If there is one thing that has brought a lot of people together during the past two years, it is the fact that for many of us, money is quite tight. It is hardly a secret that the covid 19 pandemic has not helped a lot of people considering the high rates of unemployment (though that has gotten better this year, thankfully).
This has led a lot of us to seeking out solutions that are not always as good as they seem on the face of them. That is why I am here today: to offer some tips on how to avoid some fairly common mistakes that many people make when they are taking out their first loans. Keep reading if that sounds like something helpful for you!
Not Doing Enough Research
I bring this up first as it is one of the most frequent errors that people make when trying to get a loan. Education is one of the first steps to not getting scammed or ripped off, so I place it at high importance on this list. If you are not familiar with a lot of the jargon used by financial institutions and lenders, you can easily end up being led astray.
You should definitely learn about the different types out there. For example, some loans that are available include student loans, car loans, and mortgages. Student loans are usually the least expensive and can help you pay for school while you are still attending classes. Car loans are pretty much what they sound like: they can help you buy a car. Finally, mortgages can help you buy a house or improve your home.
Low Credit Scores
Another unfortunate mistakes to avoid is not having a good credit score. Of course, that is not something that you can simply snap your fingers and fix. Instead, it often takes a lot of time and dedication to raise this figure, so just keep that in mind and do not give up hope.
What these play into is not being able to prove you can repay the loan, and not being a reliable debtor. Without that, it is difficult to find a lender that will give you money without a collateral or extremely high interest rates. Neither are ideal.
My recommendation is to keep an eye on your credit score even when you are not actively pursuing a loan. This will lessen your headache later on if and/or when you do opt to apply for one. This number ultimately dictates a lot of our financial lives, but we do have ways to keep it higher.
Not Taking Your Time
This is one reason that an utbetalt (payout) can be less than what we were hoping for. You see, if we rush into getting a loan, we may not end up being able to borrow the amount of money that we were initially hoping for. Beyond that, the interest rates could end up insanely high even for a small sum of cash, so be on guard for that.
In general, it is better to take your time and consider your options carefully. Sure, this does somewhat play into my previous point of doing research first, but I think it stands on its own as well.
Not Understanding the Different Types of Loans
This is a big one. There are so many different kinds that I do understand it to some extent. Trying to parse through them all can be exceedingly challenging for someone newer to managing their finances. Let me provide you with a few examples to finish this article today.
First are credit cards. They great tools for spending money, but they unfortunately they are not always the best way to borrow money. If you have a credit card, you should use it responsibly. You may think you’ll pay off the balance each month, but if you don’t, interest charges will start piling up.
Next are personal loans. They are similar to the above in that they allow you to spend money you don’t yet have. However, personal loans offer some advantages over credit cards. For instance, you won’t incur any interest until you actually pay back the loan. Additionally, you can often get a lower rate of interest than you would on a credit card.
Finally, there are business loans. Of course, they are designed specifically for companies. These loans are different from the prior mentioned because they don’t require solo borrowers to pay them back. Instead, businesses use business loans to buy equipment, expand operations, and hire employees.
That is just a taste of the many different kinds, so do not think you are limited to just these. Explore the possibilities as you start to research and hopefully you can find what works for you.
