Personal loans are a versatile form of credit. You can use them to consolidate other high-interest debts, pay for home improvements and more. Because they usually come with fixed interest rates and repayment schedules, you know exactly how much you need to pay each month and when your debt will be paid in full.

Still, taking on any type of debt is a serious responsibility. This personal loan guide will help you learn more about how personal loans work, which pitfalls to avoid and some alternatives to consider.

Part I: Personal Loans 101

How do personal loans work?

When you apply for a personal loan, you borrow a specific amount of money — most often at a fixed interest rate — for a set amount of time. Then you pay off your balance monthly until it’s paid in full.

The terms of your personal loan will depend on your unique financial situation and your lender. The loans are typically offered in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000, and potentially even higher, depending on the lender. As for the repayment period, the loans’ terms often range from one to five years, but can potentially go up to 15 years for purposes such as home improvement.

Personal loans are unsecured debt, meaning they’re not secured by an underlying investment like a home or a car. For that reason, they usually come with higher interest rates than you might get with a mortgage or auto loan.

To get a real sense of how much a personal loan will cost you, keep an eye on the annual percentage rate, or APR. It includes interest and other costs, which could include an origination fee. An origination fee is a loan processing fee that can typically be 1% to 8% of the loan amount; however, some lenders, such as Lightstream and Discover, don’t charge any origination fees at all.

Pros and cons of personal loans

Pros

• Interest rates can be lower than credit cards. While interest rates on personal loan offers have risen lately, they can still be a good option for consolidating high-interest credit card debt, especially if your credit is top-notch. The average APR on a personal loan offer from a lender is now 11.81% for borrowers with excellent credit, and 15.61% for those with very good credit, according to recent data from parent site LendingTree; in contrast, companion site CompareCards lists the average APR on all credit accounts is 15.09%.
• Quick access to funds. Depending on your lender, you may receive funding for a personal loan in just a day or two.
• Predictable payments and interest. Because personal loans generally come with fixed rates and payment terms, you may not have to worry about your interest rate or monthly payment going up. That makes it easier to budget.

Cons

• Could lead to overspending. Personal loans can be used for almost any purpose, which could lead you to borrow more than you can afford to repay each month.
• Higher interest rates than some loan products. For example, if you have equity in your home and good credit, you may be able to get a better rate with a home equity loan or line of credit.
• Damage to your credit if you don’t pay. Some lenders offer options for borrowers facing financial difficulties, and may work with you if you lose your job or face other financial troubles. However, your credit might be damaged if you ultimately can’t make your payments.

What you may need to qualify for a personal loan

• Good or excellent credit. If your credit score is 640 or lower, it will likely be more difficult to get approval for a personal loan (although some personal loan companies might still work with you). By contrast, having good credit (a FICO score of at least 670) will give you more borrowing options, and a score of 740 will let you qualify for loans with the best interest rates and terms.
• Low debt-to-income ratio. Lenders might be hesitant to lend money if your debt-to-income ratio is too high. This ratio is determined by taking your total monthly recurring debt and dividing it by your gross monthly income. For personal loans, lenders usually like to see a DTI ratio of 36% or less. Still, even with a high DTI, you may qualify for a personal loan if your credit score meets a lender’s criteria, and you have both a solid income and credit repayment history.
• Cosigner or collateral. If you have a bad credit score, you may need a cosigner with good credit or collateral to help you qualify for a personal loan.

How to pick the best personal loan

Here are tips that can help you identify a personal loan that’s right for you:

• Shop around with different lenders. Gather information on personal loans to compare interest rates and loan terms from various lenders.
• Read the fine print. Make sure you understand your contract, your monthly payment and all terms and potential fees.
• Read reviews. Reading reviews of top personal loan companies can help you gauge the quality of each lender and what your experience might be like.

Part II: Common Uses for a Personal Loan

You might be surprised to know just how many uses personal loans can have. According to an April 2020 report from LendingTree, some of the top reasons applicants seek personal loans include:

• Credit card refinance: 32.0%
• Debt consolidation: 31.0%
• Home improvement: 8.5%
• Major purchases: 5.0%
• Car financing: 4.3%
• Business: 1.8%

These numbers don’t mean personal loans are the right choice in every borrowing situation. Here’s some more information about potential uses, along with some pros and cons:

Part III: Personal Loan Traps and Scams to Avoid

Here are some personal loan traps you should consider:

Advance loan fees

Occasionally, a fraudulent loan company will offer outrageous loans and loan terms with a catch: You must pay upfront fees or “insurance” to qualify.

Look out for lenders who ask you to wire funds via Western Union or MoneyGram — reputable lenders won’t ask you to pay money upfront.

‘No credit check’ loans

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a lender who isn’t interested in checking your credit is a red flag.

Steer clear of ads and websites that promise “Bad credit? No problem” or “We don’t care about your past,” the FTC cautions. These slogans usually signal a scam.

Precomputed interest

Some personal loans might come with precomputed interest, which means they use the original payment schedule to calculate interest, even if you make payments early. This forces you to pay more interest over time, even if you make larger payments or try to pay off your loan early.

Prepayment penalties

Some personal loans tack on a prepayment penalty if you pay your loan off early. And while prepayment penalties aren’t that common, they are unnecessary. Be sure to read through your loan terms to check for a prepayment penalty before you sign the agreement. If you find one, consider opting for another lender.

Part IV: Alternatives to a Personal Loan

Personal loans vs. credit cards

Credit cards can be a great deal if you pay them off monthly, as you have the potential to earn rewards.

Personal loans vs. HELOCs

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a revolving line of credit secured by your home. HELOCs often have lower interest rates than personal loans, and you may be able to deduct the interest if you itemize your taxes. By contrast, interest paid on your personal loan is not tax-deductible.

Personal loans vs. cash-out refinance

A cash-out refinance lets you take out a new mortgage that’s more than what you now owe, and pocket a portion of the loan as cash. It usually comes with a lower interest rate than a personal loan, but with longer terms, so you could end up paying more overall. If you’re opting for a cash-out refinance, check this calculator to determine how much you might be able to borrow, and what your new monthly mortgage payment will be.

Unsecured personal loans vs. secured personal loans

A secured personal loan requires borrowers to use an asset, like a vehicle or certificate of deposit (CD), as collateral. A lender can repossess the asset if the borrower fails to make payments, so interest rates on secured personal loans tend to be lower than those on unsecured loans.

Predatory lending occurs when a borrower is pushed (or tricked) into getting a loan with terms that are unclear or deliberately deceptive.

If you’ve ever felt pressured to take a loan where the terms weren’t what you expected, most likely you’ve had a brush with predatory lending. Maybe you also felt harassed — or even threatened — into signing a loan without fully understanding the terms, or before you were ready.

Any lender can engage in predatory lending, whether it’s for a mortgage, car purchase, home improvement loan or a similar borrowing situation. Here’s a guide to what you need to know about predatory lending: common warning signs, ways to fight back and some of the lending alternatives you might want to consider instead.

• How does predatory lending work?
• Coronavirus: Beware predatory lending practices
• Predatory lending practices: 8 warning signs
• Anti-predatory lending: What are the protections?
• Alternatives to predatory lending
• FAQ: Predatory lending

How does predatory lending work?

With a predatory loan, the loan is most often not what the lender initially described. For example, maybe you were promised a fixed-rate mortgage, as well as a long repayment term, for that new home. Instead, you’re handed an adjustable-rate mortgage — with a very short repayment term that makes it almost impossible to pay back without an expensive refinance that your lender offers to do too. If that happens, you’ve been subjected to a classic bait-and-switch move in predatory lending.

Some borrowers are especially vulnerable to this type of deceit. Elderly borrowers, for example, may have a lot of equity in their homes, but limited access to income or credit. Predatory lenders also prey on borrowers who need emergency cash to pay for unexpected medical bills, or home or auto repairs.

Taking out a payday loan often causes problems too. You might get your money quickly and with little fuss, perhaps at a storefront or online, but those loans almost always carry exorbitantly high interest rates.

Coronavirus: Beware predatory lending practices

In times of crisis, certain lenders may decide to take advantage of consumers who might be experiencing dire financial circumstances. The economic uncertainty caused by the new coronavirus pandemic is no exception, and U.S. lawmakers have already expressed concern about how financially vulnerable Americans may be as they face salary cuts, job losses and the prospect of an imminent recession.

If the pandemic has left you facing financial hardship, avoid using predatory loans to stay afloat. Instead, you may be able to access needed funds — as well as deferments on loan payments, like those that may be available for mortgages — from your bank or credit union. You might also be eligible for an Economic Impact Payment and other resources provided by the federal 2020 CARES Act. To learn more about this major piece of legislation, check this link from our parent company LendingTree.

Predatory lending practices: 8 warning signs

High interest rates and fees

High interest rates and fees are key signs of a predatory loan. If you’re applying for a loan and the interest rate or the loan and documentation fees seem high, ask your broker if they’ll be getting a yield-spread premium from the lender. This is a commission your lender may be paying the broker in exchange for offering an inflated interest rate.

Lack of information

If loan terms aren’t clear to you — or a lender can’t answer your borrowing questions directly — there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a predatory lender. Avoid signing on the dotted line if a lender can’t clearly tell you whether your interest rate (or any other terms) will change over the course of the loan, what fees will be included or if there are prepayment penalties.

False information

Predatory lenders often misrepresent loan terms or may even lie about them. Beware of loan terms that seem too good to be true; they most likely are. Language like “easy payment terms, “no payments for 90 days” or “easy credit” should raise red flags.

Pledges not to perform credit check

Lenders routinely perform credit checks before approving and issuing loans to ensure the borrower can afford to repay. If a lender tells you “no credit check required,” chances are that lender is going to require some form of collateral, possibly in the form of the title to your car or access to a bank account. It’s never a good idea to put other assets at risk for a loan you might not even be able to repay.

Unusual prepayment penalties

When you take out a loan, you generally have the option of either repaying the loan early or refinancing, usually without paying any penalties, or at least with very limited fees. A predatory loan, however, may include steep fees for prepayment and refinancing, and these fees can add up to thousands of dollars.

Doesn’t report to credit bureaus

One of the advantages of taking out any kind of loan is that it can help you build a solid credit history, assuming you make payments on time and your lender reports the loan to credit bureaus. Lenders are not legally required to report loans to bureaus — however, if your loan isn’t reported, it might be a sign your lender doesn’t necessarily have your best financial interests in mind.

Lender access to bank account required

Payday lenders, in particular, are likely to ask for bank account information before handing over a high-interest, short-term loan. If you allow access — and are economically vulnerable — you may get hit with overdraft charges if sufficient funds aren’t available to cover the loan.

Hidden balloon payments

Often, a predatory lender may convince a borrower their loan comes with low monthly payments. The borrower later learns those low rates applied only for a short period of time, and that they will “balloon” at the end of the life of the loan unless the borrower doesn’t refinance. If you’re constantly feeling pressured to refinance your loan, persistent “flipping” may be costing you plenty in unnecessary fees and points.

Anti-predatory lending: What are the protections?

Fortunately, there are legal protections in place to reduce the practice of predatory lending and help consumers fight back. Here are some of the laws that provide support and resources:

• Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): This law protects consumers from lending discrimination due to age, gender, race or ethnicity. This law aims to rectify the denial of lending opportunities to minority borrowers, who may have encountered predatory lendering because of discrimination by more traditional lending institutions. If you think you’ve been discriminated against, report it to your state attorney general’s office.
• Truth in Lending Act (TILA): This legislation requires lenders to clearly, accurately and fairly disclose credit and loan terms to borrowers. It also gives borrowers three days to back out of a potential loan without having to pay a financial penalty.
• Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA): Lawmakers passed this law in 1994 with the specific goal of protecting borrowers from abusive home lending practices and high-cost mortgages, and further amended it in the years following its enactment. For borrowers getting high-cost mortgages, the act directs lenders to provide them with all necessary disclosures and loan terms, and encourages or requires homeownership counseling.

Most states also have laws designed to protect borrowers from predatory lending. These laws range from those that prevent payday loan companies from operating within the states, to caps on the interest rates the companies can charge. Illinois, for example, limits the interest rate that can be charged on payday loans to 15.5%.

To find more about what’s allowed in your state, visit this site from the National Conference of State Legislatures.