Long term vs short term loans

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What is a long term loan?

Long term loans are usually a secured debt that is paid off over a long period of time - typically more than a year. These types of loans are paid back over a pre-planned monthly schedule and will generally be for large sums of money. 

he most common long term loans are borrowing in the form of mortgages. They are often ‘secured' which means the bank will take a high value asset (such as a house or car) and use this as collateral should you be unable to pay back the loan. Put simply, they have the ability to repossess that asset should you fail to make the payments. 

Typically, only the borrowers with the best credit scores will be eligible for long term loans that are unsecured, so you should compare personal loans before making your decision.

Some forms of long-term loan you might encounter are:

• Wedding loans
• Home improvement loans
• Flexible loans
• Peer to peer loans

Advantages of a long term loan

• Lower monthly payments, making it easy to manage and budget.
• As with the lower monthly payments, you'll have a longer term to pay it back which can be less stressful because you don't have to pay your debt back immediately.
• Useful if you are looking to borrow large sums of money, such as a mortgage or a student loan.

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Disadvantages of a long term loan

• Because of the longer period plus interest, you’ll end up paying more money than you initially borrowed.
• Early repayment fees, often long-term lenders will charge you for repaying loan before the agreed period.
• Long term loans are more substantial, and with this comes the likelihood of higher fees and charges.

What is a short term loan?

Short-term loans are usually an unsecured form of borrowing that will be paid back in a few months or less. These will be for small sums of money and can come in the form of payday loans or personal loans. Short-term loans are much more readily available and will often be ‘unsecured' because they are less risky for the lender.

There are a few important things to look out for with short-term loans. Ultimately, getting into debt is never preferable so if you're looking for a short-term loan you should make absolutely sure it's necessary, and compare loans before you commit to one.

Some forms of short-term loan you might encounter are:

• Holiday loans
• Payday loans
• Bank overdrafts

Advantages of a short term loan

• The application process is quick and easy
• If you have a poor credit score, you'll have more borrowing options available to you.
• You'll end up paying less interest because there is a shorter repayment period.
• There generally won't be early repayment fees.

Disadvantages of a short term loan

• It will have to be repaid much more immediately so it may be difficult to budget your monthly outgoings
• Particularly with payday loans, there is the possibility of rollover interest if you fail to make the repayments on time. This can quickly add up and make it incredibly difficult to get out of debt, it's often the case with short-term loans that people are using them to pay back previous short-term loans.
• Not generally able to borrow large sums of money.