Categories
Personal Loans

What To Do When You Can’t Make a Personal Loan Payment

When you have large outstanding debt, this could make it challenging for you to make timely repayments. And when you miss a payment, it is just a matter of time until you miss another one, and you enter a vicious cycle. Learn what to do when you can’t make a personal loan payment.

What can you do when you can’t make a personal loan payment?

Talk to Your Lender

For starters, you should consider discussing with your loan provider – whether it is a bank or a credit union, this should be the first thing on your list. Believe it or not, it is not that uncommon for people to struggle with making repayments. This can happen due to numerous reasons: it might be because of a large outstanding debt, or due to an unexpected life event, such as an illness, divorce, or natural catastrophe.

So, you should approach your lender and be utterly upfront regarding your situation. Truth be told, being transparent is critical. You shouldn’t feel ashamed to tell your lender that you’re struggling financially.

Negotiate for a Lower Interest Rate

Moving on, when you approach your lender, you should aim at negotiating for a lower interest rate. This could be really beneficial in aiding you to budget your finances more efficiently. You should assess the repayment amount you could cope with – perhaps the lender would be willing to make the arrangements to fit your individual needs.

Outline the fact that you wish to honour your outstanding debt, and the only way in which you can do that is if the monthly repayment were to be reduced. You might be required to write a letter of financial hardship, which should minutely present the reasons that caused your financial hardship. This letter should include the facts – such as job loss, divorce, illness, or other factors that determined your inability to make payments.

Nonetheless, try to keep the letter as to the point as possible. You should be upfront, yet not overly emotional, since this doesn’t portray you in the right light.

Consider Refinancing

In the case in which your current lender isn’t open to lower your interest rate, or to make the repayment plan more flexible so that it meets your needs, don’t give up. Another option might be collaborating with other providers of personal loans. This applies especially if you’re paying way too much in interest costs. This could be the case especially if you got the personal loan a while ago when loan terms were far from being convenient.

Refinancing is definitely worth considering, in this respect. Apply for a loan that would give you the funds to cover for the remaining amount on your personal loans. As soon as your application is accepted, you can use that money to pay for your existing debt.

Bear in mind..

Refinancing still means that you have the same amount of debt. The only difference is that you could save money in interest rate costs. At the same time, you could benefit from loan terms that are more suitable to your existing financial situation.

The key to knowing, for sure, that you’re actually getting a better deal is to research. Always compare various personal loans provided by distinct lenders. Australian Lending Centre can help in this respect, as well – make sure you check our website to find out more about our comprehensive offer of personal loans.

So, should you consider refinancing or not? The suitability of refinancing truly depends on your given circumstances. Ideally, you should assess how much your current personal loans are costing you, and compare that to the sum of money you’d pay for a new loan. Still, don’t forget to include one-time fees and other penalties that may apply in some scenarios. As a rule of thumb, don’t overlook reading the fine print of the loan terms, to know what you’re agreeing to.

Consider Credit Counselling

If you can’t make a personal loan payment, then it is likely that you also cannot afford to get help in the form of another loan. Perhaps getting credit counselling might guide you in the right direction.

Having an outside perspective can change everything. Counsellors are used to helping people that cope with the most difficult financial problems. Make sure you pick a counsellor that is truly reputable and willing to help – as opposed to someone that is trying to sell you something or to convince you to get another loan.

To conclude, it’s critical to comprehend your financial situation and avoid getting additional debt, if it’s possible. The key to making smart financial decisions is being aware how much money you make, and how much money you spend, and what you can do to change things for the better. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but, with a little bit of perseverance and ambition, anything is possible.

Categories
Business Loans

Business Loan Despite Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a highly dreaded word in the realm of financing and getting a business loan despite bankruptcy is a bit difficult. Even though it is dreaded, many people end up in a situation in which filing for bankruptcy is the only solution they have. Nonetheless, considering that you’ve done that in the past, a looming question is can I apply for business loans regardless of that? As you might expect, the answer to this question isn’t a fixed one – there are many factors that should be considered, which we’ll outline in the present article.

Bankruptcy Can Be a Fresh Start

Irrespective of the negative connotations associated with bankruptcy, you should note that this isn’t the end of the road – or at least it shouldn’t be this way. Even though it isn’t an easy thing to do, the most challenging process follows after filing for bankruptcy. This refers to aiming at rebuilding your finances and credit.

Generally speaking, a bankruptcy statement will remain on your credit for a few years’ time. Therefore, if you apply for business loans afterward, your capability of getting financing won’t be affected in any way. On the other side, if the bankruptcy statement still is still present on your credit report, which will, inevitably, impair your creditworthiness and reliability as a borrower.

Can I Apply for a business loan despite bankruptcy?

Yes. But bear in mind that your options will be limited. Generally speaking, the longer you wait after you have filed for bankruptcy, the more likely you are to get convenient loan terms and interest rates. At the same time, there are some lenders that are more open to working with you, as opposed to traditional banks whose lending criteria are rather stringent.

Nevertheless, the downside is that the interest rates and additional fees will be significantly higher than they normally should. Therefore, before you apply for business loans, make sure that you can afford to make repayments. If you can’t, this will imminently worsen your financial situation. Evidently, applying for a loan when you’re struggling financially is a decision that requires a lot of consideration and in-depth thought.

The Differences Between Personal and Business Bankruptcy

Considering that you own a business which has established credit, you might have the option of applying for business loans. In this scenario, your firm’s credit rating will be taken into account. In other words, your personal bankruptcy file won’t affect your ability to get business loans in any way.

Your personal credit score is a major constituent for most lenders. That is to say, your credit rating and personal finances are of major significance, even though this is to your disadvantage. Hence, depending on the state of your finances, you might be unable to get financing. Or, your only option could be getting business loans with unfavourable terms and interest rates.

What Steps Can You Take?

Separate Business and Personal Finances

Before anything else, you should strive to distinguish between your personal and business finances. The thing is that, if your business is new, this might not be a possibility. But, if you’re an established business owner, you should definitely separate your personal finances from your firm’s finances. Otherwise, you are inevitably taking unnecessary risks.

Apply for Secured Business Loans

If you really need a form of financing, your only option could be using your valuable assets as collateral for new loans. By adding collateral, you are instantly minimising the lender’s risk when they borrow you the money. This could increase the likelihood of having your application approved.

Be Patient

If you need a business loan despite bankruptcy, avoid requesting a $500,000 loan immediately afterwards. On the contrary, take up smaller amounts of money instead, and focus on making the repayments – this will allow you to rebuild your credit and prove that you’re trying to get back on your feet.

Explain The Circumstances of Your Bankruptcy

Talking openly about the circumstances that led to your current financial situation can be helpful when you apply for a business loan despite bankruptcy. There are situations in which unexpected circumstances can cause unwanted complications. We’re referring to health problems, divorces, or natural disasters – these could seriously mess up your financial life without any fault of your own. Therefore, by being upfront and transparent, you can increase your chances of getting financing for your business.

At the end of the day, it is mandatory to comprehend that each lender has different criteria that ought to be taken into account. Do your research beforehand, so that you don’t end up sending numerous applications all around without any results. Australian Lending Centre can help you – make sure you visit our website to find out more about our loan offers.

Categories
Private Lenders

Private Lenders: An Alternative Source of Financing

Whenever Aussies need a loan to finance a new car or house they go to the bank. Still, they seem to forget that there are also alternative sources of financing in the form of private lending. But what are private lenders and why should someone consider these alternative sources of financing when there are plenty of banks?

Sometimes, traditional banks don’t always approve your loan application due to many different reasons, so people have to look for alternative sources. With a private lender, maybe you will finally get that new car you have always wanted.

What Are Private Lenders?

They can be either an organisation or a private individual. Unlike traditional funding sources, like banks, private lenders don’t have traditional qualifying systems, meaning that getting access to a loan is much easier.

However, because of its “different” nature of funding, lenders come with higher risks for both the borrower and the lender.

What Are the Benefits?

To begin with, private lenders can easily approve your request for a loan. In other words, if you have bad credit or are self-employed or cannot provide proof of your income, a private lender may be more accessible when it comes to requirements. So, no matter your income and your credit score, a private lender will get you the loan you need.

Another reason for applying for private funding is due to the straightforward process they have. Unlike traditional lenders, the private ones will accept your request very fast. Not only that, but your loan could be available right after your application is approved. This can bring a lot of advantages if you are on a tight schedule.

drawbacks

Drawbacks of Using Private Lenders

It almost sounds too good to be true, but private lenders do come with a set of drawbacks that can make them inaccessible to some Aussies.

The first thing to know is that their rates are typically higher than those of traditional lenders. This is how they compensate for the increased risk and they will have high interest rates for those with bad credit.

Some lenders may feature high fees, from the start until the finish of the loan term. In any case, be sure that you know what you are paying for.

Another drawback is that some loans are offered for shorter terms in comparison to what traditional lenders offer. This happens especially when it comes to mortgages. When conventional mortgages have a twenty-five to thirty year terms, private lenders offer smaller mortgages that just fill the gap until securing more traditional finance.

The private mortgages can also be used to cover needs like the construction of a house. They can also cover for the period between purchasing a house and selling one. The term on these mortgages is one or two years, which means that you will have to move fast to pay the loan back.

Another thing you should know about private lenders and their services is that some of them do not offer the same features as traditional lenders do. In other words, some loans may lack features such as redraw facilities or offset accounts. So, if you were hoping for these types of features, you might have a problem.

How Can Private Lenders Help Me?

Private lenders can offer you a lot of options when it comes to loans. Here are a couple of them:

  • Caveat loans are fast-settling loans secured against a property. These loans are short, last sixty to ninety days and settle very quickly.
  • Bad credit loans are the ones you need if you have a low credit score. Be careful though; these loans come with high interest rates, so use the money wisely and make sure you pay back the loan fast.
  • Bridging loans can be offered by private lenders and can be used by the customer to build or purchase a new home before the sale of their old home. These loans have a term of twelve months, and they are paid back when the old property is sold, making them quite useful in the long run.
  • Second mortgages are also offered by private lenders. These loans are available for those who already have a mortgage on a property who are in need of extra funds for multiple reasons. Depending on the lender and the loan terms, these loans could have high interest rates and extra fees. With all these factors in mind, any client should think twice before applying for this kind of service. So be very careful if you do.

Conclusion

Private lenders are here to stay, whether you like it or not. They have a lot of advantages in comparison to traditional lending systems, but they also have some drawbacks. At Australian Lending Centre, we offer second mortgages at competitive rates and flexible repayment terms that can be catered to your specific needs. Contact us today for a free assessment via our enquiry form now!