Having good negotiation skills is a great quality to learn and leverage, but it does require extensive research, preparation and planning.
When taking out a loan, ensuring that you’re getting fair terms and the best interest rates can be challenging. However, negotiating better terms helps you save money and allows you to pay off your debt quicker.
It’s not easy to convince your lender to settle on lower interest rates, especially if you don’t have a stellar credit score, but it is still possible if you go about it the right way.
That’s why, to help you learn this skill, we’ve put together 5 important tips that can equip you to negotiate a loan for better terms and interest rates.
Let’s get started!
1) Know Your Priorities and Your Credit Score
To negotiate a loan properly, you need to clearly list your priorities. For example, when taking a loan, what do you want to achieve? Lower interest rates? Longer repayment periods? Or lower monthly payments?
Another vital factor that lenders review when determining your interest rate is your credit score. That’s why you need to pull your credit report and evaluate your score before you apply. If your score is not as high as you’d like, you could take some steps to improve it.
Once you know your priorities and your credit score, you can focus on the loan terms that are most important to you and stack the cards in your favour. Not only can you trade off on terms that are not as relevant, but you can also boost your chances of loan approval.
2) Understand the Lender’s Priorities
Similarly, just as you need to identify and understand your own priorities, it is equally important to understand your lender’s.
For example, are they looking to get their money back as soon as possible? Are they focused on receiving a higher interest rate? Or maybe they prioritise having lower-risk loans.
No matter what their priorities may be, once you understand them, you can modify your approach accordingly. Furthermore, you can tailor your negotiation strategy based on their needs and wants. This allows you to negotiate better terms based on current interest rates.
3) Shop Around and Consider Other Terms
Loans are like any shopping experience; it’s smarter to browse around for the best deal rather than impulsively buying the first item you come across.
Avoid accepting the first loan offer you get. Instead, do some research and gather information on the loan terms of different lenders and compare various interest rates. With a bit of browsing, you will have a better understanding of lenders and their reliability.
Along with interest rates, many other tricky loan terms could lead to additional costs. For example, prepayment penalties. These penalties mean that you would have to pay a fee if you want to pay off your loan early.
As such, you need to understand all the terms involved to pick the most suitable loan with the best terms and conditions. Once you choose a lender whose terms seem viable, you can negotiate a loan that is the most suitable for you and the lender.
4) Be Willing to Compromise
No negotiation is successful unless both parties involved are willing to compromise. To get the terms that are most important for you, you will need to give up some of your priorities.
For example, with a payday loan, you might be willing to accept a higher interest rate in return for a longer repayment period; or you could choose to make a higher monthly payment in exchange for a lower interest rate.
It is only with compromise from both the borrower and lender that a satisfying middle ground can be achieved.
5) Get It in Writing
After negotiating the final loan terms and interest rates with your lender, make sure you get all the final details in writing before signing anything.
It’s crucial to read the fine print and give a final once-over to the loan agreement along with any other related documents. You have to make sure that you understand every detail before committing to anything.
By doing so, you can ensure there's no confusion about what was agreed to and prevent any misunderstandings further down the road. Moreover, you will have a written document to refer to in case of any problems or disagreements.
Choose Salad Money For Fair and Affordable Loans
While negotiation is a vital skill to have when applying for a loan, you also need to choose the right lender to get the loan that’s right for you. That’s where we come in!
At Salad Money, we know that financial crises can strike at any time. With our More Than Your Score loans, you can access the financial support you need during an emergency to get back on your feet.
We believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity for a loan, irrespective of your credit score. That’s why we use an open-banking-based assessment system to evaluate your ability to repay your loan.
Furthermore, as one of the leading online lenders in the UK, we’re authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so you can trust that your financial information will stay safe and secure.
To learn more about our services, click here and apply for a loan now!
