Got Bad Credit History? Here’s How to Get Your Personal Loan

In case you try applying for a personal loan in your bank, you may be surprised that you get a cold rejection despite your well-off income. “Why am I declined? I got more than enough income to repay the loan on time,” might be the question to pop into your mind.
Unlike most Filipino thinks, banks and most lenders do not just base their approval on the borrower’s net income. They depend more on your credit report. 

What is Credit Report?

If a credit report or credit history does not ring a bell, then you better take some time and get to know how these words can affect your life plans. Lenders, especially banks, know that lending is risky to venture into. It greatly involves trust and cash, two things you won’t give a person you don’t think is worthy enough.
How will lenders know that you are creditworthy? They will examine your past loans or debts and how you handled your payments. According to Republic Act No. 9510, the Credit Information Corporation (CIC) must keep a centralized credit record system for you and your lender easy access. You will have a favorable credit report if you diligently pay your previous loans.
You will have a favorable credit report if you diligently pay your previous loans.

What are the benefits of a good credit report?

Since most banks and licensed lenders will greatly depend on your credit history to know your paying behavior, a good report increases your chance of getting approved. Needless to say, you are judged by your past actions, how you handled your debt, and how well you followed your repayment agreement with your previous lenders.
If you have a good credit report, you gain the trust of the lenders you are applying to, and they may let you borrow a higher loanable amount since they have confidence that you can handle it.
As credit cards are also considered loans provided by banks, your credit report also increases your chance of credit card approval and credit limit. Some lenders also charge lower interest rates since you are a less risky borrower.

If the credit history is this important, what can make my credit report bad?

First of all, you must have a credit history. Lenders also consider borrowers without any credit history as high risk since they have nothing to use to evaluate their creditworthiness. You can get small personal loans from registered money lenders and banks to build a credit score.
Credit cards are considered loans. You can apply for these cards and use them for your usual expenses, such as your weekly groceries, then pay your bills on time to avoid penalty fees.
However, if you suddenly canceled your credit card with unsettled bills or kept paying way past its due, this strikes on your credit report. Another reason for your credit report to be insufficient is issuing bounced checks.
If you have loans you are supposed to pay via postdated checks, make sure you put enough cash in your account to handle the amount written on the check.
Unpaid loans from banks or other private lenders will be recorded to CIC. Filipinos shrug their shoulders and opt to run away, not to pay for their loans. This is a terrible idea since this is the perfect reason for future lenders not to trust you.
In case it is not clear yet, lenders can see your previous repayment records. You may deny having previous loans, but they will still know the truth.

It’s too late. I already have a bad credit report. Can I still get a loan?

Yes, you can. Though you have to go through the longer, rougher route, you can still get a personal loan through the following:

• Lenders who require a co-borrower

Some lenders still lend to borrowers with bad credit reports. However, you have to convince someone with a good credit history to co-sign the loan contract with you. The person has to be willingly responsible for the loan. If you fail to pay, your co-borrower must make up for it.
Asking a friend or a family to be your co-borrower is risking your relationship with them. It is better not to turn your personal relationships into financial ones to avoid awkward situations if you fail to settle the loan.

• Your long-time bank offering an unsecured personal loan

If you have been a longtime client of your bank, then you can try your luck to apply for its own personal loans. However, there is no guarantee that this will absolutely workout since banks have different loan policies. If you get approved, expect a higher interest rate to be charged on your loan.

• Banks offering secured loans

Let’s say you have assets such as a car or a real estate property. If you need cash, you can apply for a secured personal loan with your parcel as your collateral. However, you will need to wait for a week or so to get your loan. You have to pay an appraisal fee upfront to start the loan process.

• 5-6 lenders

Bombays are known in the country as your go-to lenders; however, they charge a 20% interest rate. As they say, ‘Kung gipit, sa Bombay kumapit.’These lenders easily give you a personal loan without checking your credit report since they are not formal lenders.
It is enough for them to know that you are regularly earning to pay up daily or weekly. Do not miss even a single payment, or you’ll end up paying more, which may lead to snowballing debt.
There are also other informal lenders, the same as Bombays. However, you must know that loan sharks are too willing to give loans to those in desperate need. They will then charge interest rates that will soon be impossible to repay. They will suck every cent from you, and in the end, you will be deeper in debt.

• Online lending companies

Online lending companies approve loans for those with bad credit history. However, they may charge a bit higher interest rate than what they charge to those with better credit history. They also report your CIC payments to help you build your credit report.

How to apply for loans with adverse credit history?

Are you in doubt that you can still get loan approval despite your bad credit history? Read and understand the tips below. 

• Take time to shop around for the best lender.

Though you have limited options, it is better to shop around for lenders with better options. Do not settle for the first one you see. Choose a lender with a reputable background with satisfactory reviews online from previous clients.

• Fill up your loan application form.

Lenders usually do not start the loan process if the loan application form is incomplete. If it takes a few days before you update, you will probably end up declined.

• Submit the needed documents

Same with the application form, if you fail to submit the needed paperwork immediately, you might be rejected.

• Do not make multiple loan applications at the same time.

Through the credit report, the lenders will also see that you have been applying to multiple lenders simultaneously. This may be interpreted as desperation to get cash, and you have trouble repaying.

• Be patient

Since you have bad credit, take the time to nurse it back to good shape by getting small personal loans from a registered moneylender. Check if the lender is actually registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But do note that informal lenders don’t report your reasonable repayments to CIC. That said, it won’t do any help to your credit report.

If you want to start building up your credit history, get a Cash Mart loan. Cash Mart is a registered lending company offering various online loans to meet your needs. Every on-time repayment will be recorded in your credit report to help you create a satisfactory credit report.

You can have a better chance of applying for bank loans with a higher loanable amount. Also, you can even apply for a housing or car loan with better deals by then.