Second Chance Loans

• Second chance loans are also sometimes referred to as subprime loans, and they involve lending money to people who would not ordinarily qualify for a loan. Typically, lenders who offer these types of loans are not the same companies that offer traditional loans. When an individual is declined for a traditional loan, the lender may refer him to a subprime lending company. At that point, the individual may be extended an offer for a second chance loan.
  
  

Interest Rates

• Even though an individual with poor credit can qualify for a loan through second chance financing, it comes at a price. These types of loans typically have high interest rates. The lender has to charge a higher rate to compensate for the increased risk it is taking by approving the borrower for a loan. The interest rates for these kinds of loans could be several percentage points higher than those for a traditional loan.
  
  

Terms

• When pursuing a second chance loan, a borrower may have to accept undesirable loan terms. For example, when an individual gets a mortgage in this market, she may have to accept an interest-only loan or an adjustable-rate mortgage instead of one with a fixed rate. These mortgages can be extremely risky, because the interest rate can change and you do not know how much your payments will go up. These loans put the borrower in a position of extra risk, and they could eventually lead to foreclosure if the borrower cannot continue making payments.
  
  

Short-Term Solution

• Many people who apply for these loans look at second chance financing as a short-term solution. Most people in these situations cannot qualify for any other type of loan. After getting the loan and making payments for a short period, the borrower may consider refinancing. This will give him some time to build up a positive credit history and qualify for other loan products.