Finance Metric - What is Loan?

What is Loan?

A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower. The borrower initially receives an amount of money from the lender, which they pay back, usually but not always in regular installments, to the lender. This service is generally provided at a cost, referred to as interest on the debt.Acting as a provider of loans is one of the principal task for financial institutions. For banks loans are generally funded by deposits. For other institutions issuing of debt contracts, such as bonds is a typical source of funding. Other types of debt include mortgages, credit card debt, bonds, and lines of credit. A mortgage is a very common type of debt instrument, used by many individuals to purchase housing. In this arrangement, the money is used to purchase the property. The bank, however, is given the title to the house until the mortgage is paid off in full. If the borrower defaults on the loan, the bank can reposess the house and sell it, to get their money back. The abuse in the granting of loans is known as predatory lending. It usually involves granting a loan in order to put the borrower in a position that one can gain advantage over him or her.

Loan Categories:

Auto Loan
An Auto loan is basically another name for a car loan. An auto loan is an agreement between a lender and a borrower in which the lender gives the borrower money and the borrower promised to pay back the amount of the loan and the interest. Auto loans are only offered for the purpose of purchasing a vehicle.

Home Equity Loan
A home equity loan is simply borrowing on the difference of the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage on the house. Lets say, you have bought a home worth $50,000 some time back, after making a down payment of $5,000. The value of your home has now appreciated to $60,000. The difference between the present value of your home ($60,000) and the outstanding payment ($45,000) is $15,000. This is the amount of the home equity loan that you can apply for

Payday Loan / Cash Advance
A payday loan or cash advance is a small, short-term loan (typically up to $500) without a credit check that is intended to bridge the borrower's cashflow gap between pay days. Note, however, that the term cash advance can also mean cash provided against a prearranged line of credit such as a credit card. The loan is typically given in cash and secured by the borrower's post-dated check that includes the original loan principal and accrued interest. The maturity date usually coincides with the borrower's next pay day. On the maturity date the lender processes the check traditionally or through electronic withdrawal from the borrower's checking account.
Payday lenders typically operate small stores or franchises, but large financial service providers also offer variations on the payday advance. Some mainstream banks offer a "direct deposit advance" for customers whose paychecks are deposited electronically. Some income tax preparation firms partner with lenders to offer "refund anticipation loans" to filers.

Personal Loan
Personal loans can be divided into two categories: secured personal loans and unsecured personal loans. Homeowners can apply for a Secured personal loan (using their property as security), whereas tenants only have the option of an unsecured personal loan.

Loan Related Readings:

What is a Bridging Loan?

A bridging loan as the name implies is a loan used to “bridge” the financial gap between monies required for your new property completion prior to your existing property having been sold.

Equity Loan

An equity loan is a mortgage placed on real estate in exchange for cash to the borrower. For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a lien on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LVR) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a lien on title placed by the lender of the equity loan.

Interest Only Loan

An interest-only loan is a loan in which for a set term the borrower pays only the interest on the capital; the capital remains owing. At the end of the term the borrower may renew the interest-only mortgage, repay the capital, or (with some lenders) convert the loan to a principal and interest payment loan at his option. It should be noted that some interest-only mortgages in Canada allow the borrower to pay interest-only, principal and interest, or even principal and interest plus 20% extra.

Predatory lending

In the strictest and legal sense, predatory lending refers to secured loans such as home or car loans which are made by the lender with the intention that the borrower will not repay the loan, allowing the lender to seize the car or home and sell it for a profit. Colloquially, the term has been expanded to refer to the practice of convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms. Such loans could take place either through outright deception or through aggressive sales tactics, taking advantage of borrowers' lack of understanding of extremely complicated transactions.

Loan Options for College Students

Your parents are willing to help you out a bit, you have a very impressive $4.32 stashed in your savings account, and you have a rewarding job at Wal-Mart 3 days a week. You should be set right? Wrong.

What is a Secured Loan?

A secured loan is simply a loan that uses your home as security against the loan.

Facts You Should Know About Types of Loans

When you set out to borrow, you often come across terms like unsecured loans, revolving loans, adjustable rate loans, etc. While these terms are more or less self-explanatory, it is still useful to be clear on their exact meanings and what they imply before you finalize a loan contract.

What Type of Loan Do You Need?

There are many types of loans available to consumers. There is no shortage of people willing to lend money to qualified individuals. It is a matter of knowing what you need and what is available to you.