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Types of Loans and Lines of Credit

There are many different types of loans and lines of credit: mortgages, credit cards, HELOCs, student loans, and much more. They all fall into one of two categories: secured and unsecured debt.

Secured loans and lines of credit

Secured loans and lines of credit are called "secured" because they are backed by an underlying asset like a home or car. If you can't pay back the loan or default, the lender may repossess the asset. As a result, these types of loans and lines of credit are considered higher risk and usually have higher interest rates and lower debt-to-income requirements than secured loans and lines of credit.

Common types of secured loans and lines of credit include: mortgages, HELOCs, car and auto loans, and investment loans and margin.

Mortgages

Mortgages are the most common type of secured loan. They are secured by a home or real estate property. Mortgages usually have the lowest interest rates compared to other types of loans and lines of credit. If you default on your mortgage or the value of the home drops below the borrowed amount, your lender may choose to foreclose your home taking ownership of the property to sell it for repayment of the mortgage.

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

A home equity line of credit is a line of credit that allows you to tap into your home equity. HELOCs are secured by a home or property and usually have interest rates slightly higher than mortgages but much lower than other lines of credit.

• Check your monthly HELOC payment using our HELOC Payment Calculator.

Similar to mortgages, your lender may foreclose on your home if you default on your payments. However, unlike mortgages, you have the flexibility to borrow and repay any amount at anytime and only have to make interest payments during the draw period.

Car and auto Loans

Many people finance their cars and automobiles using a car or auto loan. Although these loans are secured by the car, their interest rates are usually much higher than mortgage or HELOC rates. This is because cars can quickly depreciate or decrease in value and lenders risk losing money even if they repossess and sell the car. However, some car dealers and manufacturers may offer special promotions with low or even zero interest rates.

Investment loans

Margin loans or trading on margin can let you leverage your existing investment portfolio to earn higher returns on your investments. They are backed by your investments and usually offer lower interest rates than unsecured loans or lines of credit. The leverage can be risky, however, your lender (usually your broker) can liquidate your investments if the value of your account drops below their margin requirements.

Unsecured loans and lines of credit

Unsecured loans and lines of credit are called "unsecured" because they are not backed by assets. Instead, the lender relies on the borrower's credit worthiness and ability to repay the loan. If the borrower defaults on the loan or declares bankruptcy, lenders have almost no ability to recoup their losses. As a result, these types of loans and lines of credit are considered higher risk and usually have higher interest rates than secured loans and lines of credit.

Common types of unsecured loans and lines of credit include: credit cards, payday loans, and personal loans and lines of credit. Student loans are a special kind of unsecured loan that require payments even after bankruptcy.

Credit cards

It's no wonder that credit cards are the easiest way to borrow and spend money. Many have security features or fraud protection, and others have cashback or points programs that you can use to redeem for rewards. As long as you pay off your balance every month, credit cards can be a great alternative to cash or debit.

However, if you do not make your credit card payments on time and maintain a credit balance on the card, you will have to pay a very high interest rate on the balance. Some credit cards charge higher than a 20% APR and it is easy to get stuck in a debt cycle if you let your credit card debt grow out of control. Lenders charge high interest rates because credit cards are unsecured and there's nothing except your credit worthiness backing them up. It's also much easier to spend money since your purchases don't need approval. The high risk of default and loss requires them to charge high interest rates to make up for other people's delinquencies. It is best to avoid credit card debt. Check out the 50/30/20 rule to understand better how to budget your income and avoid expensive debt.

Payday loans

Payday loans or cash advances are short-term loans meant to help people get instant access to cash before their next payday. While this can help people without access to other financing solutions, they usually charge extremely high interest rates and fees. Many borrowers find themselves in a debt cycle because they are caught off guard by the higher interest rates and fees that build up very quickly.

Personal loans and lines of credit

A personal loan or line of credit is your standard unsecured debt. Lenders will use your employment income, credit score and credit history, as well as many other factors in determining how much you can borrow and at what interest rate. Personal lines of credit usually have variable interest rates that are based on the current prime rate.

Types of Payments

Different types of loans and lines of credit can offer different payment options. They include payment plans, interest-only payments, minimum payments, lump-sum payments, pre-payments and accelerated payments.

Payment plans and installations

Most loans have payment plans where you pay a regular fixed payment or installment for a set amount of time called the term of the loan. Generally, payments are made every week, biweekly, every month, or bimonthly. Part of your payment will go to pay off interest and part of your payment will go to pay off your loan balance or principal. While some lenders offer pre-payment or deferral features, payment plans give you very little flexibility in determining when and how you pay off your debt.

Examples of loans with payment or installment plans include most personal loans, mortgages, car and auto loans and student debt. Use Casaplorer's® amortization calculator to understand your mortgage payment plan.

Interest-only payments

Some types of loans and lines of credit allow for interest-only payments. Most lending products require you to pay back part of your principal in every payment. These include mortgages and car and auto loans. However, some products allow you to make interest-only payments. These can be much smaller than normal payments.

Examples of products with interest-only payments are: HELOCs and investment loans such as margin.

Minimum payments

Some types of loans and lines of credit have minimum payments. Credit cards are a popular example. These minimum payments are usually set to a small fixed amount like $25 or $50 or a small percentage of your total borrowed amount like 1%. Minimum payments are often much lower than payments for typical loans and may even be smaller than the interest charged.

Minimum payments can be a double-edged sword, however. Although they offer you more flexibility especially during times of financial stress, because they let you pay less than your interest, your debt can increase month over month. This can snowball and lead to a debt cycle where you borrow more and more and eventually can't afford to pay the loan back.

Examples of loans and lines of credit with minimum payments include credit cards, student loans, most personal lines of credit.

Lump-sum payments

Some loans and all lines of credit allow you to make lump-sum payments of up to the entire borrowed amount. This means you can pay off your debt faster at anytime and pay less interest overall. Examples of lump-sum payment borrowing products include HELOCs, credit cards, personal lines of credit, and investment loans. You can also pay off your provincial and federal student loans at anytime.

Pre-payments or accelerated payments

Most loans are paid back on a fixed schedule. However, most mortgages and some other types of loans have features that let you make larger regular payments and occasionally make pre-payments towards your principal.

There are often limits to how much you can pre-pay, however. If you go over these limits, you may be subject to a mortgage pre-payment penalty. For closed mortgages, this is usually the higher of 3 months' interest or the interest rate differential (IRD). The IRD is the difference between the interest you would pay on the remainder of your current mortgage versus the interest you would pay if you refinanced your remaining mortgage term. If interest rates have dropped since you financed your mortgage, your IRD would increase.

Interest Rates and Fees

Borrowing money always comes at a cost. Whether it's for a home or a new sweater, all loans and lines of credit will charge interest and fees over extended periods of time. High-risk or unsecured debt will charge higher interest and fees in order to make up for the likelihood that borrowers default on their payments. Likewise, low-risk or secured debt will charge lower interest and fees.

Types of interest rates

There are two main types of interest rates: fixed rates and variable rates.

Fixed interest rates

Fixed interest rates are called "fixed" at a certain rate for a predesignated duration of the mortgage.

Examples of loans and lines of credit with fixed interest rates include:

• Fixed rate mortgages
• Most car and auto loans
• Most credit cards
• Most personal loans
• Payday loans

Variable interest rates

Variable interest rates are called "variable" because they can change throughout the duration of the loan. Lenders will usually add a fixed amount to the current prime rate, so any fluctuations with your interest rate should be directly reflected in the prime rate.

Examples of loans and lines of credit with variable interest rates include:

• Variable rate mortgages
• HELOCs
• Student loans
• Investment loans and margin
• Most personal lines of credit

Learn more about the Prime rate and how it it is set.

Fees

Many lenders charge additional fees on top of the interest they charge.

Common loan and line of credit fees

Many loans and lines of credit have a similar set of basic fees. These include:

• Loan origination fees: These are fees that lenders charge to "originate" or write your loan. Some lenders choose to count these fees as part of their interest rate rather than as a separate charge.
• Late payment fees: When you miss a payment or don't pay the minimum payment by the due date, you will be charged a late payment fee. Payment fees can be around 5% of your repayment or a flat fee of $15 to $50. Enrolling in an automatic payment program can help you avoid late payment fees.
• Nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee: Also called a failed or returned payment fee, an NSF fee is charged if you make a payment without enough funds to cover the payment. These can range from $15 and up. If you make your payments from a bank account, you may also be charged an overdraft fee for withdrawing more than you have in the account.

Mortgage fees

When you apply for a mortgage, you may have to pay for closing costs involved in writing a mortgage. These include:

• Appraisal fees: These pay for the costs of a professional appraiser to determine the value of your property. The lender needs this information to determine how much they can lend to you. Appraisal fees range from $150 to $500. Some lenders may cover appraisal fees as an incentive to borrow from them.
• Mortgage insurance: If you have a mortgage with an LTV of more than 80%, you will have to get mortgage insurance. The up-front insurance premium can be up to 4% of the total mortgage amount depending on the LTV of the mortgage and your downpayment. Find out more about insurance premiums.

Mortgage fees are usually considered part of the closing costs of buying a home. More information about closing costs.

Credit card fees

Credit cards have many fees that you might not notice. These include:

• Cash advance fees: These are fees that are charged when you make a transaction that is "cash-like" including gaming currency, ATM withdrawals, some gambling products and services and foreign currency. Fees are usually a small fixed amount around $4 for each transaction.
• Balance transfer fees: These are fees that are charged when you transfer debt from one credit card to another. These can be fixed or a percentage of the total transaction amount or both.
• Annual fees: Some premium credit cards charge annual fees for their credit cards. These premium credit cards usually come with extra features such as travel insurance or better rewards programs.
• Foreign transaction fees: Most credit cards will charge a foreign transaction fee whenever you use the credit card in a different currency. This is usually set at around 2% of the total transaction amount. Additional fees can be hidden in the foreign exchange rate used to convert your currency.