What Are Short Term Loans?
They are cash advances given for a fairly shorter duration of time in comparison to long-term loans. Short term loans are meant to cater to emergencies and sudden financial requirements. Unlike long term loans, these loans do not serve the purpose of an extended monetary usage and are meant to be repaid usually within a year, at the max.
Types of Short-Term Loans:
Lines of credit: Very similar to credit cards, lines of credit also provide a certain allowance which is paid back in monthly instalments. The advantage that a borrower gets from a line of credit over a regular credit card is that the APR of the former is usually lesser.
Merchant Cash Advances: A cash advance that operates like a loan, merchant cash advances are repaid by allowing the lender to access the borrower’s credit facility. The repayment is covered in parts as and when the borrower makes a sale, by transferring a part of the income to the lender.
Payday Loans: Given by direct lenders online, payday loans are known to be one of the easiest and quickest ways of getting funded. Payday loans are required to be repaid on the borrower’s next salary day, with an extension till the next one if the loan is taken a week or less prior to the salary day (in most cases). The disadvantage of a payday loan is that the rates of interest are higher than loans offered by traditional lenders. A number of people use payday loans to increase their credit rating, since they have to be repaid as a whole.
Installment Loans from Direct Lenders: A popular alternative to payday loans, these loans provide the same benefit as the former along with the advantage of them being able to be repaid in installments over a few months. This makes repaying an easier affair and is suitable for those whose incomes and monthly expenses make it difficult for them to pay back their loan in lump sum.
Benefits of Short-term loans:
Overall interest paid is lower: Sine short term loans are repaid sooner than long term ones, the overall rate of interest paid is lower.
Easy to get: Where traditional lenders have a huge criteria for a borrower to fulfil, lenders offering short term loans make it very easy for one to receive a loan from them. This includes no credit checks, no collateral requirements and online availability in most cases, which makes it easy to apply and get funded.
Can help increase credit scores: When one repays a loan on time, his/her credit score automatically becomes better than before. That’s why, if one is confident about being able to repay his/ her loan on time, taking a short term loan seems like a good option in case of possessing an undesirable financial history. This helps borrowers get a better chance of receiving traditional loans at lower interest rates in the future.
Quick funding: Short term loans offer funding within a few hours, making it very simple and easy for one to avoid delays in emergencies. This is a huge advantage for many and is one of the greater benefits of short term loans, a reason why many individuals apply for them.
Disadvantages of short term loans:
They offer lower amounts: Short term loans are meant to cater to immediate monetary requirements, which is why the amounts offered are limited to a couple of thousand dollars at the max. They’re used as a financial back up instead of a financial push and are not meant for investments or deals that need a huge amount of money. Short term loans are given for day-to-day necessities in case one’s salary cannot cover the costs of an unforeseen event or for occasions and other personal use.
Short term loans are definitely a go-to source of funding for various reasons and are applied for by a large number of people, most of who manage to get funded.