What do people mean by a loan?

Monday, March 31, 2008 11:00
Posted in category Finance
by Vicki Lewis

A person or body that provides another with a sum of money (loan) is called the creditor and the person borrowing the sum is called the debtor; this is usually finalized in a binding and legal written agreement that ensures the borrower repays the lender. Any material item can be lent but this article focuses exclusively on those involving the lending of money. Unlike most other types of loan, those involving cash will gradually be paid back over a period of time previously arranged; whilst it is possible to make 3 or 6 monthly repayments, the usual time period is one month.

The debt is repaid but an interest charge is added for the service being provided and the method by which the lender is compensated. For instance, some debts repay the interest first and then once this is cleared, the borrowed sum is gradually repaid. Others will repay the debt in equal installment with the interest as part of this amount.

Although this is the main function of all financial institutions, they do have other functions as well. Arranging a loan this way is a normal method for individuals as well as businesses to have a sum of money in their account to do with as they please; other ways to raise capital are available but none as easy as this.

Long term financial arrangements designed for individuals and companies to buy real estate is called a mortgage but it can only be used for this purpose. In this instance, the lender is given security on the money advanced in the form of the title deeds of the house until the debt is repaid in full. This security means that defaulting on the loan may leave the lender with no alternative but to repossess the property; whilst they can reclaim money owed immediately this way, they may also decide to retain the property until a later date.

In some instances, this method of security can be used when taking out a loan for a car for instance; in this instance, the car becomes it’s own security for the debt. Whilst secured loans can last a considerable time, this is usually as long as it remains possible for the finance company to reclaim costs should they need to sell the item; where cars are concerned, this term will only last a handful of years.

The average person may have a number of unsecured loans or credit facilities and not even realize it; if you have an overdraft or credit cards for example, this is exactly what these arrangements are. Typically, interest rates on credit cards or store cards will be the highest but all unsecured credit rates will of course vary from one lender to the next.

Abuse in the granting of money is known as predatory lending; it usually involves providing cash in order to put the borrower in a position where one can gain advantage over them. This type of lending also takes place with credit card companies around the world who issue credit cards with high charges which take a disproportionate amount of time to pay off; even small balances, just to retain a customer. You would be wise to be wary of financial arrangements that seem to good to be true because they probably are.

About the Author:

Add to Del.cio.us RSS Feed Add to Technorati Favorites Stumble It!
   www.sajithmr.com

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Tags:

Leave a Reply


Ads By CbproAds

This blog contributes to the web with Nofollow Reciprocity.