How you handle your personal loans can make the difference between a fortune and failure for life. From birth to death we all have different needs and requirements. To know some basic facts and some real life experience is important to make the best out of life and to avoid misery with personal loans and other kinds of loan-taking.

The personal loan

The personal loan is a loan for yourself or your family. In this way it differs from a loan for a business or the loans related to long term mortgage for buying houses and other real estate.

The danger of a personal loan is that what you get from it often disappears during a few years. You might ask for a personal loan to finance a vacation, some household goods or for the purpose of dept consolidation.

Compared to a business-type loan the personal loan is often a short-term investment - the business-type loan is a more long-term investment, but of course the business can go wrong. Even more long-term is the financing of real estate as an investment and the value of real estate will typical stay there or even increase during longer time spans.

A car loan

A car loan is in some way an in-between loan: You get the value of the car, and the bank is backed by collateral (the ‘automobile’), but during 10 years the car looses its value and during these years you should get rid of your car-loan. If you aren’t able to get through your installments you will get into misery with your loan. If you don’t fulfill the requirements in the loan contract the bank or another loan provider will take back the car, and you will be left with nothing.

Loan and time

Time is an important aspect of all kinds of loan taking. During time the amount of value you have to pay back will typical decrease due to inflation. But at the same time the rates of interest play a more than crucial role. Never, ever take a loan with delayed paying of rates of interest, unless it is a student loan to finance your education and studies. In that case be very basic in your requirements for daily life –as that will help you later.

Student loan

As soon as you graduate and get a job make sure you eliminate your student loan with a debt consolidation loan. Student loan consolidation is a must unless you have a wealthy family and then I doubt you will be in need for any student loans. For the student loan consolidation you should be better served by a government sponsored federal student loan than by a private loan. Anyway seek for financial advice and remember that many financial advisors aren’t independent, but earn from their advice and what you agree upon as conditions for a loan.

Loan and long-term quality of life

The earlier in life the more important it is to be modest in requirements not to build up a lot of debt but to make use of personal loans at a minimum and to use that to increase your long-term quality of life. Save a fixed part of the money you earn and keep your luxury dreams until later in life.

Loan and your whole life

Nothing in life is as bad an investment as a superfluous, luxury car. An expensive car loan has paved the road to failure for many, while investment in real estate at the right time has helped many to achieve a fortune without any hard time through a proper equity home loan. Similarly a home improvement loan can be a good investment, especially if such an construction home loan isn’t used for tearing down too much before adding a construction of real value to the house. Loans should be taken for added value.