Is EMI the Best Deciding Factor for Personal Loan

Factor for Personal Loan


What are the two questions that Personal Loan applicants ask while Applying for a Personal Loan?

·  What is the loan amount that I will get?
·  What will be my monthly repayment schedule?

Eligibility:

Your loan eligibility depends on the following factors:

·  Your income – Banks have different stipulations for the income of the applicant.
·  Your employment status – Salaried employees have an advantage over the self-employed professionals and non-professionals.
· Your repaying capacity – Banks calculate your repayment capacity based on your fixed obligations to income ratio. Higher the Fixed Obligations to Income Ratio (FOIR), lower will be your eligibility.
· Your credit score – Banks stipulate the minimum credit score in the range of 700 and above. It is difficult for applicants having a lower credit score to get Personal Loans.

Rate of interest:

Banks usually charge interest on a floating rate basis on the reducing balance method. Some banks charge interest at fixed rates for tenure less than 3 years. Both these calculations are on the reducing balance method. 

Some NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) charge interest on a flat rate basis. Under such circumstances, the banks charge simple interest on the loan amount at a pre-determined rate and divide the total of the principal and the interest by the tenure to arrive at the monthly instalment amount.

Which of these two calculation methods is better?

It depends on the rate of interest. The flat rate might appear to be less than the floating rate, but overall the floating rate (on reducing balance method) is beneficial. Let us see how the banks calculate the EMI (on reducing balance method) as well as the flat rate method.

We assume the following data

· Principal amount – Rs. 1,00,000
· Loan tenure – 36 months

Reducing Balance method
Flat rate method
Rate of interest
EMI
Total Interest outlay
Rate of interest
Instalment
Total Interest outlay
14.50%
Rs. 3,442
Rs. 23,916
9.00%
Rs. 3,528
Rs. 27,000

You can see from the above calculation that the rate of 14.50% is better than 9% because of the advantage of the reducing balance method.

What are the factors that influence your Personal Loan interest rates?

Various factors influence the Personal Loan interest rates. The rate of interest is the deciding factor to determine your Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI). Let us now discuss these factors in brief.

·  Your income – Higher your income, lower is the interest rate charged by the bank. It is because a higher income reduces the chances of defaults. There is a lower risk perception. Hence, the rate of interest is lower as your income increases.
·         The status of employment – Salaried employees have an advantage because of the stable nature of their income. The stability in the income levels results in a lesser risk for the bank. The self-employed professionals and non-professionals might be having a higher net income as compared to the salaried class. However, their income is a fluctuating one. Therefore, banks consider this category of applicants as riskier than the salaried class. Consequently, the rate of interest is higher in comparison.
·         Your credit rating – The recent spurt in the NPA (Non-Performing Assets) position in the banks has brought in a new trend. Banks are trying their best to woo customers having excellent credit scores in the range of 700 and above. Naturally, you need to give concessions in the rate of interest. Higher your credit score, lower is the rate of interest. It automatically affects your EMI.
·         The nature of your employer – All salaried employees do not get the same treatment from banks. The nature and reputation of the employer play a deciding role in the rate of interest for Personal Loans. Employees of the State and Central Government departments, Public Sector undertakings, and so on, receive a preferential rate of interest because of their job stability. Similarly, employees of top-rated corporate companies get benefits because their employees do not usually shift jobs. It is not the case with the un-rated companies where you witness frequent chopping and changing of jobs. It makes these employees vulnerable. Therefore, banks charge a higher rate of interest on Personal Loans offered to such employees.

How it affects the EMI?

The EMI depends on three factors:

a) The loan amount
b) The loan tenure
c)  The rate of interest

The loan amount and loan tenures are common factors. However, the rate of interest is the variable factor for a Personal Loan that determines your EMI. Hence, a higher percentage of interest results in a higher EMI for a given loan amount and tenure. Thus, we can say that the EMI is the best deciding factor for a Personal Loan.




To apply online for Credit Cards, Secured Loans and Unsecured Loans, visit www.mymoneymantra.com, the leading online lending marketplace that offers financial products from 70+ Banks and NBFCs. We have served 2 million+ happy customers since 1989.

Talk to our Loan Specialists toll-free at 1800 103 4004 to know more about our products and offers.



Comments