The key difference between secured and unsecured loans lies in their very name. Secured loans are guaranteed by the borrower's property or assets, which protects the lender to a much greater extent. Unsecured loans do not require collateral, so there is more risk for the lender. These risks need to be compensated somehow, so the terms and requirements in unsecured loans are tougher than in secured loans.

In essence, a loan estimate is the same thing as a loan disclosure, only in a preliminary form and solely for introductory purposes. It is a document containing detailed information on the selected loan proposal, including the interest rate, term, repayment schedule, etc.

A loan to value (LTV) ratio shows how much of the value of the property a borrower acquires a creditor is ready to lend him or her. Since this is usually a mortgage loan, the LTV essentially shows how much of the value of the property you already own and how much you are able to pay as a down payment. This will directly affect the interest rate and terms of the loan. Moving to specific numbers, a good LTV ratio would be 80% for conventional loans and 95% for FHA loans.

Broadly speaking, a security loan is a credit granted by a financial institution against the security of the borrower's property or assets. A security loan, in turn, has several varieties and classifications, in particular, regulating the extent to which the borrower is liable to the lender in the event of default.

Broadly speaking, a lender or a creditor is a loan provider, that is a person or legal entity giving funds to a borrower on the condition that they will be returned within a certain period of time and in a certain amount. The basis on which the borrower must satisfy the creditor is the contract, which specifies all the conditions under which the creditor provides the funds to the borrower. The lender has the option of assigning a loan to another person. In such a case, however, he or she must notify the borrower.

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 loan pre-approval is an agreement in principle by a particular lender to lend a specified amount to a particular borrower on exact terms and conditions. In fact, a loan pre-approval is a preliminary stage prior to the lender's final approval and signing of the loan agreement.

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.

A jumbo loan is a mortgage for the ammount that exceeds the Federal Housing Finance Agency's approved loan limits for a particular state. Real estate prices vary greatly in different regions of the United States, so the limit above which a loan acquires jumbo status ranges from about $400,000 to $800,000.

The minimum amount of down payment for a conventional loan is 3% of the loan amount. However, as a rule, this figure is higher, because credit history and other factors are taken into account, which increase the risks for the lender and require appropriate compensation.

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.