What is a loan?
A loan is a sum of money that you borrow for a set amount of time, at an agreed interest rate. Your monthly repayment amount will be determined by how much you borrow, how long you borrow for, and the interest rate attached to you loan. A higher interest rate will mean that the money you borrow will cost you more, and your monthly payments may be higher. Loans include the following categories.
Personal loans - Loans for individuals, Business Loans - Loans for businesses, Car loans - Loans for vehicles, Short term loans - Smaller loans for temporary needs or an emergency (usually with a loan term of less than one year).
Choosing a loan
Always shop around and compare lenders before applying for a loan. Look at interest rates, read terms and conditions, and most importantly, make sure you can afford the repayments. Failure to pay back a loan can damage your credit history, making it difficult to borrow money in the future, whether that’s another loan, a credit card or a mortgage.
Paying back a loan
Most loan payments are collected monthly from your bank account, in the form of a direct debit. A benefit of paying back by direct debit is that the money is collected and paid to the lender "automatically" as long as there is money in your account, and there’s s less worrying about forgetting to make the payments.