It is a common belief that a title loan is a synonym of car loan. And though a car loan is a title loan, there are title loans that are not car loans. The title for any property that requires registration is suitable to be used as security for a loan as long as the property is worthy enough. This kind of loan has many benefits and there are many loan options available with a wide range of alternatives.
A title (when referred to this kind of loan) is an official document used to prove ownership over a certain asset. In order for the title to be valid, it has to meet certain requirements (mostly going through a series of administrative stages) Moreover, in order to be useful for getting finance, it has not only to be valid but also be free from restrictions (either judicial or administrative)
The title represents the actual asset which remains property of the borrower but is used to secure a loan. If the borrower fails to make the corresponding monthly payments, the lender can claim the property through the legal action of repossession and recover his money from the selling of the asset.
Different Title Loans
There are as many title loans as properties that require titles. There are even loans that don't have specific names and are just called secured loans. There are also title loans that have an immaterial asset securing the loan (i.e. Stocks, obligations, government debt documents, etc.). As long as the law allows it, any title can be used to secure a loan if the lender is willing to lend the money against it.
Most commonly, there are certain title loans that you might find familiar: Home Loans, Home Equity Loans, Car Loans, Motorcycle Loans, RV Loans, Yacht Loans, etc. There are many title loan related procedures specific for businesses like: Factoring, Underwriting, etc. As you can see the options available have no limits at all.
Benefits
The benefits of this kind of loans are enormous. For starters, the interest rate charged for title loans is significantly lower than unsecured loans. And, depending on the value of the title's asset, the interest can drop to incredibly low rates. There are companies for example that by offering stocks as security can get loans at lower interest rates than governments that technically can't go bankruptcy.
For the lender, the risk involved in this kind of financial transaction is minimal given that he can always recover his money even if he has to do it by legal means. As a general rule and as an additional guarantee, the lender holds the title in his possession till the loan is fully repaid so the borrower can't fraudulently sell the asset. In any case, lending money this way is a very secure investment and that's the reason why lenders offer higher loan amounts with lower interest rates and longer repayment programs if the loan is secured with a title.
