Finding the cheapest personal loan deals

New car, overseas adventure, home renovation, upcoming wedding, baby on the way...there’s plenty of reasons to take out a personal loan.

So if you’re looking for a loan that will help you pay for your upcoming expense without breaking the bank, this one's worth the read. We’ll run you through some of the top ways to land yourself a cheap personal loan deal to help you keep more money in your pocket in the long run.

Let’s start by talking about the obvious - interest rates and fees:

When comparing interest rates between personal loans, there are two types you need to consider: the headline rate and the comparison rate.

What's the difference you ask? Here's a breakdown... 

• Headline rate: This is the rate you will be charged by the lender for taking out the loan. For example, a loan may be advertised as having a low variable or fixed rate of 7.50% with a comparison rate next to it. The headline rate is purely a reflection of what you will be charged in interest over the life of the loan - without considering any additional fees and charges. While this rate is a good indication of whether the personal loan is a competitive package, don’t forget to check with the comparison rate is.

• Comparison rate: By law lenders need to show the comparison rate next to the headline rate. The reason is because it gives you a better idea of how much the personal loan really costs when some of the fees are merged with the headline rate. But keep in mind the comparison rate only uses a set equation e.g $30,000 paid back over 5 years. So you may want to run the numbers using our personal loan repayments calculator to ensure the personal loan is the best for your scenario.

Looking for a low interest loan? compare below. 

Like any loan, personal loans come with a bunch of fees you need to be aware of. The aim of the game is to pay as minimal fees as possible so more of your money can go to paying back your loan! 

• Application fee: a personal loan upfront fee could be anywhere between $0-$600 (depending on the provider) and is payable when you apply for the loan. Generally, the reason lenders may charge an upfront fee is to cover some of their administration costs e.g running a credit check on you. If a loan comes with a high application fee, you’ll want to ensure that the savings you make from the low interest rate (and or competitive features) are worth it.

• Ongoing fee: The same applies for any regular fees that you’ll be charged over the life of the loan, as these could add up to big bucks in the long run. Thankfully, with most providers the ongoing monthly fee isn’t too dear sitting at around $10.

• Break cost fee/early repayment penalty: Some fixed rate loans these days come with an extra repayments facility, which allows you to pay extra on your loan ultimately meaning you will pay it off sooner. But the thing you’ll need to watch out for is fixed rate loans can come with a break cost fee, which is a fee charged if you try to pay off the loan early. According to the Mozo database these fees can go up to $175. 

While a low rate and fees are extremely important, make sure the personal loan you take out comes with the flexibility to help you pay it off sooner. Here are some features to keep an eye out for:

Now that you’ve got an idea of what to look out for, here are some tactics for scoring a cheap personal loan deal:

1. Secure your loan with an asset

For the borrowers out there that own assets like expensive household items, property or a car, did you know you may be able to use these as security for the loan? Putting up an asset as collateral means if you forfeit on the personal loan the lender can seize the asset and sell it to recover their loss. This obviously makes you a less risky borrower. In return you’ll get a much cheaper personal loan deal.

For instance, at the time of writing one the average secured personal loan rate sits at 8.01%, by comparison the unsecured loan average is a higher rate of 10.52%. To really put things into perspective, our personal loan comparison calculator shows on a $20,000 loan the lower rate loan would save you $1,468 in interest over a 5 year period.

2. Bundle products

Another method you could use for scoring yourself a cheaper personal loan deal is bringing some of your other banking products to the table like your credit card, savings account or bank account. You may find the lender will be willing to bring down the interest rate or wipe the personal loan application fee for borrowers that bundle.

3. Look outside the major banks

Are you comfortable with managing your personal loan online? Then it’s worth considering a personal loan from a challenger brand. Today there are many online personal loans and peer to peer providers offering competitive personal loan deals to Aussie borrowers.

Without the huge costs that the banks incur like paying dividends to shareholders and the cost of branch upkeep and staff, these lenders are able to pass on cheaper personal loan deals than the big banks.

Want to kick off your personal loan search? A personal loan calculator can simply the process. Just follow these three easy steps:

Step 1: Use a comparison tool - See what’s out there in the market by punching your details, like how much you’re looking to borrow and how many years you want the loan for, into a personal loan calculator.

Step 2: Create a shortlist - Our personal loan calculator allows you to select the products you like and compare them side by side. As mentioned above, don’t just compare the deals by the headline interest rate, but also check the comparison rate to ensure you’re hunting down the cheapest deal for you.

Step 3: Kick off your application - Once you’ve found a personal loan deal that you’re happy with, click on the ‘go to site’ tab to be taken directly to the provider’s website to fill out your application online.