Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Bad Credit Signature Loans: Are They a Good Fit For You?

By Mike Erickson

In these dramatic financial times, the way money is being lent and borrowed is changing dramatically. It's not necessarily as easy to walk into a payday loan store anymore and borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have to acknowledge that a wink and a smile may not be enough for you to get the short term cash you need.

First of all, lots of lenders are going to want you to provide some kind of credit score or credit history. That may not be something you're in a position to offer them. You'll need to think about other ways you can impress them enough for them to give you the money you want and need.

Be that as it may, if you have a low or damaged credit score, or no past credit record at all, you may still be able to find signature loans that suit your situation. It's called a signature loan with bad credit. You may pay extremely high interest over a period of years with this loan, but if it's your only option, what can you do?

It may not seem fair for lenders to to choose whom they will give money to in a seemingly arbitrary way, but all they're trying to do is maximize profits right? If they lend money to anyone and everyone they'll be running in the red and soon be out of business. You wouldn't be any different - if you lent money to a person you'd fully expect to be repaid.

If banks weren't repaid for the loans they gave, they'd be out of business in no time, so they really need to have a high expectation of getting their funds back from you. The best way to give them that confidence is to show them you make plenty of money. Whether you have to show them your W-2s or get the payroll department where you work to give you a note, find a way to verify your earnings for the bank.

So, the question is how big do your paychecks need to be in order to inspire confidence in the money broker? You could say it depends on the size of the loan you're seeking. If you're after $300, they'll probably want you to be earning at least $900 per month. I don't see any reason it would be difficult to verify that level of income, especially if you can bring a few of your previous paychecks to the lender that will be all they need.

If you do in fact earn over $2,000 per month and you're only looking to borrow in the neighborhood of $1,000, any bank is going to feel a high level of confidence in giving you those funds. Sometimes it's just not enough. There may be situations where the bank will ask for collateral in addition to your proof of income.

The main point is to give your prospective lender something of reasonable value which could be sold in the even that you choose not to pay back the money you've borrowed. If you can prove income and provide some kind of somewhat valuable collateral, there is less reason for them to reject your loan request. Just make sure you do the responsible thing and pay the loan back in full. - 16492

About the Author: