The amounts that a business will need as a business loan will generally be large. Unless, it is a bank that has utmost confidence on the borrowing enterprise, most banks and financial institutions will balk at the idea of lending a large sum to enterprises without any guarantee. This explains the genesis of secured business loans. A secured business loan is one where the borrowing enterprise pledges loan repayment by offering the loan provider a lien of certain asset/ assets.Borrowers do get business loans without having to pledge any such lien to the loan provider. These are known as unsecured business loan. However, such opportunities are not easily available. And if they are, the terms on which they come are very expensive. The APR that borrowers of the latter category will have to shell is many percentage points more than the Secured business loans borrower.Would you, as a borrower of business loan, unnecessarily increase the cost of finance to your business, knowing well that the assets are being pledged and not sold out? The assets pledged in secured business loans are available for use by the borrower. It is only when the loan is not paid in full that the loan provider undertakes to repossess the asset forming collateral. Is it that the creditors of unsecured loan do not demand repayment if the borrower doesn’t pay. In this case, the loan provider has to demand repayment. Since they do not have a direct stake on any asset of the borrowing enterprise, they will seek support from the courts in the recovery process. Often the borrower has to cough up the amount. Additionally, the borrower’s credit history is tarnished because of these proceedings.Secured business loans, thus is the safest bet for both the borrowing entrepreneur and the loan providers. Loans in this category will depend more on the value of collateral and the lending organisation chosen. Maximum amount can be had through a secured business loan.Since the secured business loan has been used specially for use in business, one is able to better mould the business loan. One can use the business loan in a variety of purposes. Ranging from the daily requirements in the form of working capital, the business loan can also be used for expansion purposes.Certain loan providers would insist on the borrowing organisation to fulfil certain preconditions in order to approve the loan application. Certain preconditions form standing orders that are applicable for the entire term of the secured business loans. For instance, loan provider will stipulate that the debt- equity ratio (the ratio of debt to equity in the capital) be kept to a particular level. Such preconditions amount to reduction in entrepreneur’s control over his business. Lender may demand immediate settlement of the secured business loan if at anytime the condition is not met. The borrowing enterprise must discuss well with experts about the implications of such clauses, before consenting to loan deals.As against individuals who would have to repay the loan through fixed monthly or quarterly instalment, entrepreneurs get to repay the loan through repayments that are flexible. Entrepreneurs, owing to their fluctuating income structure, get to pay through instalments that are not fixed. In periods when the business is going strong, the entrepreneur will pay a major part of the loan. This will be used as a pretext to smaller payments or payment holidays, as the case may be.Online processing of loans has caught up with secured business loans as it has with the personal loans. An entrepreneur planning to draw a secured business loan shall simply fill up the loan details and initiate the process of approval. The web technology is used by a few borrowers to compare between a number of loan deals available. The loan providers short-listed are requested to send a loan quote defining the terms of the secured business loan. This is a very important and effective technique of drawing information about the pros and cons of loans.Proper planning must precede any decision to draw a secured business loan. The business not only has an asset on stake, it is also the reputation of the enterprise that is tarnished when the business does not pay in full. Since a business is always in need of finance, it cannot afford to lose on reputation. This will make things difficult when the enterprise is again in need of loans. They will have to do with business loans on stricter terms because of the bad credit history. Businesses must thus decide the use or need of secured business loan beforehand.

Property owners sometimes focus almost exclusively on the interest rate and the period for which it is fixed when choosing a new commercial real estate loan or multifamily loan. However, other factors have a significant impact on the “total cost of capital” and can limit or expand owner options later on. Before signing on the dotted line, be sure you have answered these nine questions.1. What are your plans for the property and your objectives in refinancing?Choosing the most advantageous financing solution for your apartment or commercial property involves weighing tradeoffs between the terms and conditions of alternative loan options. Making sound choices begins with a clear understanding or your plans for the property and objectives in refinancing. Is it likely that the property will be sold in the future and if so when? Are you reliant on income generated from the property now or are you looking to maximize income from the property in the future, perhaps after retirement? Is there deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed now or in the near future? Is remodeling or other major upgrades or repairs expected in the next 5 to 10 years? Will you need to access the equity in your property for other investments, for example, to purchase another property?2. What happens after the fixed period?Some commercial property or multifamily loans become due and payable at the end of the fixed period and others. These are often called “hybrid” loans and they convert to variable rate loans after the fixed period. A commercial real estate loan or multifamily loan that becomes due after the 5, 7 or 10 year fixed period may force refinancing at an unfavorable time. Financial markets may be such that refinancing options are expensive or unavailable. Or local market conditions may have resulted in increased vacancies or reduced rents, making your property less attractive to lenders. Frequently the lowest interest rate deals are for loans that become due at the end of the fixed period and include more restrictive pre-payment penalties (see question #4). Hybrid loans convert to an adjustable rate loan with the new rate being based on a spread over either LIBOR or the prime rate and adjusting every 6 months.3. What is the term of the loan and the amortization period?The term of the loan refers to when the loan becomes due and payable. The amortization period refers to the period of time over which the principal payments are amortized for the purpose of computing the monthly payment. The longer the amortization period the lower the monthly payment will be, all other things being equal. For apartment or multifamily properties, 30 year amortizations are generally available. For commercial properties, 30 year amortizations are more difficult to come by, with many lenders going no longer than 25 years. A loan with a 30 year amortization may have a lower payment than a loan with a 25 year amortization even if it carries a slightly higher interest rate. In most cases the term of the loan is shorter than the amortization period. For example, the loan may be due and payable in ten years, but amortized over 25 years.4. If loan converts to a variable rate after the fixed period, how is the variable rate determined?The variable rate is determined based upon a spread or margin over an index rate. The index rate is generally the six-month LIBOR or, less often, the prime rate. The interest rate is computed by adding the spread to the index rate. The spread varies but is most often between 2.5% and 3.5%. The rate adjustment most often occurs every 6 months until the loan becomes due. There is generally a cap on how much the rate can move at an adjustment point. However, some lenders have no cap on the first adjustment. This leaves the owner open to a large payment increase if rates have moved significantly.5. What are the prepayment penalties?Almost all fixed rate commercial property loans and apartment loans contain some form of pre-payment penalty, meaning there is an additional cost to you if you pay off the loan early, which may occur if you want to refinance or you are selling the property or if you want to make payments greater than the scheduled monthly payments. Prepayment penalties generally take the form of a set prepayment schedule, a yield maintenance agreement or, defeasance. A set prepayment schedule predetermines the penalty expressed as a percentage of the loan balance at payoff and declines as the loan ages. For example, the prepayment schedule for a 5 year fixed loan might be quoted as “4,3,2,1″ meaning the penalty to pay off the loan is 4% of the balance in year 1, 3% in year 2, etc. A yield maintenance agreement requires a penalty computed using a formula designed to compensate the lender for the lost interest revenue for the remaining term of the loan over a risk-free rate and discounted to a present value. The formula can be complex, but the result is almost always a more punitive penalty than a set prepayment schedule and will generally make early pay-off financially unviable. The third type of penalty, defeasance, is used less often. It works like a yield maintenance agreement in that its intent is to keep the lender whole for the lost interest revenue but it accomplishes that by requiring the borrower to substitute other securities that would replace the lost revenue instead of making cash payment. Often the most attractive interest rates offered are associated with loans with either a yield maintenance agreement or defeasance. There is generally a window starting 180 to 90 days before the loan is due when the penalty expires to allow time to arrange refinancing. These loans generally become due at the end of the fixed period.6. What are all the fees and charges associated with closing the new loan?Refinancing can be costly and knowing all the costs is essential to evaluating if refinancing is the right choice. The biggest costs are for appraisals, title insurance, escrow fees, environmental review, points, and processing and/or loan fees. Appraisal fees will run $2,000 and up. Phase I Environmental Assessment cost $1,000 and up. Processing and/or loan fees charged by the lender begin about $1,500 and rise from there. Points may or may not be charged by the lender. Some lenders, particularly on apartment or multifamily loans, will cap the expenses at $2,500 to $3,000, excluding title and escrow. It is important understand the total costs in comparison to the monthly savings in debt service resulting from refinancing. How many months will it take to recoup the costs of refinancing?7. Is the loan assumable and at what cost?Many, but not all, commercial real estate loans are assumable. There is generally a fee, often 1% of the balance, and the assuming party must be approved by the lender. Assumability is critical for loans with significant pre-payment penalties, like those with yield maintenance or defeasance clauses, if there is some chance you will sell the commercial or apartment property during the life of the loan.8. Are there impounds and if so what are they?Some commercial real estate loans and apartment loans will require impounds for property taxes or for insurance. A monthly amount is determined and then collected in addition to each principal and interest payment sufficient to cover the property tax and insurance bills as they come due. Such impounds will affect your cash flow from the property because monies for property taxes and/or insurance are collected in advance of when they are actually due. Impounds increase the effective interest rate on the loan because they amount to an interest free loan the owner is making to the lender.9. Does the lender allow secondary financing?Finding secondary or second lien financing has become quite difficult and many lenders do not allow it under the terms of the loan. However, market conditions may change, making this type of lending more available. If you have a relatively low loan to value and there is a chance you might want to access the equity in your property to pay for major repairs or remodeling, to acquire additional properties, or for other purposes, a loan that allows secondary financing can be beneficial.Securing a letter of interest from a lender can be time consuming. Many owners approach only their existing lender or a well-known commercial bank lender in their area and assume that the offer they get is the best available. This is not always the case. In many cases, smaller or lesser known lenders offer the most aggressive or flexible terms. There is no way of knowing without getting multiple quotes. A good commercial loan broker can be very beneficial in securing for you multiple letters of interest and helping you compare the terms and conditions of each and select the solution that best meets your goals and plans.

WHAT ARE 12-MONTH LOANS?12-month loans are a type of short-term loan that has become increasingly popular in recent times. These are designed so as to last for only a year or 12 months to be precise. They are extremely helpful as they help one to accurately budget for the concerned money that they have borrowed as it is known that it must be fully repaid within a year or 12 months. This is the main difference that makes it stand out from other types of short-term loans offered by various direct lenders.These types of loans allow one to borrow a wide range of different sums of money and these types of loans help break up the borrower’s loan into 12 manageable repayments that must be repaid on a monthly basis. Small loans are a good way of allowing one to budget for anything unexpected.DESCRIPTION OF 12-MONTH LOANSThe approximate calculated interest for borrowing 100 pounds under such a scheme comes around 13 pounds per month. There are many people who may suffer from bad credit history and there are many lenders available who are willing to provide loans to people who have a bad credit rating and who may have been denied loans elsewhere. Most lenders have eligibility checkers that help check the individual’s likelihood of being fully approved for a 12-month loan for bad credit before applying.One can improve his or her credit score by being accepted for a 12-month loan and keeping up to date with the necessary repayments for the concerned loan. This makes it easier for the individual to be accepted for any sort of credit in the near future. Missing out on payments has the opposite effect and can damage the borrower’s credit profile making it difficult for him or her to be accepted in the future for bad credit loans.There are many UK lenders offering 12-month loans with no guarantor as not everyone may have access to that facility. These 12-month loans have become extremely popular in recent years as direct lenders have started offering these types of loans which do not require a guarantor.GETTING APPROVED FOR A 12 MONTH LOANOne is eligible for such loans only if he or she is above 18 years of age and is a citizen of the UK. Having a good income source is advantageous but not necessary. One also needs to have a good credit score to increase approval chances for the borrower. Lenders always prefer people with a good credit score as they can be trustworthy and reliable and are more likely to repay back the loan amount in the stipulated 12 months or 1 year.If the borrower’s credit score is not enough for gaining approval for a 12-month loan, then the borrower can obtain loans by getting into a joint agreement which can be done by convincing a friend or family member to become your guarantor for the 12-month loan. In this case, if the borrower fails to make a repayment to the lender then the guarantor can pay in place of the borrower.Asset pawning is also a good solution for the concerned individual or borrower. In case he or she is unable to find a guarantor then he or she can pawn any asset which may be a land, property or even a vehicle. This asset should have a value equivalent to the value of the loan.BENEFITS OF 12 MONTH LOANMany lenders often provide people with 12-month loans even though they do not have a guarantor to furnish. This type of loan also helps those who are in need of emergency money. These loans are hassle-free and usually, do not carry any extra hidden charges and are also comparatively easier to repay when compared to personal loans or payday loans which have higher interest rates.Most lenders nowadays have an easy loan process that allows them to assess the financial situation of the borrower within a short period of time and since most of the systems are now online, this has reduced a lot of paperwork involved. These lenders offer personalized loans to the borrower depending on their financial situation and state of living.These lenders offering 12-month loans also provide competitive rates of interest to the borrower for people with a poor credit score and this helps a person from any strata of society with any economic background opt for a loan without being financially distressed due to the various competitive rates of interest offered to the borrower by the lender.One can opt for a 12-month loan in case of any financial emergency or an unexpected expense that may be necessary to be cleared immediately. They provide quick loan approval processes and also credit the concerned loan amount directly into the borrower’s bank account making the loan obtaining process smooth and hassle-free. The borrower can easily repay the loan to the lender in simple instalments every month for the 12 months time period of the loan.Even if the borrower has a poor history of credit and is in need of emergency money at the earliest, many lenders exist offering a wide variety of instalment loans for all types of credit score borrowers.CHOOSING A 12 MONTH LOANOne of the top reasons for more and more people opting for 12-month loans is the fact that it offers competitive APR, hassle-free and reliable loans with options for bad credit too, the lack of the need for a guarantor, availability of small and big loans as required, repayment of loans in easy instalments, ensuring that people from all economic backgrounds have a fair chance at securing a loan and many other reasons.Carefully compare and choose the best suited 12-month loan option for your needs.