Personal Finance and Investment

In the last 40 years we have witnessed a staggering growth in personal lending. It seems that more often than not, people would prefer to borrow money for purchases than to save up the cash to do so on their own terms. As the personal lending industry has matured, many new loan products have come to existence.

Credit cards are a form of credit everybody is familiar with. Credit cards are one of the worst ways to borrow, because of their high interest rates. In such a scenario, it would be wise to pursue other options; this is where a personal loan can be quite useful.

Personal loans are provided through a financial institution, often in two forms; secured and unsecured. A general difference between the two is that a secured loan is backed by an asset, and an unsecured loan is not. An example of unsecured loan is a personal line of credit from your bank, or a credit card. Example of unsecured loan is borrowing on your credit card. Here is why in most cases is better to borrow using a personal loan instead of credit card.

If you can’t control your spending you are best advised to stay away from credit cards. Borrowers, who use personal loans, usually have better idea what they can afford, and are not that inclined to do impulse purchases. The main problem with credit cards is that they have higher interest rates compared to all other loan types, with the exception of payday loans. These consumer loans come with a much lower interest rate, often below 10%, which means that more of your monthly payment will go towards the principle of the loan, which will help you to pay off the balance faster. In contrast when you borrow fund on your credit card, you only have to worry about the minimum monthly payments, and in theory you can carry the debt forever. This is one of the things that makes buying thing on a credit card easier compared to personal loans. This will give you a set date for when your loan balance will be paid off.

The financial industry has come up with many new personal loan products, and sometimes the choices may be overwhelming. With so many lenders looking to get your business, it can be difficult to know the best way to borrow money without putting strain on your financial health. Choosing a personal loan with low interest rate and good terms, will enhance your buying power, while allowing you to repay your debt faster.