If you’re thinking of obtaining finance to help you cover an expense, you’ve probably done your own research into personal loans. Personal loans are considered one of the original lending vehicles provided by banks in the United States. Consumers use personal loans for a variety of reasons.
Overview
Personal loans are slightly more complicated than they appear. There are multiple different types of personal loans. And while their overall characteristics are the same, there are some subtle differences that make a huge difference. It’s important to be aware of these differences if you want to be a responsible borrower. You should make sure to explore all types of personal loans in-depth before you make any decisions regarding what type of finance you will be seeking.
This guide is a comprehensive source of information on secured personal loans. It provides you with all the information you need to know how to determine if secured personal loans are right for you. Make sure that you take in all the information provided in this article. You don’t want to go into any lending process without being fully aware of the benefits and risks of a particular financial product.
Why People Get Secured Personal Loans
As you can see above, securing a loan is much riskier than obtaining an unsecured loan. So, why do people do it? There are several reasons that people decide to secure their loans. Despite the risks, there are substantial benefits that will truly payoff if you approach the borrowing process responsibly. Below are a few different reasons that people decide to apply for secured personal loans.
Lower Interest Rates
The primary advantage to securing a loan is the fact that your interest rate is much lower. You won’t have to deal with high interest rates that impact your ability to pay back the loan. If you’re trying to reduce the overall cost burden you have when borrowing money, securing a loan is one of the easiest ways to get the interest rate you’re looking for. Many secured loans will have interest rates that are half the amount of other types of loans.
Easier to Obtain
For obvious reasons, secured loans are much easier to obtain. Lenders know that they have the ability to claim back money that they might lose – there is much less risk involved for them. It means that you are more likely to be able to get a loan even if you have a poor credit history. Many people that typically can’t get finance due to credit problems will choose this poor credit personal loan option.
Large Lending Amounts
For those who want to borrow large amounts of money, using an asset to secure a personal loan is typically the best option. Lenders are much more likely to give you large loans if you can prove that you have collateral to pay off any debt that you might end up accruing. Make sure to talk to your lender about how much they’re willing to lend you if you’re able to secure your loan – it might be more than you think.
What Asset Should I Use to Secure My Loan?
If you do decide to get a secured loan, you’re probably wondering what you should use to secure it. You don’t want to end up using the wrong asset to secure your loan, you want to leave yourself exposed to as little risk as possible. This is especially true if you have family that rely on your ability to provide financially.
Ask your lender what you can use to secure the loan that you’re getting. Hopefully they will have a variety of different assets that can be used. As a rule of thumb, you should be aiming to use the asset that has least impact on your life. For example, if you can, try to avoid using a car or home to secure your loan. This is the quickest way to make sure that you family isn’t hugely impacted by a default on a secured loan.
Ask your lender if they have alternative methods for securing loans. Perhaps they will let you use stocks or some other form of asset that wouldn’t disrupt your life to the same degree as a home or car seizure. Keep your family in mind when determining what to secure your loan with.
What Exactly Happens If I Default?
Many people wonder what actually happens if they end up defaulting on a loan that they have secured. The process will depend on the lender, as each will have different protocols for different situations. Typically, the lender will give you some time to try and get together the money that you owe. If you still haven’t been able to do so, they will seize the asset that you had used to secure the loan. In this case, proceedings will occur in a similar way to a foreclosure.
For example, if you secured the loan using your home. The lender would likely seize the home and auction it off. They would then recuperate the money that you owed them, along with any extra fees or penalties, and then give you the rest of the money that is left over (if there is money left over). In this regard, you don’t lose the full value of your asset unless your asset is only valued at the same amount as the money that you’ve borrowed.
Drawbacks of Secured Personal Loans
While you can see there are many benefits to getting secured personal loans, there are still some pretty serious drawbacks. In fact, many people steer clear of secured personal loans because of these disadvantages:
- Risky – At the end of the day, secured personal loans are risky because you have to put up an asset to use as collateral. You’re potentially putting your family’s financial health at risk to get financing. This is why you need to be certain you can pay back the loan if you end up securing it.
- Fees Often High – Another disadvantage is that many lenders often still have high fees, which means that you don’t get as cheap of financing as you might think. Don’t be fooled by a low interest rate, you should always make sure to check if there are hidden fees that might impact you as well!
Alternatives
If you want to get a personal loan, but you don’t think you’ll be able to get unsecured bad credit loans. There are still some options available to you to help you get financing if you don’t want to get a secured loan. One of these options is obtaining a co-signer. A co-signer is someone who guarantees the loan for you. Most people use family members as co-signers.
If you default on your loan, or you miss a payment, your co-signer will be financially responsible for it. They are in affect putting their name on the loan as much as you are – except they don’t get any benefit. This method is often used by people to get lower rates on mortgages and other forms of finance. The problem is that you can end up destroying someone else’s finances and credit score. For this reason, you need to be extremely confident that you will be able to meet your financial commitments.
Having a co-signer is a solid way to get a lender to give you the money that you’re looking for. The only downside is that it puts potential blame on third-parties. Getting a secured loan is much better for those who don’t want to put others at risk. Secured loans will allow you to take full responsibility for your financial decisions.
Who Offers Secured Personal Loans?
If you’re looking to get a secured personal loan, you have a variety of options at your fingertips. The place you opt to get your personal loan from will depend on your preferences. We will explore your two main options in further detail below. Make sure to consider what you’re looking for from a lender before you decide who to go with.
Brick-and-Mortar Lender
This is the original form of lender – this is mainly made up of banks and other lenders that have a physical presence. You can go into their branches and have a meeting with a lending specialist. People who want to have an in-depth discussion regarding their loan are most likely best to go with this option. While it is becoming more and more uncommon to use these lenders, many people still prefer working with their lender directly. These types of lenders also tend to offer more options when it comes to securing loans.
Online Lenders
Online lenders have been busy disrupting the market. There are hundreds of online lenders available for you to choose from. The application process is extremely simple and takes much less time than with traditional lenders. You’ll have to make sure that the online lender you choose offers secured personal loans, some will only offer unsecured personal loans. The main advantage of using an online lender is that you have many more options. There are so many small online lenders working in the industry at the moment – you can shop around for different rates and choose a lender that’s perfect for your situation.
What to Avoid When Searching for Secured Personal Loans
If you’re new to the lending industry, it’s important that you learn how to avoid working with certain companies that might not have your best interests at heart. If you’re planning on getting a secured loan, it’s very important that you make sure to be an aware borrower.
You should always make sure to look up lenders that you are thinking of working with on various consumer watchdog groups. These are the best sources for helping people determine if a lender is worth working with. You don’t want to work with a lender that has a sub-par reputation in the industry. Customer experience is a much more valuable component of the lending process than you might think. Working with a horrible lender can end up having profound effects on your mental health.
Another thing to look out for is predatory lenders. Because you’re securing your loan, you shouldn’t be paying a large amount of interest. Securing a loan typically results in you having extremely low interest payments. So, make sure to look out for companies that still want to charge you high interest rates if you’re going to secure the loan. These companies will try and lure you in with the promise of quick and easy capital, but this is a big red flag. If you end up having to pay high interest rates on money you’ve borrowed in a secured loan, you could end up defaulting and losing the asset that you’ve secured the loan with.
Verdict
After reading this article, you can probably tell there are both advantages and drawbacks associated with securing a loan. It’s important that you weigh these various components up before you make any decision on the type of loan you get. Making the right financial decisions is the best way to ensure financial success in the future. And the best way to make the right decisions is to ensure that you’re constantly informed.
Choosing a lender to work with can often be the most difficult part of the process. There are hundreds of online and brick-and-mortar lenders operating in the personal loans space, it can be difficult to determine who is best. We’ve provided our readers with a list of the best secured personal loans companies available in the United States. Head to our homepage if you’d like to see who we recommend. We provide non-biased referrals to help our readers get a head start in the lending process.
Never sign up for the first loan you look at, you should always compare interest rates before applying. Remember, each time you apply for finance, your credit score will take a hit. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you choose a solid lender before you apply. You don’t want to make multiple applications over a short period of time.
FAQ
Secured Loans versus Unsecured Loans
When considering a loan, it is essential to understand the different types of loans, their requirements, interest rates, and payment terms to apply for the loan that will best meet your needs.
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What is a secured loan versus an unsecured loan?
A secured loan is backed by some type of collateral and typically are car loans and mortgages. An unsecured loan is not supported by any collateral. If you were unable to make payments, the lender could not automatically take your property. Typical unsecured loans are credit cards or an unsecured line of credit.
What does a secured loan mean?
Are personal loans secured or unsecured?
How does a secured personal loan work?
Do I want a secure or unsecured loan?
Is getting a secured loan a good idea?
Is a credit card a secured or unsecured loan?
What is a shared secured personal loan?
Are secured loans easier to get?
Yes. Secured loans are easier to get since they have collateral to back the loan and therefore less of a risk to the lender. As a borrower of a secured loan, you can usually expect a lower interest rate. Otherwise there are bad credit loans with much higher interest.
Can I get a secure a personal loan for someone?
How do I choose between a secured or an unsecured loan?
What happens if I default on a secured personal loan?
Is a personal loan the same as a secured loan?
A personal loan can be either secured or unsecured. Secure in that it is secured by collateral or unsecured, based on our credit history and debt to ratio equity. Secured loans are about as close as you can get to bad credit personal loans guaranteed approval.
Collateral and Secured Personal Loans
Collateral is an essential requirement for a secured personal loan. The most common types of collateral are home equity or a vehicle, however, depending on the institution, other collateral may be accepted such as personal savings, fine art, and investments.
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Can I secure a loan without collateral?
Can I use my car as collateral for a secured personal loan?
What can be used as security or collateral for a personal loan?
How do I secure a personal loan with real estate?
What types of loans are not secured with collateral?
Loans that do not require collateral are called unsecured loans. They are based on your personal credit history, employment and commitment to pay back the loan. Unsecured loans, such as instant cash loans, tend to be riskier for the institution and therefore may result in a higher interest rate then secure loans that require collateral.
What are examples of a secured personal loan?
Credit History and Applying for a Personal Loan
There are many factors that lenders take into consideration when approving you for a personal loan. Credit history is a factor, but if you are concerned about your credit history, impacting your ability to get a loan, know that there are options for good credit and bad credit.
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Can I qualify for a secured personal loan with bad credit?
Yes, it is possible. There are options through banks and independent organizations. There are specific financing companies that cater to those people with bad credit. You can also check out peer to peer lending bad credit options.
Do secured loans affect credit score?
Secured loans and personal unsecured loans can impact credit score as they are reported to credit bureaus regarding payment history, and balances owed on the account. However even with a lower score you can get fair credit loans.
Will a secured personal loan help my credit?
Yes, it can help your credit. As one example, if you use the loan to consolidate your credit cards, then your credit cards are showing as paid off which also helps your debt consolidation which impacts your credit history. Also, by making your payments on time for your personal loan, payment history and balance paid are reported to credit bureaus. In general these can also be easy approval loans for bad credit.
Does a secure personal loan show up in my credit report?
I need to build up my credit, is a secure personal loan a good option?
Understanding the Different Types of Loans
Knowing the different types of loans will help you better understand your options and give you a good background when considering getting a personal loan.
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What is a secured installment loan?
If you are looking to build your credit consult your banking institution. By taking out a loan with the institution, the payments are kept in the make allowing you to make payments to show credit-worthiness. So these can be monthly installment loans no credit check direct lenders offer.
What is a certificate secured loan?
A credit union is also an option by which you can secure a personal loan. With a certificate secured loan, the amount available to borrow is based on what is in the borrowers shared account. Read more about how to get a loan with no credit.
What is the difference between a bank loan and a peer to peer loan?
What is a time account cd savings secured loan?
What is a signature secured loan?
Signature loans may also be referred to as a good faith loan. Borrowers should have a good credit history, employment with income to pay back a loan. A co-signer can be added which means they sign a promissory note and are notified should the main borrow default.
Is a 401K loan secured or unsecured?
What is a HELOC secured loan?
What is a deposit secured personal loan?
What is a savings secured personal loan?
What is a secured auto loan?
A secured auto loan is one that uses collateral such as equity in a home as collateral. Be aware of the terms of the contract. Should you default on the loan, there may be a risk to the collateral you used. If your score is lower it may be better to go with a secured loan bad credit direct lender.
Finding the Lender that Works for You
There are many options to choose from when getting a personal loan, whether it is through a financial institution such as a bank or credit union or you also may consider the Peer to Peer lending options that are backed by investors.
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Where can I apply for secured personal loans?
There are many options through credit unions, banks, and non-financial institutions. Our site offers you a comprehensive list of options for secured personal loans including some alternative lenders that offer online loans no credit check required.
Which banks offer secured personal loans?
There are many options of banks and credit unions that offer personal loans some of which include: Wells Fargo, PNC and KeyBank. Just talk to them and see what it takes to borrow some money.
Does Bank of America offer secured personal loans?
Does Chase bank offer secured personal loans?
Who has the best personal loans?
Understanding the Process
Getting a personal loan is not hard. Here are some questions that discuss the specifics when trying to obtain a personal loan.
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How long is the process to secure a personal loan?
The first step is identifying the documents needed and having them readily available. Most lenders have an online process that allows for fast loan approval. To complete the application process on average is 7 business days.
How long does it take to secure a personal loan and funds to be deposited in my account?
What is the interest rate on a secured loan?
This can vary from institution to institution but is based on the amount of the loan and the value of your collateral. The maximum Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a 36% interest rate. Use a free personal loan calculator to see what payments would look like with these rates.
What amount of money can I take out for a personal loan?
Can you consolidate personal loans?
What if I only want to take a small amount out for a secure personal loan?
Can I take out a large amount for a secured personal loan?
What documents are needed for a secure personal loan?
What if a person is deceased and still owes on a personal loan?
What if I’m on Social Security, can I still take out a loan?
What People Say
Christine has a solid background in personal finance as she spent the last eight years working at one of the biggest banks in the US. She managed her own team of financial advisors that helped hundreds of people with their financing needs. Her innate understanding of different financial products and loans helped her move up the ranks quickly after graduating with a degree in Business Administration.