Personal loan is a very convenient way of borrowing money from banks and NBFCs to meet any immediate financial need. The process is extremely fast and simple provided you have all the documents required in order. Since personal loans are unsecured, banks need to ascertain the credit risk associated with the borrower before sanctioning the loan. They approve of a certain loan amount depending upon the repayment capacity of the borrower. They require you to submit proof of income and some other important documents to ascertain your eligibility for the loan.
There are some important things that one must take care of before applying for a personal loan. Here is an application checklist that will guide you if you are availing for the personal loan for the first time.
Checking the credit score
Since banks use your credit score to determine your eligibility for the loan, it is a good practice to check your score yourself first to know your chances of approval. Order your free credit report from any of the three credit rating agencies to analyse your credit standing. Having an excellent score helps in instilling confidence in the lenders and bargain for an attractive rate of interest. However, if you don’t have a very good score you can opt for personal loan without CIBIL score that are available at exorbitant interest rates.
Finding the Eligibility criteria
Different lenders take into consideration different factors to ascertain a person’s eligibility for the loan. Find out the eligibility criteria of the specific lender with whom you wish to apply for the loan. Check the parameters like age, occupation, income and credit score before proceeding with the application. Get a list of documents required so that you have all the relevant paper work when you apply for the loan.
List of required Documents
Contact your lender and get a checklist of the documents that you need to submit along with your application. The requirements of the documents vary based on the profession, income and loan requirements. However there are some common documents that you must have in handy. For an ICICI Personal loan you may require
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Valid Proof of identity- A copy of passport, PAN Card, Voter Id Card or driving licence serve0s as a proof.
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Proof of address – Copy of passport, Aadhaar card, rental agreement, utility bill, ratio card.
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Proof of Age
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Financial documents
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For salaried employees- Bank statement for last 6 months, Salary slips of last 3 months, Form 16 for last 2 years, Employment certificate or appointment letter
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For self-employed Individuals- Bank statements of savings and current account, proof of office address, ownership proof, Income tax returns of last 2 years, detailed financial audit including Profit and Loss statement and Balance sheet. Since the source of income of self-employed individuals is riskier than that of salaried individuals, these documents help in providing an assurance to the bank that they have a steady inflow of funds.
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Passport size photograph
Since personal loan is unsecured in nature, the lender verifies the documents thoroughly to make sure that the borrower has the capacity to repay the loan.
The rate of interest determines your monthly EMI on the loan. Find out the best rate that you can get. Also look at the processing fees, late payment charges, prepayment fee etc. It is important to have a clear understanding of these charges before you apply for the loan.
Repayment plan
Use the EMI calculator to plan your repayment in advance and choose a tenure that suits your budget. Take into consideration any major changes in your income or expenses that you expect in near future. Being realistic helps in avoiding any future defaults on loan that may adversely affect your CIBIL score.
Taking care of this essential checklist will ensure that you get approved for a personal loan at good terms and rate of interest.
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