When money is lent to a person or organization, it is said to be a loan; normally finalized by a legal document as it is a binding arrangement between the two. Lending money has been around since it was invented although people and other goods or services have been lent to others for longer but as the majority of these are for money; this is what this article is about. Unlike most other types of loan, those involving cash will gradually be paid back over a period of time previously arranged; the usual repayment method is based around monthly installments but this period can be longer.



The debt is repaid but an interest charge is added for the service being provided and the method by which the lender is compensated. Although not seen as much these days one type of financial agreement ensures that the first payments made to clear the debt are in fact just the charges on the sum owed. More frequently the amount is repaid in equal installments, a portion of which is the interest.

Although this is the main function of all financial institutions, they do have other functions as well. Arranging a loan this way is a normal method for individuals as well as businesses to have a sum of money in their account to do with as they please; other ways to raise capital are available but none as easy as this.

Another common type of debt, particularly in the Western World is a mortgage and is the primary way real estate is purchased, but this is all it can be used for. The financial institution is given security however; in this case the title to the house, until the mortgage is paid off in full. This security means that defaulting on the loan may leave the lender with no alternative but to repossess the property; whilst they can reclaim money owed immediately this way, they may also decide to retain the property until a later date.

In some instances, this method of security can be used when taking out a loan for a car for instance; in this instance, the car becomes it's own security for the debt. Whilst secured loans can last a considerable time, this is usually as long as it remains possible for the finance company to reclaim costs should they need to sell the item; where cars are concerned, this term will only last a handful of years.

Unsecured loans are available from financial institutions under many different guises or marketing packages; credit cards, a bank overdraft, even a line of credit for instance, are all examples of unsecured lending. The interest rates applicable to these different forms may vary depending on the lender, the borrower and the type of credit supplied.

Financial companies can be caught out too when they provide cash to a person so they can gain advantage over his or her situation; also known as predatory lending. An easy way to do this is for a credit card company to issue cards to individuals and encourage them to use the cards and then keep them paying these amounts off for a long time because they have such high interest rates. Try to remember what has been written here and you might not have too many problems.