We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Finance

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Bad Credit Installment Loan?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 2,921
Share

One of the most common types of personal loan is the bad credit payday loan. Provided people are employed, they may qualify, not based on credit score, for a loan of up to about $1500 US Dollars (USD), and the amount of money is repaid with interest at their next payday. Another type of loan that falls into this category is the bad credit installment loan. This has similar loan limits, but the principal difference is that money borrowed is not repaid all at once. Instead it’s paid in installments or payments.

The way many of these loans work is that people find a bad credit lender and can be approved to borrow a certain amount of money. They usually need to prove employment or steady income and amount loaned is often based on amount people earn. Once the money is lent, a set term of installments, which could be three months to a year or longer, is established. Each installment payment tends to coincide paydays or other regular source of income; theoretically, people might make payments once every two weeks if that is when they receive paychecks.

While this lending and payment structure may seem convenient, a bad credit installment loan is likely to be one of the most costly loans available. They cost more than the average payday loan due to the increased risk to the lender. The longer installments last, the more people will pay in interest. Depending on the loan and the terms, total payments might end up being close to double the money borrowed, which is a hefty price to pay on a small loan.

There are some alternatives to a bad credit installment loan that might work for some people. One of these is to find a microlender that doesn’t place huge reliance on credit rating. There are a few of these even in developed countries, and this field of making small loans appears to be growing. If credit rating is not terrible, looking for other ways to obtain personal loans is highly advised. Alternately, a search to raise cash could include asking friends or family, provided the means to swiftly repay the money exists, or might include selling items of some value.

Of course, not everyone has these options and they’ll have to look at the available bad credit installment loans and lenders. There are many of these, and it makes sense if there is time to get quotes from several lenders before contracting with a particular company. Some companies do have lower rates than others. Another way to help save some money is to choose the shortest installment period possible. Essentially, the shortest installment or a single payday loan will have lowest total costs, though interest rates can still vary with each company.

It’s suggested that folks be realistic about ability to repay a bad credit installment loan in a certain time stated. If repayment is difficult, the rest of the loan amount might be renewed as a new loan, which could cost more money. People are also given a line of credit that they don’t necessarily use at first, and the temptation to borrow more can exist.

Alternative to continued borrowing, having a bad credit installment loan that originates and is repaid quickly tends to be the least expensive method of handling this form of debt. From a credit repair standpoint, successfully repaying these loans may begin to make improvements in credit score, but such improvements will depend on timely payments. A credit score could actually worsen if people start missing installments.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-bad-credit-installment-loan.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.