Tag Archives: fees
Applying for a Secured Loan 101
If youve made the decision to apply for a secured loan, youre likely to have done a bit of homework in regards of current interest rates, traditional fees for preparing the necessary documents, and of course, the fee your lender will charge you for your secured loan. If you have yet to accomplish the above tasks, you should at least begin the process before you begin to contact potential secured lenders. So heres a bit of basic info for you (and if youre already familiar with it, lets just consider it a refresher course, shall we?).
The most common type of secured loan is a mortgage; one of the largest bills that you will ever have in your life. There are a wide variety of fees in all shapes, sizes and colors for you to decipher through, so be sure to pack your x-ray goggles!
First things first, we have the APR its the amount that you will be paying each year for your loan. Also known as the Annual Percentage Rate, it will include the interest rate, fees, and certain other charges calculated on a yearly basis to come up with one complete percentage. Its usually a bit higher than the interest rate that youre quoted, as it includes the other fees.
Be sure that you know the terms for fees as many of them can be hidden or covered up as something else. Points are one of the more popular fees, and can range in purpose to get you a lower interest rate to an honest loan officer telling you thats how hell fill his paypacket. When in doubt, ask questions! If youre not happy with the answers you received, ask someone else. Ask all the way up to the president of the company, as this is your money were talking about here. And dont sign anything that youre not 100% sure about.
And last but not least, be sure to shop around- dont put all of your eggs into one proverbial basket, so to speak. There are, unfortunately quite a few bad loan originators (often referred to in the industry as predators) in the secured loan industry that are completing the old Bait and Switch routine on you- promising the moon and stars to you, their special client, but all the while they have no such program waiting for you (and you are now in a difficult position: either choose the horrid loan program that you got switched into, or no loan at all). By shopping around, and informing the competing lenders that they are not alone, you are setting yourself up for an ideal, winning secured loan situation.
When the application process commences, its very important to remember that you can change your mind at any time without penalty or fine. Sometimes our gut instinct tells us something that we just cant avoid, and its often best to listen to our gut
Working Out The Total Cost Of A Loan
When you are looking for a loan, you need to compare loans by working out the total cost of repaying the loan. Although many web sites allow you to compare the APR costs, working out the real total cost of a loan is a little more complicated. However, it is important that you do this so that you can budget accurately and also so that you can find the best deal for your needs.
Estimating the total cost
The quickest and easiest way to estimate the total cost is to multiply the total amount borrowed by the APR, and then multiply this by the number of years. For example, if you borrow £10,000 and the APR is 10% for 5 years, then 10000 times 0.10 times 5 equals £5000. This is the interest you will pay, so add this to the total amount borrowed and then you know to borrow £10,000 for 5 years at 10% costs you £15,000 in total. Of course, this is only an estimate and will be higher than the actual amount as interest payments are reduced as you pay off the amount.
Other costs
There are obviously other costs to add to this total amount, such as loan processing fees, payment protection insurance and any other fees you need to buy to set up the loan. Add these to the total cost mentioned before and you have the total that you need to pay back over the loan term.
TAR
If you are discussing the total cost of the loan with your lender, then ask them to give you the TAR. This stands for Total Amount Repayable, and will let you know the total you have to pay back during the loan term. The difference between the amount borrowed and the TAR will tell you how much the loan is costing. A smaller difference between these two numbers means a better deal for you.
APR
As well as knowing the TAR, you should work out how much you need to repay each month. To do this, divide the TAR by the total loan term in months. For example, if you were paying back £14,400 over 12 years, then you will pay back about £100 a month (14,400 divided by 144 months). Of course, this is also an estimate as the TAR amount you have calculated is an estimate. To get the exact amount, ask the lender.
Adding penalty costs
When working out the total cost of a loan, you should budget into the equation some penalty fees. Although you might never pay any of these fees, to allow for a few late payments will help you to be prepared in case. It may also help you to decide between two similar loans, depending on the amount they charge for penalties and late fees.
If you are unsure, seek advice
If you are looking for a loan and are still unsure how much you will need to pay back over the whole term, then consult an independent financial advisor, who can help you work out how much you are paying for each loan, and which is the best deal.