What can I actually use a personal loan for?

So you’ve found out about personal loans and you’re wondering what you can and cannot do with them. While you can take out a loan for different purposes, personal loans can’t be used for everything and we’ll get into that below.
In general, loans are usually specialised and can be tailored to the specific purchase that is being made, such as a home. It can reduce risk to lenders and prevent borrowers from purchasing inappropriate goods or services that have outsize risk for the particular loan's purpose.
However, personal loans have a wider range of uses. And it’s usually expected that they’ll be paid off over a shorter period of time. Do keep in mind though that there are certain restrictions on what you can spend your loan on, and the interest rates and fees associated with them can also vary.
What can’t you use personal loans for?
Although lenders may have some variations on their policies, most of the restrictions on personal loans can be assumed. Make sure to read the terms and conditions just in case.
Here are two specific rules to note:
- Investing: Neither personal loans nor credit cards can be used for investing. Instead, if you want to invest in shares by borrowing money, you’ll want to take out a margin loan.
- Property: You cannot take out the full mortgage with a personal loan, so home loans are where you should be looking for in that instance. There can be some cases where you can fund your deposit with a personal loan, however this is usually advised against.
What you can generally use your personal loan for?
Quite a bit actually as personal loans can be a path to carrying out plans that you didn’t have the time to save up for. Furthermore, personal loans can be used for a lot more than you might think.
Some of the things you can use your personal loan for are:
- Holidays: Maybe you want to go on holiday but don’t have enough in the bank to make it an unforgettable trip. With a personal loan, you can finance the holiday you want with the budget that works for you.
- Debt consolidation: If you have a bunch of debts with varying interest rates and different repayment dates, it can be difficult to budget or even keep track of them. It is possible to use a personal loan to consolidate your debt into one loan. However debt consolidation loans can come with their own difficulties.
- Plan your wedding: If you really want to splash out for the big day, a personal loan can help to cover the upfront costs or even for the honeymoon.
- Home reno: Got a big idea for your upcoming renovation, but unsure if you’ve got the cash on hand to cover it? Personal loans can help you finance the cost much faster than you could through saving.
- Buying a car: a car loan is a type of personal loan you can take out to finance your car purchase. The advantage of taking out a loan to purchase your new vehicle is that you don’t have to sacrifice quality by buying a lower priced car.
Are you looking to take out a personal loan
You may be considering taking out a personal loan on one of the aforementioned avenues of spending, or maybe you’re curious at what the interest rates are? At Mozo we compare personal loan providers to help you find the best loan options available.
Personal loan comparisons on Mozo - last updated 9 December 2023
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Featured Product
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Excellent Credit Unsecured Personal Loan - 2024
Low Rate Personal Loan
Excellent Credit
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsOurMoneyMarket offer competitive low rates for borrowers with excellent credit on loans up to $75,000, plus free extra repayments and fee-free redraw facility. Winner of of Mozo's Experts Choice Excellent Credit Unsecured Personal Loan 2024 and Excellent Credit Secured Personal Loan 2024 awards ^.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $250.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $35.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $2,001.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $75,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 1 Year
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Rate for Excellent Credit. Establishment fee varies from $250 and is based on your OurMoneyMarket loan grade and total loan amount. The fee is added to the principal amount and paid over the loan term.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Low Rate Personal Loan
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Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Excellent Credit Unsecured Personal Loan - 2024
Unsecured Personal Loan
Fixed
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsBorrow up to $50,000 unsecured. Perfect if you earn more than $22,100 p.a. and have good to excellent credit. Multi-year winner of Mozo’s Experts Choice Unsecured Personal Loan Award, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024^'
Repayment terms from 2 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.75% would cost $35,430.23 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.75% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $0.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $0.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly
- Early repayment penalty
- 0
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $50,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 2 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Rates based on borrower with excellent credit score. Maximum 3 year term for loan amounts $8,000 or less.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Unsecured Personal Loan
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Unsecured Personal Loan
Fixed
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment5.76% p.a.to 24.03% p.a.6.55% p.a.to 24.98% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsFast, easy and 100% online, this is a low cost loan with no ongoing fees or extra repayment penalties. It's perfect for savvy borrowers with great credit. If you’re over 18 and earn above $30,000, you could qualify (other eligibility criteria may apply).
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 5.76% would cost $35,173.52 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 5.76% p.a.to 24.03% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 24.98% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 5.76% p.a.to 24.03% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 24.98% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $575.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $15.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $2,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $70,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 3 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- Establishment fee is $275 for loans under $5,000.
- Other restrictions
- Establishment fee is added to the loan amount and interest is charged on the total amount.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Unsecured Personal Loan
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Personal Loan
Unsecured, Fixed, Exceptional Credit
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.6.57% p.a.based on $10,000
over 3 yearsBorrow from $5,000 to $50,000 with a Plenti Unsecured Personal Loan. Flexible loan terms of 1 - 7 years. $0 Monthly, $0 Early Repayment Fees and $0 Exit Fees. Get a rate estimate without impacting your credit score. Once approved, you could receive your funds in as little as 24hrs.
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 3 year $10,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $11,340.11 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.57% p.a.based on $10,000
over 3 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.57% p.a.based on $10,000
over 3 years
- Upfront fee
- $295.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $25.00
- Repayment options
- Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $50,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 3 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Displayed interest rate is for customers with an exceptional credit history. Application fees vary between $0 and $295 depending on the loan amount.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Personal Loan
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Debt Consolidation Loan
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsCompetitive fixed rates on loans up to $75,000 depending on your credit score. Zero monthly account keeping fees, no exit fees and no early repayment fees. Make weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments, over 1 to 7 years managed entirely online, at any time. Fast and easy, 100% online application.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.48% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.84% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $250.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $35.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- -
- Minimum loan amount
- $2,001.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $75,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 1 Year
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Upfront fees from $250.
* WARNING: The Comparison Rate combines the lender's interest rate, fees and charges into a single rate to show the true cost of a personal loan. The comparison rates displayed are calculated based on a loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years or a loan of $10,000 for a term of 3 years as indicated, based on monthly principal and interest repayments, on a secured basis for secured loans and an unsecured basis for unsecured loans. This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan.
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Personal Loan Awards
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