A secured loan is a loan in which the borrower pledges some asset (e.g. a car) as collateral for the loan. The loan is thus secured against the collateral — in the event that the borrower defaults, the lender takes possession of the asset used as collateral and may sell it to regain the amount originally lent to the borrower.

As the loan is secured, the lender is relieved of most of the financial risks involved; he may thus offer attractive terms for the borrower on interest rates and repayment period.

One attractive type of secured loan that is normally only available at a bank or credit union is the savings secured loan. In this type of loan, the borrower must have a savings account with the lender. A portion of the money in this account is used as collateral to secure a loan equal to the amount pledged. This money is then frozen in the account but continues to earn interest. As the loan is repaid the secured portion of the savings account is freed. This has advantages for both the lender and the borrower. If the borrower defaults on the loan the collateral is already in the lender’s possession so it is a very low risk. As a result, the lender usually offers a much lower interest rate. The disadvantage of this type of loan is that it is limited by the available fund in the savings account.

Unsecured loan
Unsecured loans are loans that are not guaranteed with any asset, so that the risk of repossession does not exist. Though the lender can still take legal action in order to recover the money, such a legal process would be significantly longer and more expensive than with secured loans.

Typical unsecured loans are credit card debt, bank overdrafts, and personal loans.

In 2002, the average American households with only one credit card had $9,000 in debt. Credit card bills are meant to be repaid within a month; when they are not the balance to be paid is considered debt and the consumer is charged interest by the company issuing the card.

Many financial institutions offer personal unsecured loans to individuals needing quick cash for major purchases, emergency health bills, etc.