Online Loans in Colombia
Loans are in their simplest form an agreement between a lender and a borrower about the loan terms. The lender has the funds available and borrows them under specific criteria, often through an interest rate of some sort and some additional fees. This is considered the payment for borrowing the money and is paid back monthly, quarterly, biannually, or annually by the one who borrowed the money. As the agreement is made, certain aspects like amount, runtime (how long the period for returning the money is), and interest rate must be set. This is often done by banks to consumers, where banks have the funds available to them and lend them to their customers under a specific contract.
An example of a loan like this could be an amount of 1.000.000 pesos, over a runtime of 2 years (24 months), with an interest rate of 20%. With fees included, the final repayment for this loan is around 1.2 million pesos. However, this amount is split over 24 terms (months), with a monthly payment of 58.333 pesos (fees included).
Usually, you would need to consult a local bank to sign up for a loan, but as online banking has become more and more popular, there are several lenders offering convenient online loans. While most traditional banks require a thorough investigation of your financial standpoint regarding monthly income, budgets, last year’s spending and much more, online banks only require minimum information, which makes them more accessible. Some online lenders might also offer lower interest rates since they are not burdened by paying rent for a physical subsidiary in the area.
Be over 18 years old. Some banks might have a minimum age of 25 and a maximum age limit of 65-85. Depending on the conditions, they may also have some extra requirements for pensioners.
Have your place of residence in Colombia and present proof of address.
Have a stable income source. Banks offer loans on the basis of getting back the money after the runtime has passed. If you have no income source, you cannot pay back your loan with the added interest, which in turn means you will not be able to take a loan in the first place.
Here is an overview of the loans offered by online lenders in Colombia, which you can also find right here on Moneezy:
Classic loans
Consumer Loans (Préstamos Personales), Quick Loans (Préstamos Rápidos), Mini Loan (Minicréditos) are some different loans that follow the classic loan structure in Colombia. You apply for a loan of a certain amount, as well as decide on runtime for paying it back with the added interest and fees. The different terms are mainly used to distinguish between small and big loans.
These loans can be used for a lot of different things. The smaller loans can be used for an unexpected expense that has come through, an emergency that must be taken care of, or invested in an item you've wanted for years. The bigger consumer loans are more suited towards initiating start-ups, loans for property or vehicles, as well as energy optimization or renovations in your home. The possibilities are endless, which is why the consumer loan is the most common loan.
Special loans
Consolidation Loans (Reunificación de deudas) is a term for combining several smaller loans into one big loan, to avoid paying huge interest for several loans at a time.
These are especially useful when consumers have taken several small loans and are now burdened with several payment dates and different interest rates.
Lastly, we have Overdraft or Line of Credit (Línea de Crédito), which allows you to exceed the amount of money on your account by a set amount each month, without paying the normal fees. This is especially useful when conducting a big project, for example, a house renovation, where unexpected expenses can come out of nowhere.
The loan is only active if your account experiences an overdraft and the loan will cover the rest of your expenses.
Once next month’s paycheck comes in, the loan is automatically paid off with a small interest rate.
You can even find specific loans designed for people with bad credit scores, or listed in debt registers, like the so called "Préstamos a Reportados"
Pros
Loans that suit your situation.
Allows you to realize your projects.
Transparency throughout the entire process.
No loan justification.
Convenient and flexible.
Cons
Lifestyle inflation, where you spend more money because you have more money.
Debt, if you are not careful with your budget.
Reckless spending.
Extra fees if you do not comply with payment dates.
Our take on online loans
If you are not realistic and thorough in your planning of budgets in connection with your loans, you can end up having trouble paying them back over time. Furthermore, if you apply for a loan to spend on devaluating assets such as technology, fashion, and trends, you are not looking at investments, but rather at reckless spending, something to avoid using loans for. Being mindful and intentional about your loans is the most important aspect. But if you keep these risks in mind when applying for a loan, they can be a great source to realize projects.
Place close attention to the APR. In Colombia, this is measured by the TEA.
Apply for more than one loan, and stick with the answer you find the most convenient.
Be mindful when choosing the amount. If it does not fit in well into your budget, you might have trouble keeping up with payments.
Now that you have read more on the subject...Want to take another look at the loans we offer? Press the "Return" button to go back to our loan comparison tool.
Emil utiliza su experiencia para marcar una diferencia en el sector financiero. Estudió en la Universidad de Dinamarca del Sur y ha sido gerente general de Intelligent Banker desde 2013, donde ha ayudado a más de 500.000 usuarios de todo el mundo con sus necesidades financieras.
