Personal loans have several pros and cons to consider as a funding source. For many people, the benefits ca🅷n include more predictable repayment terms and loᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚwer interest rates than other fund options like credit cards.
The benefits of obtaining a personal loan may matter more to you if you’re borrowing a large amount or if you’re planning to use your loan for debt consolidation. Interest rates on most personal loans are also fixed instead of variable, which can be a major advantage for borrowers worried about rising loan costs.
Key Takeaways
- A key benefit of personal loans is flexibility in how you can use your funding.
- Another advantage is that you can often receive your funding for a personal loan on the same day you apply.
- Making on-time payments on a personal loan will ultimately improve your credit score.
- A personal loan can often provide a higher borrowing limit than a credit card and will have a lower interest rate.
10 Benefits of Personal Loans
The benefits of obtaining a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:personal loan will depend on several factors, particularly how you will use the funds. Think about the purpose of your loan and consider whethe⛎r it has more advantages than alterna♛tive funding sources.
The 10 benefits of a personal loan are:
- Flexible use
- Lump-sum funding
- Fast funding
- Positive credit score impact
- Higher borrowing limit than credit card
- Lower interest rates than a credit card
- Predictable repayment schedule
- Flexible repayment terms
- No collateral required
- Easy application process
Flexible Use
Personal loan companies rarely place restrictions on how you can use the money. This means the list of purposes for a personal loan is nearly endless, and you can even 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:apply for funding if you’re not sure how you’ll use the cash.
Examples of ways you can use personal loans include 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:debt consolidation, weddings, vacations, college 𓄧expenses, home remodeling projects, and more. In most cases, you may not be able to use a personal loan to invest or pay for education.
Lump-Sum Funding
Unlike lines of credit and credit cards, personal loans gi🧸ve ♐you a lump sum of money upfront that you can use however you want. This is a major benefit for many borrowers.
Getting a lump sum of cash can be useful and practical, whether you are using the money to, for example, pay off high-interest credit cards, need to pay a contractor for work completed in your home, or are ready to splurge for a family vacation.
Fast Funding
Some of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:best personal loan companies🐭 provide funding as soon as the day you apply, whereas others will transfer your loan funds to your bank account within a few business days at most. This may be important to you if you need cash quickly for any reason, particularly if you are ready to move forward with a major purcha𒊎se or have unpaid bills to take care of.
Positive Credit Score Impact
You may get a hard inquiry placed on your 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:credit reports when you apply for a personal loan, which can temporarily lower your score. However, using a personal loan responsibly can help build your credit score in the long term.
As you make on-time payments, you can prove you are a responsible borrower as you raise your credit score. Payment history is the most important factor in a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:FICO score.
Note
A personal loan can 🎃also improve your credit mix, which is another factor that plays a role in determining your 🐲credit score.
Higher Borrowing Limit Than a Credit Card
Personal loans typical𝕴ly⛎ provide $2,000 to $50,000, although some personal loan companies offer funding up to $100,000. You’ll generally need a sufficient employment history, income, and credit score to qualify for higher loan amounts.
On the other hand, credit card cash advances may lim♔it you to a percentage of 📖your total credit limit. Typical percentages range from 5% to 50%. Cash advances on a credit card also come with an additional fee and tend to incur a higher interest rate than purchases made using the same card.
Lower Interest Rates Than a Credit Card
Interest rates on personal loans are considerably lower than what credit cards charge, which means you can save money as you pay down debt.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System noted that the average interest rate for a 24-month personal loan was 11.92% as of May 2024. This is considerably lower than the average interest rate on credit card accounts assessed interest that month, which was 22.76%.
Predictable Repayment Schedule
Because credit cards are a type of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:revolving credit, you can borrow and pay back your line of credit over and over again. This also means you can make payments on your credit card in perpetuity if you keep using it for purchases.
Personal loans are different because they come with a set 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:repayment tꦚerm that you agree to ahead of time. This means you can borrow a fixed amount, make a fixed monthly payment, and plan for when you’ll be debt-free.
Tip
Calculate how your loan term can impact your monthly payment using a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:personal loan calculator.
Flexible Repayment Terms
While the repayment plan for personal loans is set ahead of time, you do have some flexibility there. Some lenders o🅘✨ffer only a few repayment plan options, whereas others offer repayment terms from 12 to 84 months.
A few personal loan companies even offer much longer repayment terms. For example, LightStream lets eligible borrowers pay off their loans totaling $25,000 or more over up to 240 months.
No Collateral Required (Typically)
Most personal loans are unsecured, although secured personal loans do exist. With an unsecured personal loan, you get the ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚbenefit of borrowing a lump sum without having to put down a cash deposit or any other type of collateral.
Easy Application Process
Finally, personal loans have the advantage of being incredibly easy to apply for🅷, whether you want to get funding through a bank or credit union or prefer to handle the process onli♓ne.
Online lenders, in particular, can get you aಞpproved for a personal loan within a few hours, which is why they can offer sa🔴me-day or next-day funding directly to your bank account.
How Do People Use Personal Loans?
cnjem.commissioned 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:a national survey of 962 U.S. adults between Aug. 14, 2023, to Sept. 15, 2023, who had taken out a personal loan to learn how they used their loan proceeds and how they might use future personal loans. Debt consolidation was the 澳洲♌幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:most 🧸common reason people borrowed money, followed by home improvement and other large expenditures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are Some Cons of a Personal Loan?
When it comes to the potential downsides of personal loans, you should know that loans with the best rates and terms typically only go to borrowers with good or excellent credit. If you have bad credit and need a personal loan, your annual percentage rate (APR) could be significantly high. Since many lenders offer personal loans at varying rates and with different requirements, be careful not to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:take out too many loans. Personal loans can also have origination fees of up to 10% of the loan amount.
What Is the Best Alternative to a Personal Loan?
The best alternative to a personal loan depends on the assets you have and how much you need to borrow. Common alternatives include home equity loans and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖♚结果体彩网:ho෴me equity lines of credit (HELOCs), p꧅eer-to-peer loans, credit cards, 401(k) loans, and cash-out mortgage refinancing.
How Much Can I Borrow With a Personal Loan?
Some 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:personal loan companies let you borrow $2,000 to $50,000; however, o🍎thers offer funding in amounts up to $100,000.
What Happens if You Pay Off a Personal Loan Early?
Most pers🐼onal loans do not charge prepayment꧑ penalties, but you should check for this fee and other hidden fees before applying. Paying off a loan early may help you save money on interest.
How Much Will a Loan Inquiry Drop My Credit Score?
According to MyFICO, hard inquiries on your credit reports are only considered for credit scoring purposes if made in the last 12 months. Even then, the impact of a single hard inquiry is typically five points or less, and your score can bounce back within a few months.
The Bottom Line
The best personal loan companies can help you 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:get the funding you need w🌳hen you need it, and you can tailor your monthly payment and repayment ter🌼ms to your needs and goals.
Compare loan companies based on the interest rates and the fees (🦋including hidden fees). Also, make sure that you wind up with a monthly payment that fits your budget, and don’t borrow more than you need.