When you are in need of quick cash but have limited resources, taking out a loan can help you get through various challenges in life. But even when you remain committed to repaying your loan on time, you first have to meet the eligibility criteria to receive the loan itself.
If you have never taken out a loan before, these requirements can feel overwhelming to the point where they make your loan seem inaccessible. This not only keeps you from availing of convenient lending opportunities but also makes you face hardships that you could easily avoid with suitable loans.
To help you avoid these problems, the following guide sheds light on loan eligibility criteria.
What is the Eligibility Criteria?
Loan eligibility criteria refers to certain requirements that lenders have for loan applicants. By meeting these stipulations, you can show lenders that you are capable of paying off the loan. This mitigates risks for lenders and makes them more inclined to approve loan applications. Understanding loan eligibility criteria also helps you answer basic questions such as how much house you can afford through a mortgage.
Do all lenders have the same eligibility criteria?
While loan eligibility criteria are a general requirement, their specifics can vary across lenders. For instance, if you take out a credit union auto loan, its eligibility criteria might be different from those of a bank. In many cases, the difference between lenders might be minute. But in a lot of situations, even the tiniest of changes can put a world of distance between you and the loan that you need.
Do Eligibility Requirements Vary According to the Loan?
Your loan eligibility requirements may vary according to the type of loan. For example, if you want to continue your education after high school and apply for a student loan against an eligible degree, you may only need to be the age of majority in your state while being a permanent U.S. resident in most cases. But if you want to redecorate your home with an online interior decoration service and want to get a personal loan, you may have to fulfill different requirements.
What Are the Top Loan Eligibility Requirements?
While eligibility requirements can vary across loans and lenders, most loans require you to fulfill the following criteria:
Credit Score
Your credit score is calculated by aspects such as how frequently you pay your current loans, how much balance you use from your credit cards, and how many instances of late payments you have on your record. By learning what level of credit score is good, you can determine if your credit score is suitable for the type of loan that you need. Otherwise, you can take action to improve it.
Income
Your income is one of the most significant factors in determining your loan eligibility criteria. But a low income does not bar you from loan products. Instead, it mainly influences how much loan you can receive against your application. If you want a larger loan amount, you may want to increase your traditional income by looking for better opportunities through an online staffing app or launching your own business.
Debt-to-Income Ratio
Whether you want to learn how to increase your credit limit or need to apply for a new loan, your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio remains crucial to your application. This DTI ratio determines if your current income can supplement all lending products that you have in your name. For example, if you apply for a mortgage but already have two personal loans, you may receive a reduced amount for the mortgage as opposed to someone who only has one existing personal loan.
Collateral
In some cases, your loan eligibility criteria is tied to the collateral that you bring to the table. This collateral is required in “secured” loans such as mortgages and car loans, but it is not an eligibility factor in “unsecured” loans such as personal loans and lines of credit. When you have an asset against your loan, the lender can repossess it if you fail to make your loan payments. This also makes it important for you to use a budgeting app to make your payments on time.
By going through this information, you can learn what type of eligibility criteria you need to fulfill for your loan. This can simplify the otherwise stressful process of loan applications for you.