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September 15, 2021

The Pros and Cons of Installment Loans for Business Owners

Author

FF

Fora Financial

Staff

Tags

  • Business Finances

  • Small Business Loans

As with any financing mechanism, though, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of installment loans. To that end, we’ll start with an installment loan definition, then outline the pros and cons of this financing option as they pertain to small business owners.

What is an Installment Loan?

An installment loan is a form of debt that you (as the borrower) pay off in fixed payments over a set period of time. Part of each loan payment goes towards repaying the loan principal and the other part goes towards interest. This business loan type has a fixed or variable interest rate, repayment period, and fees. The fees, rate, and period all determine your monthly payment and total interest expense.  Most of the loans you probably know about are various types of installment loans. Examples of installment loan options include:
  • Mortgages
  • Student, auto, and personal loans
  • Business and construction loans
  • SBA 7(a) loans
You can contrast the structure of installment loans with a line of credit. With credit lines, you have a predetermined amount of money (up to a limit) that you can draw down as needed. Once you draw from your credit line, your repayment begins.

The Pros of an Installment Loan

1. Predictable repayment terms

When you take out this loan type, you know when your payments are due and when they end.  This predictability helps remove cash flow uncertainties you might experience with payment terms that aren’t as rigidly set. For example, with a merchant cash advance—which isn’t an installment loan—remittance is based on your credit or debit sales. Therefore, if your sales slow down, it’ll take longer to fulfill your financial obligations. Of course, if your sales increase, you’ll remit the advance back faster. In either case, you can’t predict what your sales might do so repayment isn’t as predictable. When you pursue this type of financing, you won't be able to fully predict when your cash advance will be remitted. If this level of unpredictability concerns you, pursuing a loan with set terms may be a better funding option for you.

2. Large loan amounts

Compared to other types of debt, such as a revolving credit line or credit card, installment loans give you access to more funds. Limits on credit lines usually don’t go above $250,000 whereas the average SBA 7 (a) loan in 2020 was $567,599. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a smaller installment loan; alternative lenders that provide microloans regularly lend installment loans of just a few thousand dollars. In addition, you shouldn't take out a large loan amount if you don't need it, as this could put a strain on your future cash flow if you can't afford to pay it off.

3. Wide variety of options

If you need to borrow money for your business, it’s well worth your time to explore all of your options. Installment loans come in many different varieties which ensures you have a great chance of finding a good fit. There is even a range of installment loans specifically designed for certain industries. This includes industry specific loans such as:
  • Construction loans for contractors
  • Medical practice loans
  • Restaurant business loans
  • Retail financing
  • Startup business loans
In addition, there are many different types of lenders who provide online installment loans, which gives you even more variety. New call-to-action

The Cons of an Installment Loan

1. Potential for costly loan fees

Installment loans often come with a laundry list of fees, including fees for:
  • Origination
  • Underwriting
  • Administrative
  • Annual
  • Late payment fees
All these fees can add up and eat into the money you have available to invest. Origination fees alone can cost between one and six percent of your loan amount. In addition, if you want to pay off your loan early, you may owe a prepayment penalty. The best way to mitigate this is by paying for your business loan on time and in full. Not only will this help you avoid costly fees, you'll also avoid rising your business credit score. In order to have excellent credit, paying off your loan balances and other debt is crucial.

2. Inflexible payment terms

The same repayment predictability that some entrepreneurs enjoy about installment loans can be overly rigid for others. Other financing options, such as invoice factoring, merchant cash advances, or bridge loans offer more flexible payment options. For example, merchant cash advances scale up your remittance amount based on your current sales. Similarly, bridge loans often come with no payment (or interest-only payments) until they become due in one balloon payment at an agreed-upon date. If this kind of flexibility is important for you, installment loans may not be ideal.

3. Use of funds restrictions

It’s not always the case, but many installment loans have restrictions on what you can use your funds for. For example, you can only use SBA 7(a) loan proceeds for the following expenses:
  • Working capital
  • Inventory
  • Equipment
  • Real estate acquisition
  • New construction
  • Business startup costs
Although using a loan for these specific expenses may be sufficient for some entrepreneurs, others need or prefer more flexibility. Non-installment financing options such as cash advances or invoice factoring place no restrictions on use of funds. In addition, depending on your lender, some business loans won't have such strict restrictions. At Fora Financial, we don't restrict how business owners use their funding. Once provided with a loan, they can choose how they'd like to spend their additional financing.

Before You Submit Your Installment Loan Application, Determine If It's it Right for You

Deciding whether it makes sense to apply for an installment loan must be done on a case-by-case basis. There are so many different installment loan options and each has specific rates, terms, conditions, and eligibility criteria. Before submitting a business loan application, we suggest researching individual installment loan options such as: Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your financing options, it’ll be far more self-evident whether an installment loan is a good fit for you. If you end up not liking any of these options, consider alternative financing options.