Top Benefits of taking Personal Loan from a Bank (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits of taking a personal loan? ›

You want to pay off high-interest debt: Personal loans are a good way to consolidate and pay off costly credit card debt. You'll use the funds toward necessary expenses: Other good reasons to use personal loans include paying for emergency expenses or remodeling your home.

Low Interest Rates: Generally, bank loans have the cheapest interest rates. The rates you pay will be cheaper than other types of high interest loans, such as venture capital. As Bizfluent says, bank loans offer significantly lower interest rates than you will find with credit cards or overdraft.

In some cases, a personal loan can help you meet a financial goal, such as consolidating high-interest debt or financing a home improvement project that increases your home's value. But it may not be the best option in an emergency or to pay for a discretionary expense like a vacation or wedding.

Pros and cons of bank loans

Interest rates on bank loans are usually lower than that in other financing methods (e.g. inventory and invoice financing). Bank loan applications require collection and submission of lots of paperwork. The process could be taxing and time-consuming.

A personal loan will cause a slight hit to your credit score in the short term, but making on-time payments will bring it back up and can help improve your credit in the long run. A personal loan calculator can be a big help when it comes to determining the loan repayment term that's right for you.

If you have personal loan debt and are in a financial position to pay it off early, doing so could save you money on interest and boost your credit score. That said, you should only pay off a loan early if you can do so without tilting your budget, and if your lender doesn't charge a prepayment penalty.

Loans are advanced for a number of reasons, including major purchases, investing, renovations, debt consolidation, and business ventures. Loans also help existing companies expand their operations.

Free up emergency funds

For example, buying a house with cash might eat up all your savings, leaving you no contingency funds for repairs or other emergencies. Borrowing to refinance high interest debt in exchange for a lower, consolidated rate with more manageable payments can also free up money.

It can be better to get a personal loan from your own bank if you've done a lot of business together. Having a positive and long-standing relationship with your bank may improve your odds of getting approved for a loan with competitive terms. Getting a loan from your bank might also make the account easier to manage.

Comparing banks vs.

Since the process of getting a bank loan is more rigorous, banks are typically able to offer lower interest rates and sometimes provide perks for existing customers. Online lenders are less regulated than banks, allowing faster application processes and more lenient eligibility requirements.

Is taking a bank loan a good idea? ›

Although borrowing money may seem like a good idea if you're strapped for cash, there are times when getting a loan may be a bad idea. While it's true a personal loan can be used for almost any reason, interest charges can add up, and your credit may take a hit if you miss payments.

But your loan agreement may prohibit you from using the money for certain expenses, like college tuition or gambling. You may also face restrictions from lenders if you try to use personal loan funds as a down payment on a mortgage. There are alternative financing options for these restricted purposes, however.

Taking out a personal loan can make more sense than tapping credit cards or home equity in some cases – but it's not always a good idea to borrow one. There are situations where this could be a good idea, but always remember that taking out a personal loan increases your overall debt.

And that's fine -- as long as you keep up with the monthly payments as agreed. If it's an unsecured personal loan (meaning no collateral was involved), most lenders don't care what you do with the funds. However, a debt consolidation loan is an exception, because it was granted for a specific purpose.

If that's your goal and you have a solid repayment plan, taking out a loan may not be a bad idea. But, if your credit needs work, you may be considered a risky borrower and your lender may charge a higher interest rate than if your credit is good.

Key takeaways. The most common reason to take out a personal loan is to consolidate debt. Fast funding turn times make personal loans a good choice for emergency expenses. Gives you a predictable monthly payment to finance home improvements, wedding expenses or other large purchases.

If you decide that you don't want or need a loan once you have received the funds, you have two options: Take the financial hit and repay the loan, along with origination fees and prepayment penalty. Use the money for another purpose, but faithfully make each monthly payment until the loan is paid in full.

After the lender reviews your documents and notifies you that you've been approved, you'll then finalize your loan documents by accepting the terms. Once you sign off on the loan agreement, you'll typically get your funds within a week, although some online lenders get it to you within one or two business days.