principal balance. Personal loans are often acquired to make a specific purchase, such as furniture, major appliances, consolidate other high interest loans into one monthly payme... Read loans article



Personal Loans - What your mama never told you
How are loans charged?

A personal loan is a lump sum that you typically borrow from your bank or building society bank, or through a retailer where you are buying an expensive item such as a car or domestic appliance. You agree to pay back the loan over a fixed number of months (called the "term") by making set monthly payments. There may or may not be an arrangement fee when you take out the loan, depending upon the lender chosen.

You can usually pay extra for payment protection insurance which pays your monthly payments for you if you are unable to work because of illness or redundancy. Interest is charged at a fixed rate dependent upon the amount you borrow. Most lenders will allow you to pay off a personal loan early i.e. before the end of the term, however there is often a charge equal to part of the interest you would have paid had you kept the loan for its full term.

What is APR?

What you pay for a personal loan can be expressed as an 'Annual Percentage Rate' or APR. APR takes into account: - the interest on the loan; - any other charges you must pay eg. any arrangement fee or the cost of payment protection insurance - the term of the loan.

You do not need to know how to work out an APR. The important thing is that APR shows the cost of borrowing on a standard basis so you can compare the APR of one lender with another and instantly see who is the cheaper lender for the same borrowed sum and term. A loan with a lower APR is cheaper than a loan with a higher APR. The APR also lets you compare the cost of personal loans with other types of borrowing such as credit and store cards. It is important to remember though that APR does not take into account charges such as an early repayment charge if you pay off the loan before the end of its term. What are loan terms?

Not to be confused with term (duration of a loan) terms are special conditions and or exclusions a lender may impose depending upon personal circumstances or the purpose of the borrowing. Some loans are restricted to particular uses eg. home improvements and not for the purposes of debt consolidation etc. You may be required to open a current account with the lender if you are not an existing banking customer. You may also be required to take out payment insurance but usually this is optional. Check what charges are made if you decide to pay off the loan early.

What if I can't repay my personal loan?

The main risk for the lender is that you cannot keep up the loan repayments. Some personal loans are secured, usually against your home or some other significant asset. This means that if you do not keep up the payments the lender can seize and sell your asset to recover the loan. Most personal loans however are unsecured i.e. not secured against an asset. If you do not keep up the payments, the lender can take you to court where you could be ordered to pay off the loan over a renegotiated term and under specific terms, perhaps in smaller monthly amounts spread over a longer period. This results in a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against your name and you will probably find it hard to borrow elsewhere if you have a CCJ against you.

As an absolute last resort when someone has difficulty repaying significant debts bankruptcy is an option although the implications of bankruptcy can be far reaching.

George McGonigal

George is webmaster of an online personal loan resourcs website for UK borrowers. We bring under one roof lenders who offer online quotations to allow our visitors to compare rates in the comfort of their own homes. Why not visit us at UK Personal Loans Online: or our definitions page at Terminology Explained

or our Useful Links Page.

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Car Loans - Golden Tips On Financing Your Car With Bad Credit

If you have recently filed bankruptcy, you may wonder if its possible to get auto financing again. There are more and more loan companies all the time that have new programs to help finance people with bad credit. An auto loan is easier to get financing for than a personal loan or an unsecured loan because the lender can use the car as collateral against the loan, in case the borrower ever defaults or doesn't make the loan payments.

Here are some tips to help you when getting financing to purchase or refinance a vehicle after a recent bankruptcy.

1. Get Financed To Re-establish Your Credit - Getting a new car loan can help you re-establish your credit when you make your payments on time. Once you have made payments on time for about 6 months or longer, you should be able to refinance your car at a much lower rate. As you make your payments on time, your credit score will increase.

2. Buy The Lowest Priced Car You Can - When financing a car after a recent bankruptcy, you can expect to see interest rates as high as 14-19% or more. It is not wise to buy a car that is more expensive than you need because, initially, you will be paying such a high interest rate on the amount you are borrowing on. If you do want a more expensive car, wait until you have made payments on time for a year or two, after your credit rating has increased. Then, you should be able to get an interest rate of around 9-10% or less.

3. Get Multiple Offers - There are many lenders online that will offer you up to 4 offers from one application. Most of these loan companies will not even pull your credit with the initial application, they will just ask you to describe your credit. This way, your credit score will not drop from being pulled too often.

To view our list of recommended auto financing companies online, visit this page: Recommended Car Loan Companies Online For People With Bad Credit.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.


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Personal Loans - What your mama never told you
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