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What is a Secured Loan and what are the risks? (Page 1 of 2)
A Secured Loan is a loan secured on the homeowners property very much in the same way as a Mortgage is. A Mortgage on a property is known as the 1st Charge a Secured Loan therefore becomes the 2nd Charge. If a Secured Loan is never paid then obviously the Homeowners home is at risk. With the Mortgage company having the 1st charge they therefore reclaim their money first. A Secured Loan Lender would then follow as they are the 2nd charge. It is worth remembering that a Mortgage and Secured Loan Company would only ever repossess a property as a last resort.
A Secured Loan is ideal for Homeowners who are looking to raise finance by using their home as security. Traditionally a Secured Loan can provide Homeowners with a lower APR than that of an Unsecured Loan. Obviously a Loan Lenders APR varies depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant. A Secured Loan can be used for a variety of purposes. The most common Secured Loan purposes are for Home Improvements and for Debt Consolidation.
Home Improvement Secured Loan
A loan that is secured on the applicants home address for the purpose of Home Improvements. The loan can be used for a new conservatory, renovations, extension or simply for double glazing. Almost any form of home improvements can be funded by a secured loan. You may find that some secured loan lenders will require proof of what you will be using the funds for. This can be provided by simply gaining a written quote from someone who you are looking to have the work done by. Chances are a Home Improvement Secured Loan will actually increase the value of your property so it will be money well invested.
Debt Consolidation Loan
A loan that is secured on the applicants home address for the purpose of Debt Consolidation. The loan is generally used to consolidate (pay off) all existing credit by putting it into one secured loan and this generally reduces the monthly payments and therefore frees up more of your monthly income to use for more exciting purposes than clearing credit cards, store cards, loans or hire purchases! Sometimes the only way in which the monthly payments can be reduced is by taking the Secured Loan over a longer period than what the existing credit is currently on. This can increase the amount in total that you will pay back but customers who take a Debt Consolidation Loan generally are more interested in the reduced monthly outgoing on credit.
A Secured Loan can be used for other purposes besides Debt Consolidation and Home Improvements. They can also be used for a Car, Holiday or Wedding. Generally Secured Loan lenders do not raise finance for Business. For a Business Loan it may be a better route to contact your local Bank or Building Society. Why would I want a Secured Loan instead of an Unsecured Loan?
There are many reasons why.
Repayment Period A Secured Loan can normally be taken over a longer period than that of an unsecured personal loan. Unsecured Loans can normally only be taken over a maximum of 7 or 10 years. Some Secured Loan Lenders will allow the applicant to take the finance over a 30 year period and most will allow the finance to be spread over 25 years worth of payments. Obviously by taking the loan over a longer period reduces the monthly payment to the applicant although you must remember the longer you take the loan over the more interest you will pay.
How Do Secured Loans Work?
If youre in need of money to purchase a home, car, or other piece of personal property, a secured loan is often the fastest, easiest means for you to get the needed funds. Most institutions will not balk at lending if there is collateral to guarantee the funds they lend you- your home, car, or other personal property item. This is a definitely plus if your credit rating has a blemish or two, as you will be able to borrow more money with a secured rather than an unsecured loan.
If you fail to pay the loan back, the lending institute will simply take the property that is connected to the loan. Secured loans are generally in a range from £3,000 to about £50,000, but can go as high as £100,000 depending on your situation, need and circumstances.
Refinancing a mortgage or other secured loan may enable the borrower to save a significant amount on monthly expenses by either extending the timeframe or terms of the loan, or paying off one loan with another that has a lower APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Secured loan interest rates are typically variable and follow the UK base rates, but can also differ significantly between lenders, so shopping around an comparing rates and terms is essential.
More often than not, the rates of secured loans are significantly less costly than the interest on credit cards and/or other unsecured lines and forms of credit, like personal loans. Refinancing your home to consolidate any personal, unsecured debt that you may have is really an option that is consistently growing in popularity. Seeing a zero balance on credit card statements is almost impossible to achieve when you can only pay the minimum amount due each month.
Available terms, amount borrowed and the assigned interest rate will vary, depending on the amount of equity you have in your secured property and your potential lenders view of your ability to pay (usually based on your credit report). If you are looking to borrow more than 80% of your property value, you can expect to pay a higher APR than if youre financing a lesser percentage; if your credit report has negative marks on it, you will also have to pay more for your loan.
Repayment plans are often on a monthly basis on a predesignated date and term, depending on the lender, and typically range from 3 to 30 years, whereas unsecured lending is usually no longer than 7 years. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions including any fine print before signing your name on the dotted line.