Every day, so many people apply and get approved for both personal and business loans, however, a surprisingly large number of them gets rejected, as well. Most commonly, this is due to the bad credit score of the applicant that makes them into an unreliable investment prospect from the standpoint of the credit union. Unfortunately, developing a bad credit is not just something that happens as a result of negligence. A poor judgment, a small lapse in your schedule and even a lack of knowledge on this topic may lead you to develop a worse credit score than you deserve. Nonetheless, even in this scenario, all is not lost. Here are several loan options for people with bad credit ratings.
1. Secured loan
The main reason why a person with a bad credit can’t get approved for a loan is due to the fact that a bank or a credit union doubts that they’ll return the borrowed money. This usually isn’t a problem with secured loans is due to the fact that they require a collateral instead. Getting a secured loan would require you to offer a valuable asset as a guarantee. Most commonly, it’s something like a property or a vehicle, while your investments may also be an option, in some cases. It’s also important mentioning that the repayment period of this loan is somewhat longer, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. A longer term means that you’ll be in debt longer, even though monthly payments will be somewhat lower.
2. A consolidation loan
The next idea that you should consider is applying for a debt consolidation loan. In the introduction, we mentioned the phenomenon of having a bad credit score and this most commonly comes from a multitude of already existent loans. Things might get even worse, due to the fact that you’ll most likely have a problem to keep track of all the payment dates, interest rates and other factors revolving around these loans. Getting a debt consolidation loan can, therefore, resolve your short-term financial issues and help you manage your debt and your finances in a more efficient manner.
3. Loan from a personal acquaintance
This particular idea is quite controversial, seeing as how it has some obvious positive and severely negative sides. On the positive side, a friend or a family member is not going to ask you about your credit score. Second, your previous reliability, in relation to them, might determine their willingness to lend you the money. The best of all is that you have the ultimate flexibility when it comes to agreeing on a payment plan. The problem is that you’re putting a relationship at risk. Aside from this, there’s only so much that your friends and family have to lend you, even with all the best intentions.
4. P2P lending
Another viable option would be for you to go for a P2P (peer-to-peer) lending option. The benefit of this form of lending lies in the fact that there’s much less paperwork, even though some platforms have strict rules and qualification requirements, as well as the fact that your bad credit score won’t be a huge factor. The downside of this method lies in the fact that it might take a while until you receive the funds, while sometimes, you might be in a rush to get the money. Moreover, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to receive all the funds you need from a single source, which means that you’ll have to look for multiple lenders.
5. HELOC
The term HELOC stands for a home equity line of credit, which offers one an option to use the equity in the home that they have as a collateral for a loan. The advantage of this lies in the fact that you don’t have to own an entire home, seeing as how having a share of 20 percent in it may be more than enough. Another perk of going with this option lies in the fact that you get a lower rate (even lower than you would have with a credit card). On the downsides, once you’re done, you have to pay the closing costs and there’s always a small probability that the bank will cancel your line of credit. Most importantly, you’re putting your home on the line, which, although necessary, never feels quite right.
6. Bad credit loan
It goes without saying that not all lenders abide by the same standards. Some companies are willing to be more lenient and grant loans even to those with not-so-shiny credit record. Of course, in this case, the terms under which you’re receiving the loan are not that great either, seeing as how the lender is also taking a greater risk. This usually means a somewhat higher interest rate, amongst other things.
7. Boosting your score
Finally, if you’re not in that big of a rush, you could always set aside some time to boost your credit score. Pay off some of your debts, become more conscientious when it comes to due payments and work your way up towards boosting your rating. As we’ve already mentioned, if time is of the essence, this will not be a valid option, yet, it’s worth considering afterward either way.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, even though you do have options even with a bad credit rating, you shouldn’t neglect your credit score for too long. There’s a reason why this matters, seeing as how a future employer might check your score during the vetting process, which means that this will determine whether you get hired or not. Aside from this, your credit score might also play the role in your ability to get better terms for your insurance policy. Moreover, even though you have so many options with bad credit scores, with a decent one, you would have even more of them, which is alone a reason good enough to work a bit on this. Still, it’s more than reassuring knowing that not all is lost.
