Dos And Don’ts Before You Apply For A Personal Loan
Taking a personal loan has become one of the simplest ways to tackle cash crunches. The loan is offered at minimal eligibility criteria and can be used for several purposes making it the ideal choice for loan seekers. Be it providing financial support during an emergency or funding a purchase of an electronic item, or renovating your home, a personal loan can be availed for any of these purposes.
- Another great advantage with a personal loan is that the loan is approved and disbursed in minutes. One can also apply for a personal loan online from the comfort of their home and get the loan disbursed within a few hours.
- However, while applying for a personal loan, one must be aware of several factors, ignoring which can have a great impact on their finances and can also lead to future problems. For example, in the urgency of getting funds, many people ignore the interest rate factor. This impacts borrower’s future finances and can also lead to trouble if they are unable to pay the EMIs.
- So, here are some of the dos and don’ts for getting approved for a personal loan.
- Do’s
- Do compare for the interest rate
- Different lenders have different interest rate offerings for the customers and if you come across one, it is important to compare it with different lenders. Doing this will help you get the best offer at affordable pricing.
- Figure out the loan amount that you require
- It is important to know the exact figure of the amount you require before you apply for a personal loan. Borrow only as much as you truly need, even if you qualify for a higher sanction. This way, you don’t pay interest on a higher sum than you didn’t require.
- Do compare for offerings with additional features and benefit
- Before you apply for a personal loan, do your own research by comparing various loan offerings. Start by comparing the loan amount, tenure, and interest rate. Then finalize one based on the best offering and availability of additional features/offers. These can help you to reduce the cost of borrowing, or even help you get the money you need on flexible terms.
- Do check eligibility criteria of the lenders
- Many people do not find it important but it is important to check for the eligibility criteria of the lenders. Doing this helps you know the lender who fits best for you as per your eligibility. So, when you apply with such lenders your chances to get approved for the loan also increases.
- Don’ts
- Don’t accept the first loan offer you get
- You might have several loan offers in your message box or mail inbox. But, this doesn’t mean that you accept the first offer you see/get. Doing this is never advisable and even after you are given an offer, it is important to check for several other offers with different backs and then go with the one which suits your requirement and pocket.
- Remember to shop around before committing to a loan.
- Don’t take out the maximum loan possible
- Your lender might suggest you go for a full loan amount for which you are eligible. But, we don’t recommend taking out a big loan just because you are eligible for it. Personal loans are loans with high interest rates and hence one needs to be careful before going for a particular loan amount. However, it is important to analyse your repayment capacity before you apply for a personal loan. Apply as per your requirement and repayment capability. The payment that seems manageable upon approval may be a mistake down the line if you unexpectedly lose your job or in a case where you need to spend some huge amount.
- Do not make several loan applications at once
- People who have an urgent need for cash sometimes apply for loans with multiple lenders at the same time. Each loan application results in a credit score check, which reduces the score marginally. These checks could hurt your CIBIL score, lowering your loan eligibility and credibility both.
- A personal loan is a financial tool that could help to deal with several financial crises. However, keeping the above-mentioned pointers in mind when applying for a loan will save you from future problems.
Source: financebuddha