Marketing tactics such as these are enough to lure the average person into the trap of getting external financing. Then they enter a life-long rat race to try and repay their loans because they have bitten off more than they can chew. Here are a few tips to help you stay clear of these problems and use a loan as effectively as possible.
1. Costs
One of the main problems people face with loans is the price of the loan itself. There are two things that you need to check in this regard. The first is the interest rate on the loan and the second is the service cost of the loan. The interest rate is relatively easy to calculate and understand. Still, it is the service fee that often takes people by surprise. Most lenders are not very transparent about the costs associated with getting their financial products. After you have bought it, you realise that it will cost more than you expected. Make sure you go through the fine print with the salesperson and understand what you will need to pay for exactly.
2. Loan Types
Before you sign up for a financial product, understand your needs and the different products available. Rather than getting a generic loan, you may be better off getting a specialised product intended for your needs. If you need financing for a home, a real estate loan will be a better option than a generic loan. Similarly, you could apply for a business investment loan if you have a business. These specialised loans give you better choices and better prices.
3. Credit Score
Your credit score plays a pivotal role in how easily you will be able to get a loan and how cheap that loan will be. Just because a loan is advertised with affordable rates doesn't mean it will be reasonable for you. A poor credit score could make the loan more expensive because you are a riskier investment for the lender. If your credit score is holding you back from getting a good loan, your best option might be to wait until your score improves a little bit. This way, you may become eligible for other loans, and you will also get a better price on those loans.
4. Repayment
Loan repayments include repaying the interest rate and the principal amount. They are two completely separate things, and different lenders will structure their repayment plans differently. Make sure you understand your repayment policy and select something that doesn’t have compounding interest. This will help to keep the loan cost low and make repayment as easy as possible. Make sure you are comfortable with the repayment terms before signing up.
5. Lenders
Different lenders will offer the same kind of loan. You could get financing from a bank, a private investment company, an insurance provider, or even the government. Different lenders will have drastically different rates and conditions for a loan of the same value. If you can’t find a suitable option through banks, look into other options. Generally, you will get the most lenient terms through organisations that are backed by a local or federal government.
6. Value
People tend to require loans when they need a problem solved. The thing to consider is whether the loan cost will justify the value that you will get from using that money. If the risk and the price of a loan are higher than the value you will get, it might not be such a wise decision, no matter how profitable it might seem right now. Long-term loans can last years, even decades, and things can drastically change during that time. Consider the long-term value of using that money and whether it will be worth it, considering how the cost of the loan will increase over time.
Whenever you attempt to secure a loan, make sure you have plenty of time on your hands. Lenders capitalise on the urgency customers express and in their haste, they end up making poor decisions. Give yourself a couple of months to explore the different options and shortlist good options. Moreover, consult with the various service providers and take your time to understand the loan. Just because you are discussing an option with a company doesn't mean you have to decide right there and then. A well-thought-out decision could make your future.
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More often than not, you will hear stories in the news of Millennials complaining that their generation is hard done by, but can you really blame them? Unlike today’s baby-boomers or Generation X, Millennials are saddled with an uncertain economic future and have the tightest cash flow compared to previous generations all because of the sheer complexity of modern life. This is a worrying fact and according to Christer Holloman, CEO & Co-founder of Divido, it’s time we cut Millennials some slack.
The burden of mounting student debt combined with an unrelenting affordable housing crisis and the fear of another credit crunch has made this generation particularly wary about their economic futures. This is translating into Millennials also becoming averse to borrowing from banks and sceptical about the financial services industry as a whole. Debt-conscious Millennials now favour prepaid and debit cards over the credit variety. This caution has two side-effects. Firstly, in a world governed by credit scores, it diminishes—some would say ironically— their potential to improve their credit scores and show that they can be trusted with credit and loans. Secondly, it means that those high-ticket, quality purchases are often deferred unnecessarily.
It’s fair to say that as a generation, Millennials suffer from perhaps the largest misconception about their spending habits, often criticised for being less money-savvy to other demographics. However recent research from Deloitte suggests Millennials aren’t as impulsive and money-reckless as the media makes them out to be. They are most likely, for example, to buy luxury, high-end goods when they receive extra income (such as a bonus) to avoid accruing debt. Because of this, it is crucial that businesses selling expensive aspirational goods targeted at Millennials, adjust their payment models, allowing consumers more flexibility and choice- choice that doesn’t stop abruptly at the checkout. It’s clear that this new wave of customer is not prepared to load up credit cards, meaning that if these businesses don’t change, their sales will become more sporadic.
Rarely is this negative attitude towards credit and debt addressed by a more convenient way to pay. This is curious given that Millennials now make up a quarter of the UK population, emphasising just how valuable offering finance options to this age group can be.
Millennials value convenience, flexibility and honesty from retailers and banks; all qualities which the main credit card providers are not renowned for. Paying by finance empowers customers by giving them the choice and flexibility that they crave from businesses. Allowing consumers to take a stronger control of their finances by spreading out their costs in monthly instalments at 0% interest, not only increases loyalty but makes those previously out-of-reach purchases more of a reality by removing the initial intimidating price tag. If more retailers adopted this system, the Millennial generation has a chance of becoming the next premium consumer base.
There has been a revolution in subscription payments for digital services over the past five to ten years. From Netflix to Spotify and even Nespresso, people are now very happy to spread out and manage their costs as they earn – it’s becoming the new norm. It is a model both the high street and online retailers should look to emulate in order to reach this influential generation and stay competitive.
The subscription model is now being rolled out to attract more affluent audiences with higher-ticket items such as cars as seen in Jaguar Land Rover’s recent launch of Carpe. Bitesize regular payment options are another way retailers can keep their customers loyal for longer by reassuring them that they are getting a good deal with the best long-term gains.
It’s clear that Millennials’ affinity for technology and new ways of doing things is reshaping the retail sector and its offerings. Having a strong brand is no longer good enough to lock in a sale with them. Retailers now need to work harder, tap into the financial psyche and purchasing mindset of Millennials to give them the flexibility and choice to own their payment plans. Not only will this ensure they’re not spending beyond their means, but it also allows them to buy the quality, higher-end products they desire then and there.
Iwoca has found that female applicants are 18% more likely to repay small business loans on time than their male counterparts. Women-led small businesses make up an estimated 20% of iwoca’s customers and it has supported an estimated 2,400 women business owners in the UK with almost £50 million in lending since its launch in 2012.
iwoca uncovered the data in response to a study by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which found that a quarter of female small business owners cite the ability to access traditional funding channels as a key challenge, with many relying on alternative sources, such as crowdfunding, personal cash and credit, for growth.
While this technology-driven risk platform draws on thousands of data points to make credit decisions, gender is not included. iwoca’s data scientists were able to calculate gender-based statistics on loan repayment rates by checking customer application forms for self-identified female titles and then comparing the approximate default rates for both cohorts.
Christoph Rieche, Co-founder and CEO of iwoca, said: “More can be done to narrow the entrepreneurial gender gap in the UK. Making it easier for women to access business funding would go a long way to achieving that. Sadly, the reality is that banks are withdrawing critical finance from across the entire small business sector and unless the Government takes action to encourage greater competition that will allow alternative providers to fill the hole, women will continue to be at a greater disadvantage from an unfair system, regardless of their higher propensity to repay on time.”
(Source: iwoca)
