Finding a personal loan when you don’t have the best credit report can be frustrating, daunting and plain embarrassing. There is nothing worse than being laughed at by your bank manager when you desperately need cash for those unexpected emergencies.
There are a number of ways to secure the personal loan you need from various sources. The first step is to determine how much you need and how much you can afford to repay each month. Remember that any lender is going to put interest over and above the amount you choose, which means you can expect to pay a higher amount in the end. Knowing what you can realistically afford to repay each month can help you identify the best options and ensure you don’t dig yourself deep into debt on a monthly basis.
The first place you can try and get a personal loan is your everyday bank. Bear in mind that banking institutions are making it harder to borrow cash. This means that you need to tick certain boxes, one of these is to have a stellar credit report. Some banks even require you have some cash in your bank account. While this may not make sense and you probably wouldn’t be requesting a loan if you had funds available, it’s important to be aware of what to expect.
Because of the difficulty associated with securing a personal loan through your bank, most people turn to online sources. There are a wide number of lenders that operate online. Some offer an added service where you complete your application and they submit it to a number of lenders to increase your chances of getting the funds you need.
The advantage to using online lenders is that they are more likely to give you the personal loan you need even with bad credit. Many of them will make an offer and it’s up to you on whether to accept or not. These are a great option if you have already been declined by your regular bank and don’t know where else to turn.
You can consider a home equity if all else fails. Home equity is a secure type of loan where you use your home as security against the loan. This reduces the risk to the lender, but increases the risk to you. If for any reason you are unable to meet your repayments, you could end up losing your home to pay for the amount you borrowed. Home equity is ideal if you want to carry out home renovations and need a higher loan amount.
Some people turn to credit unions. Credit unions offer supply loans, these are privately owned institutions that get their funding from their members. When dealing with credit unions, ensure you do your homework and find a deal that meets your budget and requirements.
One of the things you may want to consider is to approach your family and friends. In some cases a family member may be able to provide you with a personal loan. If you choose this option ensure you write up a contract and pay interest. The easiest way to ruin a friendship or destroy a family is to borrow money, so you may want to look online first and keep this as your final choice.
In the event that you are turned down at every direction you turn in order to get a personal loan, you may want to consider getting someone to co-sign with you. Getting someone to co-sign means that you provide the lender with some form of security. The problem is that should you be unable to pay for any reason, the person who co-signed the loan will be held responsible.
