Why Choose A Secured Loan?
There are advantages to choosing a secured loan over an unsecured loan however
it is important to consider the facts.
As the name suggests, a secured loan is secured against collateral pledged
by the borrower, usually in the form of property. Should the borrower
default and fails to settle the loan in accordance with the terms of the
loan, the lender will take possession of the property secured against
the loan and may sell it to satisfy the loan.
Lenders are more likely to lend you money if they know that should anything
goes wrong their money is safe.
Secured loans offer advantages to both borrowers and lenders. For lenders,
a secured loan takes away a lot of the financial risks because of the
property secured against the loan. For the Borrower it gives the opportunity
to receive a loan which they might not of been able to get, and to get
a loan under more favourable terms than they would have got should the
loan have been unsecured.
Secured loans are often used as a convenient way to consolidate more
expensive unsecured loans.
A lender will consider factors such as the value of your property, your
ability to make the repayments and your personal circumstances to determine
how much they are prepared to lend, at what Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
and over what length of time.
The security of the loan is very much in favour of the lender, and it
is therefore important to treat any secured loans with extreme care as
any failure to meet your obligations under such a loan can result in the
loss of your home. For this reason it is best to consider your circumstances
carefully before entering into such a loan agreement.
Advantages of a secured loan?
Easier to get. - Borrowers with good credit scores will
generally be able to get secured loans at cheaper rates than unsecured
loans. While those with poorer credit ratings will have more of a chance
because of the security they can offer.
Possibility to borrow larger sums - The more security
you can offer; the more you can borrow.
Repayment over a longer period. - Lenders of secured
loans prefer to lend over a longer period (usually 5 to 25 years) because
it helps to defray the initial set-up costs, as opposed to periods of
up to 7 years for unsecured loans.
Lower monthly repayments - The Annual Percentage Rate
(APR) for secured loans is generally lower making them more attractive
compared to unsecured loans. However over the length of the loan you will
pay more.