A direct loan is a form of low-interest student credit administered by the Department of Education. A student may have more than one direct loan at a time. In addition, direct loans are divided into subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Under subsidized loans, the borrower is partially exempt from paying the interest rate.

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.

Most companies try to maintain a positive reputation in the market and conduct a transparent lending policy. However, there are some that are interested only in increasing profits. Often under the guise of favorable programs they use hidden fees, additional commissions and unreasonable fines, which lead customers to a debt pit. There are many parameters that may underline such companies. Among the main ones are the following: solvency and sufficient liquidity reserve, size and structure of equity capital, quality of the loan portfolio, information on the management, reputation and information transparency. You should also check for information on the company at Better Business Bureau and similar resources.

A personal unsecured loan is a personal loan issued by a lender without any collateral from the borrower's side. Of course, unsecured loans are accompanied by an increased risk of the borrower's default, so the interest rate is much higher and the maximum loan amount is much lower than for secured loans.

Collateral is a guarantee for the lender to get all the funds due under the loan agreement. In case the borrower does not fulfill his/her obligations or does not fulfill them to the full extent, the corresponding debt is to be repaid at the expense of the collateral. Collateral can be represented by residential and non-residential real estate, motor vehicles, precious metals, securities, etc. However, in fact, banks determine the list of property taken as collateral when granting loans. The property pledged as collateral under the loan must be necessarily evaluated.

A Parent PLUS Loan is a federal loan program administered by The Federal Student Aid. Under this program, parents can take out loans to pay for their children's education. What makes these loans special is that they are unsubsidized and involve an origination fee.

A jumbo loan is a mortgage that exceeds a certain limit set by the U.S. government. It should be noted that the specific value for a loan to be called jumbo varies for each state, mortgage type, and year. For example, in 2021, the limit on an FHA loan for a single-family property in many states is $548,250.

A loan forbearance is a waiver from the enforcement of a loan debt. In fact, it is the lender's consent to temporarily suspend the repayment schedule of the loan agreement. A loan forbearance is usually considered if a borrower faces an emergency such as a serious illness or loss of income. However, the specific terms of a loan forbearance are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

A USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) loan is a mortgage loan with no down payment issued to U.S. citizens for the purchase of real estate in rural and suburban areas. As a rule, the target audience of USDA loans are people with incomes below average, who cannot afford to buy a house in urban areas, as well as people who, for some reason, are unable to conclude a standard mortgage agreement.

A VA loan represents a mortgage loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of the United States. The program is for veterans, various military personnel currently doing military service in the army, reservists and spouses (provided they do not remarry). It can be used to buy single family houses, condominiums and apartment buildings, as well as for building new houses. You can apply for a VA loan multiple times, as long as you meet the above requirements.

A micro lender is a type of lending institution that specializes in providing small ammounts of money. Since micro-lending is not accompanied by collaterals, the risks for the lender increase exponentially. Because of this, the interest rate on microloans is usually very high. In addition, the activity of micro lenders is strictly controlled by state authorities, especially in terms of collecting outstanding loans.