Retirement Benefits



If you have any type of pension plan or a 401(k) then most employers will allow you to borrow against your retirement account. Compared to withdrawal, borrowing is a better option as you will be saved from paying extra taxes and a 10% penalty which is levied by the Internal Revenue Service if you don't pay back the loan within 5 years. Also, in case you lose your job, you will be required to pay back the loan immediately and pay taxes for premature withdrawal of money. Having said that, this type of loan offers low interest rates and is much easier to handle than other loans.

Credit Union

There are lots of credit unions that offer loans are low interest rates. If you are not already a member then check your eligibility by talking to your employer or other organizations that you may be a member of.

Home Equity Loan

Here you can tap the value of your home for borrowing a fixed amount for a set period of time. The interest rate is competitive and you need to repay in low payment schemes. If you itemize then the interest is usually also minus tax. The downside is that interest can vary according to the economy and incase you are unable to repay the loan, you will lose your home.

Insurance

If you are holding any life insurance policy then you can take a loan against the premium already paid. This has competitive interest rates but the biggest advantage is that you don't even need to repay the loan. The amount is deducted from the proceedings on the maturity of the policy.

Credit Cards

If you have a good credit rating you can get a credit card with low or no interest or an initial period. Check with your current issuer what they would offer if you were to transfer the balances from other credit cards to this one.

Bankruptcy

This is definitely the last option you should consider as it affects your credit ratings for the next 10 years. It also affects future job and loan prospects. However, in case the debts are too much to handle, chapter 7 & chapter 13 are ways of gaining temporary relief.