Personal Loan Alternatives
Depending upon your circumstances and requirements there may be
a more cost effective means of borrowing money than getting a
personal loan. Firstly you need to consider exactly how much you
need to borrow and over what period of time. Described below are
three alternatives to a personal loan with suggestions as to
when they may become the preferred option.
Credit Cards
If the sum to be borrowed is relatively small and you need to
borrow money over a short term then credit card borrowing should
be considered.
There are a select few credit cards that do offer outstanding
value. For example, 0% interest on purchases for the first six
months then a low variable rate thereafter. So, even if you wish
to borrow money against the card for a year (assuming you made a
purchase on the card, not a cash advance), and you paid off the
card at the same rate as you would have paid off an equivalent
loan, you could make a considerable saving.
One possible disadvantage of credit card borrowing is that you
need to be disciplined in paying off the borrowed amount. Unlike
a loan where a regular monthly payment must be made, the
repayment amount on a credit card is down to you (subject to the
minimum monthly payment). However, it is possible to set up a
monthly direct debit payment from your bank or building society
to ensure you make regular payments against your card.
However, the fact that repayment amounts are at your discretion
can also been seen as an advantage as you can adjust your
payments to pay off the loan more quickly should circumstances
allow, or perhaps lower the repayment one month if unforeseen
circumstances leave you short of money. Another consideration is
that you may benefit from additional 'perks' offered by some
credit cards. For example, cash back on purchases, Air Miles and
insurance cover for items purchased with a card.
If you do decide to use a credit card instead of getting a
personal loan, make sure you are very selective in which card
you go for. There is not point getting a card that charges you
interest at 17.9% APR when you could get a personal loan at half
that rate.
Bank Overdraft
On the whole, bank or building society overdrafts tend to charge
an interest rate far greater than that of a loan. However, you
usually only pay interest for the days you are overdrawn. If you
need additional money for just a few days each month this
approach may the simplest and most cost effective means of
borrowing.
When deciding whether this approach is a viable option or not,
you will need to consider the interest rate charged by your bank
and any annual or monthly fee charged for having an overdraft
facility. Always arrange the overdraft with your bank in advance
or you will more often than not incur additional charges. Some
online banking services offer a standard overdraft facility up
to