Unsecured Personal Loan and Secured Personal Loan

 Unsecured Personal Loan and  Secured Personal Loan

This is a common question that many consumers have. Many people do not realize that there are even different types of personal loans. Each type of personal loan, secured and unsecured, have different requirements.

We will look at the requirements for a secured personal loan first. The name "secured loan" pretty much sums it up, to obtain a secured loan the borrower is required to provide some kind of collateral to secure the loan.

The most common forms of collateral used to secure loans are personal property such as your home, land or automobile. When your home is used as collateral, you will often hear the loan referred to as a home equity loan or a second mortgage loan. Personal loans can also be secured with stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, a savings account, etc.

Lenders tend to be more flexible when granting secured loans. Usually the borrower is given a lower interest rate and longer terms to repay the loan compared to an unsecured loan. The downside to a secured personal loan is if you default on the loan and fail to repay it, the collateral used to secure the loan can be seized by the lender.

If you do not have any collateral to put up for security, then you would not be able to qualify for a secured loan. On the other hand, and unsecured loan does not require any collateral. That is why unsecured loans are a great option for non-homeowners.
The requirements for an unsecured personal loan rely on the borrower's credit history. Since there is no collateral securing the loan, the lender has to base creditworthiness of the borrower on his or her past credit activities.

The higher a credit score the borrower has the more likely for approval they will be. A good credit score can also guarantee a higher loan amount and a lower interest rate. If you have poor credit, you could still qualify for an unsecured loan but expect to pay a much higher interest rate.