Taking personal loans is becoming a norm for the middle class Indian today. With expenses sky rocketing and salaries moving at a slower pace, there is little one can do to avoid the debt of personal loans. Be it for the further education of one’s child, purchasing domestic appliances, renovating and repairing one’s house, meeting the expenses of special occasions and weddings; the need to borrow a considerable sum of money is being felt amongst almost all strata of the society. It is thus important to understand the repayment options and to know how the interest rates on personal loans are calculated.
Personal loans for salaried and self-employed individuals
Individuals who are salaried or self-employed and can show a considerable flow of income, suggesting the high possibility of repayment over time, can apply for a loan. The status of the company where one is working, credit history of the person applying for the loan and his/her relationship with the bank issuing the loan are the few other considerations for getting a loan grant. Based on the status on each of these, the individual can negotiate for lower interest rates and in waiving off processing fee etc. The best part of a loan is that it can be obtained without the need for any kind of security or collateral, and has a simple process of application and documentation.
Loan rates are varied
Personal loan rates vary across different banks. The range of interest rates on loans is between 12% and 15%. There are different methods of calculating interest on loans. Depending on what the bank has put on offer, and what mode of calculation is suitable for the person taking the loan, a method of interest rate calculation is decided upon.
The different ways of calculating interest rates on personal loan are:
Flat rates – Getting a loan on a flat interest rate is paying back much more than one otherwise would. As in a flat rate calculation, the interest is calculated on initial principal amount throughout the tenure of the loan, the outstanding loan amount is never reduced. Thus, one ends up repaying much more than one would through different kinds of interest rates used for calculation
Reducing balance interest – Reducing balance interest is advisable to go for, as it works out cheaper than the flat rates. In this method, the interest on the loan amount keeps on reducing as it gets calculated on the regularly reduced principal amount.
Floating rate – The floating rate of interest changes as per the market dynamics. It is a high risk repayment method – one can end up paying much more or much less than the amount budgeted for. However, floating rates are offered at lower rates than fixed rates. Thus, a borrower of loan at a floating interest would highly benefit if the market dynamics make the interest rates go lower.
There are other charges on the loans as well. Processing fees and prepayment charges are a part of every loan.
Depending on the bank one deals with, one’s requirement and the relationship one shares with the bank, the best personal loan interest rates can be established.