What is the maximum & minimum tenor for a personal loan?

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Like interest rates, the tenor of any financial product, including personal loans, varies across lenders. The personal loan tenor is a crucial factor that determines the borrowing experience and its different terms. Thus, knowing the minimum and maximum tenor for personal loans is essential before applying for credit.

Personal loan maximum tenor

Some financial institutions have set the maximum tenor of 84 months for a personal loan allowing borrowers to repay in affordable monthly instalments.

Individuals with lower monthly incomes should choose a personal loan with a longer tenor. It will assure financial institutions of timely repayments.

Although the maximum tenor offered under a personal loan is five years, one should also know the minimum duration to service this collateral-free credit.

Personal loan minimum tenor

The minimum tenor for a personal loan is 12 months. It must be noted that while the loan repayment will be faster, the EMIs may be on the higher side, depending on the borrowed amount.

Similarly, choosing the minimum tenor for a personal loan helps individuals get a lower interest rate that maximises savings. A shorter tenor reduces the lending risk; thus, lenders can offer better rates on this product.

Let’s understand with an example:

Suppose an individual opted for a personal loan of Rs. 20 lakh at an interest rate of 15% for a tenor of four years. The EMI payable will be Rs. 55,661, and the total interest outgo will be Rs. 6,71,752.

In another instance, if the tenor is reduced to two years, EMI payable would be Rs. 96,973 and interest payable would be Rs. 3,27,357.

Factors to consider while choosing a personal loan tenor

  • Existing liabilities
    Individuals with substantial existing debts are likely to have reduced disposable income. In such cases, it is advisable to choose the maximum tenor available.
  • Monthly income
    The monthly income of applicants also plays a vital role while choosing the repayment duration of a personal loan. In simple words, higher monthly income promises better repayment capacity, which allows one to select a shorter tenor.
     
  • Interest rates
    Usually, a longer tenor entails higher interest rates. However, Bajaj Finserv offers a personal loan at competitive interest rates with a flexible tenor of up to 60 months.

Individuals can also trim their personal loan tenor by choosing the part-prepayment facility. With this option, borrowers can repay a lump sum before the tenor ends and reduce the interest burden, keeping the monthly payable intact.

Read More - Personal Loan Tenor

Similarly, individuals with a higher CIBIL score and immaculate repayment history can also negotiate with their existing lenders to revise the tenor as per their current financial capacity.

Now that you know the personal loan maximum and minimum tenor, do your math to decide upon the best repayment schedule you can afford.

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