Are you eligible for a personal loan?

Today there are a plethora of options in personal loans being provided by various banks and other financial institutions. Though the exact eligibility criteria for availing such personal loans varies from bank to bank there are few common guidelines which most of the lenders follow when it comes to approving a personal loan in India.  The basic parameters that determine an individuals’ eligibility include age, profession, annual income, credit history and outstanding liabilities at the time of applying for a personal loan.

Age Criteria: The general guideline followed by most banks and other financers is that for availing a personal loan a salaried individual must between the ages of 21 to 60 years while a self employed persona has to be within 25 to 65 years of age.

Employment Stability: A salaried person with a minimum of 2 years of professional service with 1 year in current profession and a self employed person with a minimum of 5 years of total earning tenure with at least 2 years in current profession is eligible for a personal loan. However these criteria are flexible depending on other factors that the lender shall decide.

Financial Situation: The current and previous financial condition of an individual sis an important consideration while approving a personal loan. Minimum levels of income have been specified by the different banks for applying for personal loans. The financial condition determines the repayment capacity of the individual and hence the lenders take maximum cognizance of this aspect while giving an unsecured personal loan. The amount of loan that one is eligible for is also decided based on this criteria.

Credit Rating: The credit history of the applicant is another aspect that lenders would like to look into while approving personal loans. Delays and defaults in paying EMIs of other loans or credit card dues are some issues which can lower the eligibility for personal loan from banks and other financial institutions. A good credit rating on the other hand enhances the total amount that one is eligible for.

Employer: Since the loan is unsecured the kind of employer the applicant is working with is given due credit while deciding eligibility for personal loans. Public sector employees and those working with reputed and established private companies thus are better eligible for availing personal loans as compared to others as there is stability in their income.

Outstanding Credit Liability: Any other pending loans which the applicant has at the time of applying for a personal loan are also likely to reduce the eligibility in terms of maximum amount possible. Since the amount is calculated as per EMI that the applicant can possibly repay the contributions towards other outstanding loans reduce the total personal loan amount drastically.

However in the case of personal loans the local branch manager is given substantial discretionary powers which he can use to approve a loan despite limitations in the eligibility criteria of the applicant. The customer must always try to bargain the best possible deal while negotiating with the branch manager for a personal loan.