subject: Signing Up Decisions - Secured Loans Vs Unsecured Loans [print this page] The terms secured loans and unsecured loans are used so commonly in financial circles and even in peer groups. But, do we all know what they really mean? Secure loans, as the name itself suggest provides the lender or the financial institution involved in lending the money a lot of security or guarantee. You can get a very large amount of money in a short span of time through these loans, as there is a collateral and the borrowers property backing the entire transaction.
This guarantee is in the form of a collateral. Some important points regarding the collateral:
A collateral always supports secured loans. It is generally equal in value to the total amount of money borrowed. This collateral may be in the form of bonds or stocks. It could even be a vehicle or borrower owned personal property like a house. Any other form of real estate is also totally acceptable. However, if you default on your monthly payments, due to the collateral, your entire property is at stake for sure.
Unsecured loans have no collateral and you can actually find a lot of offers on the Internet asking people if they want one. These websites promise to give them one in the shortest possible time. They are synonymous with the more familiar personal loans that people go in for. The interest rates are very high though getting them seems to be pretty easy. Even a friend can lend you money and name it an unsecured loan as the money lent is solely based on the trust and confidence. If it is an external lending agency, your credit history alone is taken into account.
Some kinds of loans like education loans also come under this particular category of unsecured loans. If you have ever noticed, the interest rates on these are very high and getting them is not such a Herculean task. But, in the long run, they prove to be very costly and risky too, as you need to make sure you cough up the entire amount on time as soon as the clock starts ticking away.
