A Quick Guide To Secured Loans
As the name suggests, a secured loan is a loan given to the borrower on a condition that he provides the lender with something as a security to the loan amount. Generally, the security offered is the borrower’s home. The property pledged as the security is called collateral.
Secured loans are not risky for the lenders since they have something from which they can recover their loan amount, if the borrower fails to repay. For this reason, secured loans are offered at lower interest rates than the unsecured ones.
Secured loans are easier to get because of the collateral offered. The ability to offer collateral makes the secured loan accessible to a whole lot of persons. People who are otherwise unable to prove their creditworthiness can get a secured loan if they have something to offer as collateral for the loan.
Secured loans can be taken for a wide variety of purposes; in fact, any type of financial need can be fulfilled via a secured loan. Debt consolidation is one of the most popular reasons why people take a secured loan.
Depending on the value of collateral offered the loan amount can range from £3,000 to £50,000. The lenders are not hesitant to offer a higher amount. If they are satisfied that the collateral is of a sufficiently high value, they can even consider lending £100,000 or more.
The repayment options available with secured loans vary with lenders. Generally, they are based on agreement between the borrower and the lender. Repayment period might range between three years to twenty five years. A prepayment penalty may be charged if you repay the loan earlier than the agreed period.
The process of getting a secured loan has many costs associated with it. Since, collateral is under question, the lender has to satisfy himself whether the value of collateral is sufficiently high or not. If the collateral is your home then he might have to get your property valued and this will incur some valuation charges. Solicitor’s fees to prepare the legal agreement, the conveyance to the property site and office charges are also included in the cost of getting a secured loan.

