What is Loan?

A loan is a type of debt. The borrower needs to repay the lender the sum of money loaned part by part over time in order to clear the debt.

Acting as a provider of loans is one of the main tasks for financial institutions. For other institutions, issuing debt contracts such as bonds is a primary source of funding. Bank loans and credit are one way to increase the money supply.

Important components of a loan

A loan can be broadly described by the following terms.

Deposit or Down-payment

The deposit or down-payment is an amount of money that the borrower is required to pay, as the first contribution towards clearing the debt, so that the loan deal can be finalized. The deposit is usually higher than the monthly contribution towards the loan. Some loans require a deposit while some do not. The deposit is usually a fraction, typically a percentage, of the total amount that is loaned out.

Disclaimer: This article first appeared on Wikipedia.