Most people know that it’s always better to rely on their own finance but today it’s quite hard to avoid using different loan services. There are different kinds of loans and consumers use them for different purposes. For example, getting a fast loan is a way to deal with a financial emergency.
Not so many people can afford to buy a house with cash, so they get mortgages. Personal loans help dealing with both expected and unexpected expenses. Today’s lending market offers numerous opportunities for borrowing money, so let’s check the most popular lending options and figure out when it’s better to use them.
Loan Providers
If you’re facing financial emergency and want to borrow money quickly, it’s worth paying attention to alternative loan providers and asset based lenders.
Many companies provide financial assistance online and offer small loans even to consumers with poor credit. Today consumers can benefit from online financial services provided by local companies.
For example, American consumers should pay attention to Personal Money Services like loans, insurance etc. provided by reputable companies. British people can get urgent financial help at Sterling Store company and Canadians can take advantage of quality credit products offered by North’n’Loans.
In other words, wherever you are, you have easy access to non-traditional credit products which are not hard to get but it’s worth keeping in mind that they have higher interest rates than traditional loans do.
Banks
Bank loans are famous for relatively low interest rates. At the same time, getting a bank loan is a good option only for people with good/excellent credit score because applications from consumers with damaged credit are rejected.
If you have a good credit and you need a personal loan or a small business loan, then you should go to a local bank to see your options. Before applying for a bank loan, it’s necessary to check your credit score to make sure it’s high enough. If your credit is low then it’s better to apply to alternative loan providers or make the necessary steps to improve it, and when it’s high enough, try to get a bank loan again.
Peer-to-Peer Lenders
Getting peer-to-peer loans is relatively a new way to borrow money. The thing is that peer-to-peer lending is not borrowing from an institution, it’s borrowing from individuals. Many consumers find this option very attractive because borrowers pay low interest rates, while investors earn high interest rates.
The process is quite simple: a borrower posts a listing with loan requirements and reasons why he/she wants to get a loan. Peer-to-peer lender checks a loan application and borrowers’ credit, which becomes part of borrower’s loan listing.
Still, consumers with good credit have a better chance to get approved, but it can happen that an individual investor is emphatic to a borrower’s situation and approves an application from someone with less-than-perfect credit.
Credit Unions
There is no big difference between banks and credit unions. However, credit unions are owned by their members who typically have something in common.
For example, they may work in the same industry or live in the same area. At a credit union, it’s possible to get a personal loan on good terms with a low-interest rate. It’s worth making a research beforehand and compare options available in your area.
Contact local credit unions to get to know your ability to get a personal loan and choose an option with the lowest interest rate.
Friends/Relatives
If all the previous options doesn’t work for you, there’s always an opportunity to turn to relatives or friends. However, this option has many advantages and disadvantages. Borrowing from people you know can ruin good relationship, so it’s necessary to take it seriously like it’s a bank loan.
Create a written agreement containing loan terms and any collateral you put up for the loan. Also, you can hire a company to serve your loan. In this case, you can even improve your credit if all the payments are made timely.
Apart from borrowing from family, the easiest way to take out a loan is getting it from your own company (where you work as an employee). Now this option isn’t available for all types of businesses, but there are two I can think of right now –
1) bank employees can get incredibly low interest rate loans with flexible payback options.
2) I have heard of some airlines who pay out your salary in advance (without an interest fee, in the case I am referring to) so you can meet certain big ticket expenses.
3) Some companies allow you to to take out a portion of your providend fund for a short amount of time (again, without interest but with a penalty charge).
The best first step is to check your credit score and to try to improve it. All lenders start with your credit score, so it is utmost important. When it is okay you need lots of loan offers from many lenders to choose from.