Teaching Kids to Be Responsible with Money

3 Options For Getting A Personal Loan With Bad Credit

by Ian Wallace

There are all sorts of reasons why you might be in need of a personal loan, but regardless, if you have bad credit, you might think that you will have a hard time qualifying for one. It's true that many lenders are hesitant to work with individuals who have bad credit, but luckily, you do have options. These are a few options that you can look into if you are serious about taking out one of these loans but if you don't have the best credit score.

1. Choose a Lender That Specializes in High-Risk Lending

First of all, you will want to look for a lender that specializes in high-risk lending. If your credit score is really bad rather than just being average or slightly below average, this might be your only option. For example, you may need to look into a payday loan, in which you will write a check or authorize an automatic funds transfer of the money out of your bank account on the day that you are scheduled to pay the loan back. There are other loan options out there for people with bad credit, too, but you will generally need to look for lenders that primarily advertise their services to people with bad credit. You can often expect for the interest rates to be a bit higher with these loans, but they can be much easier to qualify for.

2. Ask Someone to Co-Sign With You

If you have a family member or even a close friend who is willing to co-sign with you, this can help you qualify for a loan that you might not be able to get otherwise. However, this person will generally need to have good credit and may need to be able to qualify for the loan on his or her own, such as by having ample income to repay the loan, even if you are going to be the one who is going to be making the payments. This is an excellent option for qualifying for tougher loans when you have bad credit, and it can even help you improve your credit score if you make the payments on time. However, some people are hesitant to do so, since it can affect their debt-to-income ratio, making it harder for them to qualify for a mortgage or other certain loans in some cases. Plus, if you do not make the payments on time, it can affect your loved one's credit.

3. Be Willing to Put Up Ample Collateral

In some cases, you can take out a bigger and better loan if you have something that you are willing to use as collateral. One option, for example, is a title loan. With this type of loan, you can use your car as collateral, as long as the car is paid off. Since the lender has something to gain and you have something to lose if you don't pay, this can help encourage lenders to approve loans that they might not approve otherwise.

As you can see, you do have options for getting a personal loan when you have bad credit. Try one of these options so that you can qualify for a loan that you might not have been able to get otherwise. For more information, contact institutions like Juniata Valley Bank. 

Share