Loans
What each kind of borrowing actually costs, who it suits, and the cheaper option people usually miss.
Almost every borrowing decision in India comes down to one trade: the cheapest loan is secured against something you already own, and the loan most people actually take is unsecured because it arrives faster. The difference between those two interest rates, over the full tenure, is the price of that convenience — and it is usually much larger than borrowers expect, because it compounds over years while the convenience lasted a few days.
That is why the guides below keep returning to the secured alternatives. A loan against a fixed deposit, a gold loan, or a loan against mutual fund units will normally price well below an unsecured personal loan, because the lender is not pricing your character — it is holding your collateral. The catch is real and worth stating: you are putting an asset at risk, and on market-linked collateral you can face a top-up demand if the asset falls in value.
What lenders actually assess is narrower than most applicants assume. The obligations already on your credit report, the stability and documentation of your income, and the resulting ratio of repayments to earnings do most of the work. Your score gets you considered; that ratio gets you approved. And every application leaves a hard enquiry on your file, so scattering applications across lenders to “see who says yes” is itself a reason to be declined.
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Current home loan interest rates across major lenders
Compare current home loan rate cards, benchmarks, borrower bands and fees, then use the KFS APR and spread to judge your personalised offer.
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Current personal loan interest rates across major banks
Compare current personal loan rate ranges, actual-rate disclosures, processing fees and KFS APR before choosing a bank or accepting an offer.
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Fixed versus floating home loan: choose the risk you can carry
Fixed buys payment certainty; floating follows a benchmark and preserves reset choices. Compare APR, spread, EMI stress and prepayment terms before choosing.
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Prepay your home loan or transfer it? Compare the real break-even
A home-loan transfer wins only when interest saved over the remaining tenure exceeds every switching cost. Here is the calculation, with prepayment compared fairly.
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Loan KFS and APR explained: the sheet to read before you sign
A Key Facts Statement turns interest, fees and third-party charges into one APR. Learn what it must show, how to compare offers and when cooling-off applies.
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What a 7-day loan app really costs when your CIBIL score is low, and how to check the number yourself
A ₹500 fee on a ₹5,000 loan for seven days is not a 10% cost. On RBI's own method it is about 24,200% a year. How to read the APR before you tap accept.
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Borrowing with no CIBIL score: what the bureau needs, and which routes actually count
No CIBIL score is not a bad score, it is an empty file. Which routes a lender will say yes to without one, and which of them actually reach a bureau.
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How to judge a low CIBIL score loan app before you borrow from it
No app is RBI-approved, and we shortlist none. The permissions, money flows and paperwork that show whether a low CIBIL score loan app is compliant.
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Getting a personal loan with a low CIBIL score: what the rulebook actually gives you
No RBI rule we could find sets a minimum score. What a poor score really costs, what a lender must disclose to you, and when secured borrowing wins.
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Education loan for studying abroad: the secured versus unsecured decision
Collateral is the fork in the road. A secured loan costs materially less and sanctions more; an unsecured one is faster and capped lower. Here is how to choose.
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Gold loan or personal loan: cost, speed, and what you put at risk
A gold loan is cheaper and disburses faster because your jewellery secures it. A personal loan costs more but nothing goes to auction. How to choose between them.
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Loan against a fixed deposit: why the net cost is only the spread
Borrowing against a fixed deposit costs only the spread over the rate the deposit itself earns. Why that usually beats breaking it, and where it stops being true.
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Loan against mutual funds: the lien, the LTV and the margin call
Your units are lien-marked rather than sold, so you stay invested and trigger no capital gains. The catch is the margin call, and it arrives when markets fall.
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Personal loan for the self-employed: what lenders actually assess
Lenders judge self-employed applicants on filed ITRs, banking turnover and vintage. Why tax-optimised income hurts eligibility, and which alternatives work better.