An unsecured loan is a loan that doesn’t require collateral and is approved based on the borrower’s creditworthiness. Examples include personal loans, student loans, and credit cards.
Since these loans are riskier for lenders, they typically require a strong credit score for approval and come with higher interest rates. If the borrower defaults, the lender may pursue debt collection or legal action.
Many lenders across India offer unsecured loans, including top banks providing personal loan and commercial loans. Other lenders offer short-term solutions like salary advances and instant loans. Read on to know more about the benefits of an unsecured loans, their types and the application process.
The benefits of unsecured loans are as follows:
Quick application process: The application is simple and fast, requiring minimal documentation.
Collateral-free: No collateral is required, making it easier to access the loan.
Flexible loan amounts: You can opt for smaller loan amounts based on your needs.
Flexible tenure: Unsecured loans offer adjustable loan tenures, allowing you to choose a repayment schedule that suits your financial situation.
Easy repayment options: Flexible Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) make repayment more manageable.
The below listed are some of the types of unsecured loans offered in India:
Revolving loans offer a flexible credit limit that you can borrow, repay, and re-borrow as needed without reapplying. As you repay, your available credit replenishes, making it ideal for ongoing financial management.
Credit Cards
One of the most common examples of unsecured loans is credit cards. They allow you to spend, repay, and borrow again within a set limit. The interest is charged on outstanding balances if not paid in full by the due date.
Consumer Loans
Certain consumer loans, like store credit, personal lines of credit, or buy-now-pay-later options, function as unsecured loans. They let you buy items like electronics or furniture and repay in instalments; once repaid, the credit limit resets for future purchases.
Term loans provide a lump sum amount that the borrower agrees to repay in fixed installments over a set period. They feature a fixed or floating interest rate and a clear repayment schedule, requiring borrowers to repay the entire loan plus interest within the agreed timeframe.
Personal Loans: Personal loans are often unsecured loans and are approved without collateral. In this category, borrower receives a lump sum amount and repays it within a fixed period in Equal Monthly Installments (EMIs)
Education Loans: Unsecured education loans are usually offered as term loans disbursed as a lump sum. Borrowers usually begin repayment after a grace period (often post-graduation), covering tuition, living, and other educational costs over a fixed, multi-year period.
Home Renovation Loans: This is a type of unsecured loan usually offered for home improvements and repairs. These are generally offered as term loans, and the borrower repays the lump sum in fixed installments over a set period, using funds for various renovations like kitchen remodels or roof repairs.
Payday Loans: These are short-term, unsecured term loans for urgent, small expenses. Borrowers receive a lump sum and repay it in full on their next payday. These loans typically carry high interest rates due to their brief repayment period.
Instant Loans: Consolidation loans combine multiple debts into one, simplifying repayment and potentially offering lower interest rates or better terms. They are especially useful for managing several high-interest loans or credit card debts.
Signature Loans: The simplest form of unsecured loan where the borrower's signature acts as the sole security. The loan is repaid in instalments, and it can be obtained from banks or NBFCs.
A consolidation loan allows you to combine multiple existing debts into a single loan. The main advantage of this type of loan is that it simplifies the repayment process by reducing the number of payments you need to make each month, and it may also offer a lower interest rate or better terms. Consolidation loans are especially helpful when you have multiple high-interest loans or credit card debts.
P2P Loans Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms connect borrowers directly with individual investors, bypassing banks. They can offer consolidation loans, allowing borrowers to combine debts into a single, potentially lower-interest loan, with a simplified repayment process.
Business Loans: Unsecured business loans can help small businesses consolidate multiple debts, streamlining repayments, potentially lowering interest rates, and improving cash flow. These loans are offered based on the business's financial health and creditworthiness.
You can apply for an unsecured loan in the following ways:
Step 1: Go to the official website of your chosen lender (e.g., a bank or NBFC).
Step 2: Find the section for loan applications (usually under 'Loans' or 'Apply Now').
Step 3: Fill Out the Application Form. Enter your personal, financial, and employment details as required.
Step 4: Upload necessary documents like identity proof, address proof, income proof, and credit score details.
Step 5: The lender will review your application and may contact you for additional information.
Step 6: If approved, you will receive a loan offer with the terms, interest rate, and repayment schedule.
Step 7: If satisfied, accept the loan offer, sign the agreement digitally, and wait for the disbursement.
Step 1: Go to a third-party aggregator website like Bankbazaar.
Step 2: Enter your loan requirements (amount, tenure, etc.), and compare different loan options available from various lenders.
Step 3: Select the loan product that suits your needs based on interest rates, processing fees, and other terms.
Step 4: Complete the application form on the aggregator’s website, providing necessary personal and financial details.
Step 5: Upload your documents (identity proof, income proof, etc.) as requested.
Step 6: The aggregator will forward your application to the selected lender, who will process it.
Step 7: If approved, you will receive an offer from the lender directly. Accept the terms and sign the agreement.
Step 8: Once the agreement is signed, the loan amount is disbursed to your account.
Step 1: Go to the nearest branch office of the lender (bank or NBFC) where you want to apply for the loan.
Step 2: Ask for the loan application form from the bank officer.
Step 3: Complete the form with the required details (personal information, employment, income, etc.).
Step 4: Submit photocopies of documents like ID proof, address proof, salary slips, and bank statements.
Step 5: The bank will assess your application and may verify your documents and credit history.
Step 6: If the application meets the bank’s criteria, you will receive an approval or rejection notification.
Step 7: Upon approval, you will be asked to sign the loan agreement.
Step 8: After signing the agreement, the loan amount will be disbursed to your account.
The below listed are some of the factors that influence approval of unsecured loans -
The eligibility criteria for unsecured loans are as follows:
Documents required for salaried applicants are:
Documents required for self-employed applicants are:
HDFC is one of the biggest private lenders in the country. The transparent process in offering loans helps customers with easy access to personal loans.
Interest rate | 10.90% to 24% p.a. |
Minimum loan amount | Rs.50,000 |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.40 lakh |
Yes Bank has a diverse range of loans in its line-up. The personal loan offered by the bank comes with flexible terms for the benefit of customers.
Interest rate | 11.25% to 21% p.a. |
Minimum loan amount | Rs.50,000 |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.50 lakh |
Capital First is one of the major financial institutions that offers loans to small and medium enterprises in India. The personal loan offered by the company comes with the following terms:
Interest rate | 9.99% p.a. onwards |
Minimum loan amount | Rs.1 lakh |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.1 crore |
Fibe is a financial service provider that offers instant loans with 100% paperless approval. The mobile application of the company can be used to get loans and keep track of the repayments.
Minimum loan amount | Rs.8,000 |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.5 lakh |
The instant loans offered by Loan Tap comes with flexible benefits. Customers can get a maximum loan amount up to 2.5 times their monthly salary with minimal processing time.
Minimum loan amount | Rs.50,000 |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.10 lakh |
Flexsalary is one of the digital finance service providers in the country. Customers can get easy access to instant loans for various needs including emergency medical expenses, marriage, home renovation, etc.
Minimum loan amount | N/A |
Maximum loan amount | Rs.3 lakh |
Particulars | Secured Loans | Unsecured Loans |
Collateral | This type of loan is tied to a collateral that needs to be provided during the application process. | Customers do not require to provide any collateral in order to avail this loan. |
Impact at loan default | Borrowers of this loan can lose their assets in case of a default. | Since no collateral is provided, the borrower is not at risk of losing any asset in case he or she defaults during the repayment. |
Risk | Risk of default is significantly lower than unsecured loans for these loans. | No collateral submission translates to a higher risk of default in case of this loan. |
Interest rates | Interest rates for these loans are lower than unsecured loans since the risk is less. | Due to high risk, rates of interest for these loans are higher than secured loans. |
Purpose of loan | This loan is secured when the end usage of the loan amount is discreet such as during a car, two-wheeler, or house purchase. | These types of loans are availed when the end usage is not clear such as house renovation, medical bill payment, wedding expenses, etc. |
Loan tenure | The repayment tenures for these loans are generally greater than that of unsecured loans. | The repayment tenure is generally less for unsecured loans. |
Unsecured loans are loans that are not backed by any security or collateral. In case of a default, the lender cannot use any collateral to recover the loan amount from the borrower. Even if the borrower has assets and insurance policies in his/her name, the lender cannot use them to recover the loan amount. Hence, the risks associated with unsecured loans are significantly high for lenders.
Yes. Unsecured loans can be taken by self-employed customers too.
Most banks offer a maximum loan repayment period of 5 years for unsecured loans. However, this can vary from lender to lender. Therefore, it is advisable that borrowers of this kind of a loan should always learn about the maximum loan tenure offered by the lender before he or she decides to opt for this scheme.
Unsecured loans can be taken under two categories namely personal loans or business loans. An unsecured loan that is taken to meet any personal financial need like medical expense, house renovation, etc. is called a personal loan. Whereas, an unsecured loan sought for business purposes like expansion of business, payment of tender, etc. is called a business loan.
Yes. Many banks provide the option of online application of unsecured loans.
Yes. Banks charge a processing fee for unsecured loans. This is generally dependent upon the discretion of the concerned bank. bank's discretion.
Unsecured loans are mostly granted faster than regular loans. Hence, loan processing may take a minimum of 24 hours to a maximum of 7 days depending on the bank.
Yes. Unsecured loans, like other regular loans can be closed prematurely. However, this will depend upon the bank's policy and may attract a pre-closure fee.
Despite regulatory concerns, banks' unsecured retail loans continued to grow at a controlled pace in early Q2. HDFC Bank reported a 10% rise in its unsecured portfolio, while ICICI Bank saw a 17% increase in personal loans and a 28% growth in credit card loans. Kotak Mahindra Bank recorded 17% growth in personal loans and 15% in credit card loans. Yes Bank's personal loans fell by 5%, but its credit card loans surged by 48.6%. HDFC Bank has slowed its unsecured loan growth to around 10%, while Kotak Mahindra Bank's growth moderated slightly above 11%. Bank of Baroda, among PSUs, recorded a 25% increase in personal loans, now 13.8% of total advances. The festive season in Q3 is expected to boost unsecured lending further.
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