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Loan origination fee is an upfront fee associated with opening an account with a bank, broker, or other processing entity in connection with obtaining a loan. It is usually a fixed amount, but sometimes the fee is spread over the term of the loan or integrated into the interest rate. It is worth adding that in some countries, loan fees are prohibited at the state level.

Loan amortization is the process of gradual repayment of a loan by making regular payments of principal and interest on the use of credit funds. In essence, loan amortization is a repayment of the loan on the terms and conditions agreed in the loan agreement and over a specified period.

The question is posed in too general a way. Broadly speaking, loan forgiveness is a procedure in which the lender allows the borrower to default on the debt or part of the debt remaining as of the date of such a decision. When it comes to student loans, only borrowers who have taken out direct federal loans are eligible for full or partial loan forgiveness. Unfortunately, loan forgiveness does not apply to educational loans taken out with private lending agencies.

A loan to value ratio is an indicator determined by dividing a loan amount by the value of the assets or property for the purchase of which the loan is taken. In simple terms, a loan to value ratio (LTV) shows what share in the cost of the property to be purchased on credit represents the loan. LTV exceeding 80% is considered to be one that is associated with higher risks, so lenders usually force the borrower to insure such a loan.

There are several classifications of loans, so let's consider the most common one. According to it, there are three loan categories: bank, commercial and state. In its turn, bank loans are divided into personal, mortgage, loan on overdraft, factoring, forfeiting and intrabank loans. Commercial loans may be of the following types: signature, trade and advance. Finally, the state category is subdivided into state loan, subventions, grants, transfers and state tax loan.

The interest rate is the portion of the principal amount of the loan that the borrower must overpay to the bank for using its money. The interest rate can be calculated according to an annuity or a differential scheme. In the first case, the total amount of the loan is divided into several months or years in equal installments. With the second, the rate is charged on the balance of the loan and decreases with each month. Rarely a bullet scheme is utilized where the interest and the principal amount of the loan are repaid separately (first the principal and then the interest, or vice versa). If the rate changes at contractually specified periods, it is considered floating. If newly accrued interest is added to the interest calculated for the previous period (interest-on-interest scheme), it is considered capitalized.

A payday loan is a small short-term unsecured loan, usually issued by microfinance institutions. The issuance of such loans depends on the consumer's previous wages and employment history. Legislation on payday loans varies widely from state to state. To prevent usury (unreasonable and excessive interest rates), some jurisdictions limit the annual interest rate a lender can charge. Additionally, payday loans assume a higher rate of default on the loan.

Although the range of interest rates offered by U.S. lending institutions in 2021 varies from 3% to 36%, the average interest rate for personal loans has remained about the same for the past 2-3 years, namely 11-12%. Of course, this figure is purely theoretical, because in practice everything depends on a variety of factors and criteria.

A consolidated loan is a form of debt refinancing that involves taking one loan to pay off many others. It usually refers to individuals facing consumer debt problems. The consolidation process can provide a lower overall interest rate for the entire debt load and provide the convenience of servicing only one loan or debt.

A HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) is a loan with an agreed repayment period, in which the borrower's real estate or his share in the real estate is pledged as collateral. In this case, the borrower does not receive the entire amount, as in a conventional loan, but gets access to a credit line, which may be then used at his or her own discretion and in any amount.

Although the term has a rather wide range of meanings, in general, discount points are additional fees charged by the lender when issuing a loan. Through this fee in favor of the lender, the borrower is entitled to expect an appropriate reduction in the interest rate on the loan. In each case, the borrower should carefully evaluate whether it is advantageous to pay more as an upfront fee but receive a lower interest rate for the entire term of the loan, or to choose a higher interest rate with a lower down payment.

Obviously, an interest rate, as well as other conditions of personal loan may differ significantly depending on a number of factors, including the amount of the loan, a borrower's credit history, annual income, etc. If you examine the range of values, the interest rate on a personal loan can vary from 2% to 40%. However, on average we can talk about the range of 10% to 20%.

An installment loan is a very broad term that essentially includes any loan with a clear repayment schedule and number of payments (installments). Therefore, in this sense, a standard mortgage contract is also an installment loan.