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Personal Loans for Teachers
Find a great personal loan deal to suit your needs as a teacher by comparing offers from Savvy’s panel of lenders.
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The benefits of personal loans for teachers
Competitive rates
Whether you’re looking at a secured or unsecured loan, you can compare personal loan deals starting at low rates tailored to your profile.
Borrow what you need
Personal loans can be utilised for big or small purchases and expenses, making them suitable for smaller expenses from $2,000 up to significant outlays of $75,000.
Set your own repayments
You get to choose whether to make your repayments on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly schedule and the period over which you repay your loan, from one to seven years.
Part-time and casual income accepted
If you’re only teaching part-time, or relief-teaching casually, you can count your stable, consistent income sources towards your personal loan and get approved.
No-fee options available
We partner with lenders who enable you to repay your personal loan without worrying about any additional establishment, ongoing or early repayment fees.
Simple application process
From start to finish, your application will only take you five to ten minutes to fill out and send through, with a form and a few pieces of documentation the only things required.
Types of personal loan
With an unsecured personal loan, you can potentially borrow as much as $75,000 without the need to attach any valuable assets, such as your car, as security. These loans are the most widely available and often the quickest, with same-day approval possible.
Secured personal loans, on the other hand, make use of collateral. This lowers your risk profile in the eyes of a lender, potentially lowering your interest rate and expanding your borrowing power beyond what you may be able to get through an unsecured loan.
Variable interest rates remain open to fluctuation during your term. This means you can benefit from decreasing rates and save on your loan if the market heads in that direction, although you’ll also pay more if rates start rising.
Fixed interest rates are locked at the beginning of your loan and remain constant throughout your repayments. This acts as a valuable protection against interest rate increases, as your loan will be unaffected, but you’ll miss out on potential drops as well.
If you’re paying off multiple debts at the moment, particularly those with high interest (such as credit card debts), consolidating them into one payment can not only make them more convenient to manage but also potentially save you money overall.
Looking to take off on a holiday with your family but want to pay it off at your own speed? Travelling can be expensive, so you can distribute the cost of your next trip over a period you’re more comfortable with by taking out a personal loan to pay for it.
There are so many costs that go into making your dream wedding a reality, from venue hire to catering to dresses and suits and so much more. By taking out a personal loan, you can start planning the big day you want, even if you can’t pay for it upfront.
Home improvements are desirable for a range of homeowners to help keep their living space fresh and interesting, not to mention increase its value. You can get past the financial hit of renovations with a personal loan paid in instalments.
Personal loans aren’t limited to PAYG employees, though. If you’re running your own business, you can still be approved for financing by submitting tax returns and other alternative documents instead of payslips and utilise your funds however you wish.
There’s a variety of expenses which come with being a student, ranging from the cost of your courses, textbooks and computer to your accommodation. Taking out a personal loan can make these costs more manageable by spacing them out.
Some lenders offer green personal loans, which are designed to be used for energy-efficient appliances and products such as solar panel and air conditioning installation in your home. You can qualify for lower interest rates and fees with this loan.
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How you should compare personal loans
Interest rates and fees
These decide the cost of your personal loan, so it’s crucial that you keep these firmly front of mind in the comparison process. It goes without saying that the lower your interest rate, the lower your overall loan spend, but even a small difference in rate can make a difference of hundreds of dollars, if not more.
Similarly, a $10 monthly fee in itself can cost you $600 over a five-year loan, saving you that much overall if you find a no-fee loan.
Type of rate
You should give some consideration to the type of interest rate present on your personal loan also. You’ll be able to choose between fixed and variable interest. Fixed interest is the more popular option with both lenders and borrowers, as it offers stability and ease of budgeting by locking in your rate at the beginning of your loan and keeping it in place throughout.
Variable interest is open to fluctuation, but it can potentially enable you to capitalise on decreases in your lender’s rate.
Repayment flexibility
Another key aspect of your personal loan is whether you’re afforded the freedom to pay it off ahead of schedule. Being able to make additional repayments free of charge is incredibly useful and is sure to save you money over the course of your loan.
For example, paying an extra $100 each month on a three-year, $20,000 loan at 10% p.a. would save you $500 in interest alone and shorten your term by five months.
Available loan terms
Above all else, you should make sure that the loan you’re taking on is manageable for you to repay. As such, choosing the right loan term is of paramount importance.
You shouldn’t choose a loan term too far below your comfort level where possible, as this may be costing you hundreds of dollars, if not more, in unnecessary interest, while picking a length too short could leave you struggling to make repayments. Use our repayment calculator to determine how much different loan amounts cost each month and overall.
Eligibility criteria
Of course, you should first check whether you’re eligible to take on the loan in the first place. Most teachers will be able to qualify for a personal loan, but there may be some points of criteria that apply to some lenders which could count some out of eligibility. Make sure you meet the following:
- Earning at least $20,000 per year from stable income sources
- A citizen or permanent resident
- Mustn’t have a history of defaults or bankruptcy
Common queries from teachers about personal loans
Yes – there are some lenders operating in Australia who can offer personal loans to temporary residents. Teachers working in Australia temporarily will typically have the required visa type to be eligible for a personal loan, so it’s a matter of comparing lenders to find which ones can offer you financing. An important factor to consider is that you’re only eligible to take out your loan over a term at least a few months shorter than your visa term.
Yes – lenders can accept your application for finance even if you’ve recently started a new job. Because they look for consistency in your income, it’ll help if you’re moving from one permanent job to the next with a similar salary. However, if you’re starting another job as a relief teacher, you’re likely to be required to work fairly consistent hours there for at least six months before you’re eligible to borrow. Lenders are more wary about probationary periods, so you’re likely to receive a much better rate outside of this period.
Both unsecured and secured loans come with advantages for borrowers. Unsecured loans are quicker and easier to apply and get approved for, given that they don’t require an eligible asset to be used as collateral and be assessed for its suitability. Secured loans do utilise this and are offered at lower rates as a result, with expanded borrowing potential up to $100,000 also a feature (compared to $75,000 for unsecured loans).
You can utilise your personal loan in any way you like. Whether you need to purchase equipment or material for your work such as books or a laptop, help fund your next holiday or consolidate existing high-interest debts, personal loans can help you meet your financial goals and allow you to pay for expenses at your own pace.
Yes – applying for a personal loan with a co-borrower will instil more confidence in your lender that you’ll be able to repay your loan comfortably. This is because repayments are supported by two incomes rather than one, which increases your overall disposable income. This can also result in you receiving a discounted interest rate and expanding your borrowing power overall. As such, if you’re looking to tackle shared expenses anyway, it might be worthwhile doing so with your partner’s name on the loan too.
There are several key documents you’ll need when applying for personal financing, which can vary slightly between lenders but will always include:
- Your last two payslips
- Photo ID such as your passport and/or driver’s licence
- Information on your current liabilities and assets
- Your internet banking details
Yes – provided you can afford to support the repayments of the personal loan you’re applying for, you can be approved even as a single parent. Lenders are most interested in ensuring that the loan’s repayments are manageable for you, which means that you’ll need to prove that your disposable income is enough each month to cover your loan’s repayments.
Once you’ve completed and sent through your application, you’ll receive an instant outcome in as little as 60 seconds confirming whether you’ve been approved or not. From there, you’ll receive your final loan contract shortly afterwards, which you can sign digitally and send back. After your lender receives the contract, they can release the funds to you by transferring them directly into your account 24 hours after you applied.
Helpful personal loan guides
Still looking for the right personal loan?
Personal loans come in all shapes and sizes, so read more about the ways you can use them, as well as how they might work for you.