Though online loans have increased tremendously the recent years, you can still apply for a loan through a bank like Bank of America, Washington Mutual, Chase or another. Most of the nationwide banks have branches in most cities so if you choose to apply for a bank loan from one of these banks in your area you are not likely to be exposed for fraud, neither ripped off or be scared that the bank will give your personal information to others.

Be aware however, that interest rates and loan terms are not necessarily the best just because the lender is a bank. The way you handle this issue is to compare different loan offers from different banks - the more you compare the better - before you decide which bank lender you want to go with. So what exactly should I compare?

If you have decided to take your loan from a bank perhaps the most important thing to compare is the service. How do you feel about the bank and the loan officers you are in contact with. Are they polite and friendly? Since you will have to deal with these people as your lender for quite a long time, it's important to feel that you can communicate with them.

The next thing you should compare is the interest rates.

Should you choose a fixed rate or a non-fixed rate loan? A fixed-rate loan will normally have a higher interest rate than a non-fixed-rate loan, but if the non-fixed doesn't have a ceiling, it might be cheaper with the fixed rate loan

If it is a non-fixed rate loan, check if the loan terms say anything about change in the rates - like going up - during your loan repayment period. Compare how high the rate will go of the various offers.

Also compare if the bank agreement has a certain number of days after the loan has gone through to cancel.

You should also check and compare if you are allowed to pay off the loan a specific time.

Check and compare other restrictions.

If you are not pleased with the banks and their offers, why not go online to apply for a loan? It's very convenient and even more simple than dealing with a bank. However, the choice is yours.