Category Archives: Auto Loans
Fixed Rate Bonds vs. ISA's (Page 1 of 2)
It is difficult to know where to put your money these days to get the best returns, especially with the way the economy has suffered over recent months, pushing the Bank of England to make a string of cuts to its Base rate which have in turn been passed on to savers rates.
With the Base rate now down to the lowest level ever recorded, rates on normal savings accounts have been slashed, which has limited our saving options.
The two obvious choices in today’s savings market are Fixed Term Bonds, and Individual Savings Accounts (ISA). Although both types of savings accounts have their similarities, there are several advantages and disadvantages to each and it is this topic of discussion that this article will be focussing on.
Fixed Term Bonds
Fixed Term Bonds provide a rate that is fixed throughout the duration of the bond, giving savers a predictable income with no surprises. Once you have chosen a fixed term account, you are able to calculate exactly how much interest you will earn, minus the tax, to give you your end balance.
Most Fixed Term Bonds offer very high deposit limits, generally between £500,000 to £2 million, but some, such as ICICI, will let you invest as much as you like. You must deposit the full amount upon opening the account and cannot add to this once active.
There are no limits to how many fixed term bond accounts you can open within any one year, so unlike ISA accounts, if you decide to close your account for any reason, you can still invest any amount elsewhere at any time.
Fixed Term Bonds generally offer the highest saving rates available, but these tend to be on shorter-term bonds, as they carry less risk to significant rate cuts leading to banks and building societies paying you over the odds in interest for long periods of time.
‘What goes up must come down’
If you are extremely lucky and do your research, you could open a fixed term bond before rates significantly fall, allowing you to earn well above savings rates offered to new and variable rate customers. If you cast your mind back to October last year, when the Base rate stood at 5%, you would be very happy with yourself if you were earning this kind of rate on your savings today, with the Base rate now at 0.5%.
A big element to a fixed term bond account is the “fixed term”. You must be realistic with your finances and only go for this option if you can afford to lock your money away for some time. If you find that you need to withdraw any amount from your account, the bond will close and in most cases you will lose any interest to accumulated to date.
As well as the possibility of rates falling during the life of your bond, you could see the opposite effect, with rates significantly rising, leaving you locked in at a low rate. It is always a good idea to look at recent trends in Base rate changes to enable you to make an educated prediction on the direction it’s headed. Many economists believe that rates will continue to fall during 2009, going as low as 0%.
What Is So Personal About A Personal Loan?
When we are asked, “What do you want to see Mr. Jones for?” and you say its personal, you actually mean, “mind your own business”. And personal loans are exactly that: The lender minds his own business: He grants you a loan, no questions asked. Sometimes there is a limited term, some specific interest or condition, but it will give you the freedom of using it for anything at all.
For Example
A new home mortgage is a loan to be used only to buy a new home. The “prize”, so to speak, is a 20 or 30 year term to repay the loan and a very low interest. A car loan is good when you are using it to buy a car. The security becomes the car itself and you dont need to worry about affecting your home, your business, or somebody willing to act as collateral.
Theyre Just So Personal
Personal loans on the other hand are a special kind of their own. The usual terms are between 6 and 36 months and interest rates are also intermediate, between the mortgage rates and credit card rates, which are the highest.
So, APRs usually fluctuate around 6% to 8%. These conditions make personal loans accessible, but not too much and on the other hand, they have a fairly short payback term.
How Do We Know When
to apply for a personal loan and when to go for a different line of credit? Think of it in the following terms: Is there a better option for what you want it? If it is the case of a business you want to develop, then you have special “small business loans” that will get you better conditions based on your business plan, cash flow and market share.
A Car Loan
If it is a car you want, then better go to a car loan broker straight out. Hes got the best conditions as well as insurance and also the possibility to get you a good deal on the purchase itself.
Home Loans
These can be got through the line of mortgage loans and we all know how looooong they are to pay, although the interest is so conveniently low. Then, buying a home is not an option for a personal loan.
So, Theres A Lot To Choose From
Right, there are so many things to use a personal loan for, that the list would exceed the space here. So, to give just a few examples, you can change your furniture, get a whacking holiday, renew your wardrobe and so many other things that just cant be used as collateral.
And Thats The Point, Precisely.
Many times, say, not considering bad credit, personal loans are granted, based on track records, good credit, good job, good bank reports and other good information that the lender can obtain.
The loan conditions are not so great, but you have the advantage of just signing for it and thats it, besides the fact that you can use it for something that you just dont need to declare. No questions asked.
Securities
If a signature is not enough, the lender will ask you for a security, to make sure you will repay. But no one will ever know what you did with the money and no one will ever care. Perhaps you want to pay for something too personal and you dont want your family to know, or even a surprise for your family.
Get One Tailored For You
Check out on-line options. There will be one just right for you, Im sure. Do your homework well and youll be very happy with your decision.