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4 tips to take out a personal loan without feeling overwhelmed

Published on June 15th, 2020
  Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
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Take out a personal loan without being overwhelmed

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Planning on taking out a personal loan can be one of those needed financial boost that you need to take care of your expenses. However, not knowing what to look for and what to compare can become overwhelming. Here are 4 tips that can bring you one step closer to finding a loan that is suitable for your financial circumstances.

Choose the right personal loan option

To choose the right personal option means knowing what options you have open to you. Firstly, you will need to be honest about why you want to take out a personal loan. Secondly, check your credit score and your credit report to increase your chance of having your application approved for the amount that you want. This also means checking the application criteria.

Lastly, it helps to speak to a financial advisor or a broker who knows what types of loans are out there on the market and which one will be suitable for you. Keep in mind that the amount that you wish to borrow should comfortably suit your budget. A general rule of thumb is to not take a personal loan that exceeds no more than 20-25% of your income.

Make sure that it works around your budget

One common mistake that some people make is to take a loan that does not suit their budget. Not being able to meet more than the monthly repayments on a loan is a sign that the personal loan will not be suitable for your financial circumstances. According to research by UBank, 28% of Aussies actively use financial management or budgeting tools. 31% said that they had not used any.

personal loan calculator can come in handy when you want to know how much you will be paying on a monthly basis in terms of the interest rate. Check to see if you will be able to pay off the loan for the term in which you wish to take it out for.

Shop around and compare

Accepting the first loan that comes your way can become a costly mistake. It is vital to shop around and see what is being offered. Comparing various rates can help you find a personal loan that is suitable for your financial circumstances and comes with a competitive rate. Things that you can compare are the loans interest rate and repayment flexibility. Ask your lender about terms that are in the fine print that you don’t understand before signing anything.

Find ways to pay off your loan on time

Let’s face it. It won’t be every month where you will be able to pay off the minimum repayments on your loan. Therefore, coming up with savvy ways to create free money can come in handy when you are looking for ways to cut costs. This can be in the form of having your repayments automated or cutting back on things that you do not need to ensure that you pay off the loan on time. Remember to check if there is no penalty fee that comes with paying off your loan early.

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This guide provides general information and does not consider your individual needs, finances or objectives. We do not make any recommendation or suggestion about which product is best for you based on your specific situation and we do not compare all companies in the market, or all products offered by all companies. It’s always important to consider whether professional financial, legal or taxation advice is appropriate for you before choosing or purchasing a financial product.

The content on our website is produced by experts in the field of finance and reviewed as part of our editorial guidelines. We endeavour to keep all information across our site updated with accurate information.

Approval for personal loans is always subject to our lender’s terms, conditions and qualification criteria. Lenders will undertake a credit check in line with responsible lending obligations to help determine whether you’re in a position to take on the loan you’re applying for.

The interest rate, comparison rate, fees and monthly repayments will depend on factors specific to your profile, such as your financial situation, as well as others, such as the loan’s size and your chosen repayment term. Costs such as broker fees, redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, aren’t included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts may result in a different comparison rate.

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