Difference Between Short and Long Term Loan (2024)

Difference Between Short and Long Term Loan (1)

Term loans are borrowings from banks or lenders where the loan is for a fixed tenure and repayments are to be made over a period of time, through easy instalments. The loan can range from 30 days to 30 years as per the agreement between the borrower and lender. Term loan interest rates may be fixed or floating.

Table of Contents hide

1 What are the differences between short term and long-term loans?

2 Which loan to borrow – long term or short term?

4 FAQs

Based on the loan tenure, term loans can be categorized into short term and long-term loans. The final loan amount borrowed and how much interest is payable depends on whether it is a short term or long-term loan.

What are the differences between short term and long-term loans?

Here are some of the main differentiating factors between short term and long-term loans:

Loan amount

The loan amount is the main differentiating factor between long-term and short-term loans. The higher the loan amount, the longer the repayment tenure in the case of long-term loans. The lower the loan amount, the faster the repayments and therefore shorter the loan tenure in short-term loans.

Interest rates

Short-term loans often come with high interest rates. This is mainly to compensate for the shorter repayment period. Short-term loans are generally provided without collateral and are therefore riskier for lenders in case the borrower does not pay back on time. Long-term loans may charge lower interest rates due to longer tenure and lower risk of non-payment.

Loan approval process

Borrowers tend to prefer short-term loans, like personal loans, as these offer immediate liquidity and cater to urgent financial needs. Thus, the approval process of short-term loans is often quick and easy. These loans also require minimal documentation. Long-term loans are generally approved after considering all the eligibility criteria and a thorough assessment of the creditworthiness of borrowers. Secured long-term business loan approvals also involve an assessment of the asset’s market value. Short-term loans can even be approved within 24 hours, which is not possible in the case of long-term loans.

Duration

Short-term loans come with a repayment tenure between 1 to 5 years. In case of long-term loans, the loan tenure may vary between 10 to 20 years. The longer repayment tenure, therefore, allows a business to distribute the repayment over a longer period.

Collaterals

Long term loans are provided for higher amounts and longer tenures, which means repayment continues for longer periods. The lenders, in this case, require collateral, i.e. security from borrowers of long-term loans. In case the borrower defaults, the lender can recover any outstanding dues from the sale proceeds of the collateralized asset. Short-term loans are generally unsecured and don’t involve collaterals. Some short-term loans may require an indirect form of collateral, like overdraft facilities secured against fixed deposits, invoice discounting, account receivable funding, etc.

Purpose of loan

Short-term loans cater to the working capital requirements or operational needs of businesses. Long-term loans, on the other hand, can be used by businesses to finance asset purchases or business expansion or to adopt a growth strategy. The income generated from assets or expansion or growth is generally earned over a longer period, thereby allowing the businesses to repay long-term loans in a phased manner.

Short-term loan vs. long-term loan differences in tabular form

The table below highlights the key differences between short term and long-term loans:

FactorsLong-term loanShort-term loan
Loan tenureTenures are usually beyond five years. Maximum tenure can go up to 30 years.Tenure is usually five years or under.
Mortgage periodMost housing loans are secured long term loans. The collateralised property cannot be solely in the borrower’s name until full loan repayment. Asset is collateralised for a longer period.Short term loans often do not require collateral. However, in case collateral is needed, the asset can be free of collateralisation in a short period.
Interest rateRepayment of long term loans is spaced out over many years and therefore these charge lower interest rates.Since short term loan tenures are shorter, lenders charge higher interest rates to compensate for the shorter repayment tenure.
EMIThe monthly EMI payments are lower in long term loans.Since short-term loans need to be repaid within a smaller duration, the EMI amount is usually high.
Disbursem*nt speedLong-term loans may take more time to be disbursed as banks may thoroughly evaluate a borrower’s creditworthiness and repayment capability.A Short-term loan is disbursed swiftly since these are for smaller loan amounts and involve minimal documentation.

Which loan to borrow – long term or short term?

When it comes to choosing between a short- or long-term loan, there is no one right answer. The choice between the two depends on one’s requirement and capability to repay. If a borrower wants easy instalments without causing a financial burden, it is best to go for a long-term loan option. In contrast, those who prefer a speedy loan disbursal and are ready to bear a high interest rate burden can opt for short-term loans.

It is important to note that an applicant’s age also determines his/her loan eligibility. Those in the late 40s or 50s may find it difficult to avail of a 20 or 30-year loan since the retirement age could be nearing and lenders may see the additional risk of non-payment in such cases.

Conclusion

Whether one needs finance for buying a new property or to meet working capital needs, the amount of money to be borrowed and interest rates should be the top-most deciding factors when it comes to deciding on the type of loan. If the borrowing is not enough, it can lead to additional loan requirements. Borrowing too much, on the other hand, could lead to difficulties in timely loan repayment, irrespective of whether it is a long-term loan or a short-term loan. Ultimately, choosing between short term and long-term loans is all about assessing explicit financial needs.

FAQs

What are the examples of short-term loans?

Some of the short-term loan types include trade credit, bank overdrafts, personal loans, etc.

What are the different sources of finance?

Sources of finance for a business can include equity, debt, retained earnings, letter of credit, debentures, term loans, working capital loans, venture capital, etc.

What is a financially leveraged firm?

Financial leverage is when a company decides to finance most of its assets through debt. This is mostly done when a company is unable to raise enough capital through shares issue in the market.

How much credit score is required for term loans?

A credit score between 720-750 is preferred by lenders for granting term loans easily to borrowers.

Can term loans be pre-approved?

Short-term loans such as personal loans may be pre-approved if the borrower has a good credit history and repayment track record.

  • Loan Default
  • Difference between a Secured and Unsecured Loan
  • What is unsecured lending and how does it work?
  • Let’s understand Personal Loan
  • Factors influencing the approval of an unsecured loan
Difference Between Short and Long Term Loan (2024)

FAQs

Difference Between Short and Long Term Loan? ›

A shorter loan term allows you to get the money you need quickly. You often need to ask for a sizable amount of money to receive a long-term loan. The lower amounts of a short-term loan make it easier to pay back the loan and get out of debt faster.

What is the difference between short-term and long-term loans? ›

Short-term financing is a loan you take out and repay over a shorter period of time—generally one to two years. These loans are typically used to cover immediate needs, such as inventory or cash flow fluctuations. In comparison, long-term financing usually comes with multiyear repayment terms.

What is the difference between term loan and short-term loan? ›

The tenure of short-term loans, generally, is up to 24 months or less. Term loans that have a loan tenure of more than 24 months are classified as long-term loans. When it comes to personal loan, the tenure of long-term loans can extend for up to 60 months. Due to the short tenure, the interest rate tends to be higher.

What is the difference between short term and long-term debt? ›

Short-term loans come with a repayment tenure between 1 to 5 years. In case of long-term loans, the loan tenure may vary between 10 to 20 years. The longer repayment tenure, therefore, allows a business to distribute the repayment over a longer period.

Why should someone consider a shorter term loan or a longer term loan? ›

Short-term loans versus long-term loans

Shorter loan terms typically mean higher monthly mortgage payments, but often have lower interest rates. And if you pay off your mortgage balance within a shorter term, you may pay less in interest overall than with a longer-term mortgage.

Which is better short term or long term? ›

Long-term investors may enjoy less risk due to the fact they have more time for their portfolios to make up for potential losses. Meanwhile, short-term investors may want to avoid volatile investments, such as some riskier stocks or stock mutual funds.

What is the main difference between short term and long term interest rates? ›

A short-term interest rate is the interest rate charged on a short-term loan. A long-term interest rate is the interest rate charged on a long-term loan. The major difference between a short-term interest rate and a long-term interest rate is the length of time it takes to pay back the loan.

What is the difference between long-term and short term sources of finance? ›

Short-term refers to funds that generally have to be paid back within a year. Medium-term financing usually requires funds to be paid back between one and five years; whilst long-term finance is generally anything that is paid back after five or more years.

What is a long-term loan? ›

A long-term loan is a type of credit paid over a considerable period, usually more than 3 years. This loan tenure can be somewhere between 3-30 years. Home loans, car loans, and personal loans are the perfect examples of long-term loans.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a short and long-term loan? ›

Key takeaways: Short term loans offer quick access to cash and may be available to those with poor credit history. Interest rates on a short term loan are typically higher than on long-term loan and could lead to higher total interest paid. Relying on short term loans as revolving credit could lead to a debt spiral.

What is the difference between short term and long term capital? ›

To correctly arrive at your net capital gain or loss, capital gains and losses are classified as long-term or short-term. Generally, if you hold the asset for more than one year before you dispose of it, your capital gain or loss is long-term. If you hold it one year or less, your capital gain or loss is short-term.

What is the difference between short term and long term notes payable? ›

Short-term Notes Payable: These have repayment terms of less than one year. They are often used for working capital needs or to finance seasonal operations. Long-term Notes Payable: These have repayment terms of more than one year. They are typically used for financing long-term assets, mergers, or acquisitions.

What is the difference between short term creditors and long term creditors? ›

Answer and Explanation:

Short term creditors look at short term returns. They are concerned about the ratios like current ratio and working capital. Long term creditors have a broader view than that of short term creditors and look for long term returns.

Why choose a shorter loan term? ›

You want to minimize interest charges: A short-term loan helps ensure you pay as little interest as possible. The shorter the term, the less interest you pay.

Why are long-term loans good? ›

Interest rates are often lower for long-term loans. This can mean lower monthly payments, so you may be able to afford a long-term loan more easily than a short-term one.

Why is it important to distinguish between long-term or short-term financing? ›

Because short-term financing is for smaller amounts, you pay them back more quickly at a higher interest rate and there's a shorter approval process. As long-term business financing options are for larger amounts, there's a longer, more rigorous approval process and it takes more time to pay them back.

What is a short-term loan with an example? ›

Short-term loans are defined as borrowings undertaken for a short period to meet immediate monetary requirements. For example, companies often borrow short-term loans using bank overdrafts to arrange money for working capital requirements. The loan tenure varies based on the debt type.

What is an example of a long term loan? ›

Long Term Loans

This loan comes with significantly higher repayment tenures, and you can repay it over an extended period of time, usually ranging from 3 years to 30 years. Examples of long-term loans include Home Loans, Car Loans, Two-Wheeler Loans, Personal Loans, Small Business Loans, to name a few.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of short and long term loan? ›

Key takeaways: Short term loans offer quick access to cash and may be available to those with poor credit history. Interest rates on a short term loan are typically higher than on long-term loan and could lead to higher total interest paid. Relying on short term loans as revolving credit could lead to a debt spiral.

What are the advantages of short and long term financing? ›

Long-term capital is better-suited for external and internal strategic investments as well as financial risk management, in contrast to short-term capital, which is best used for every-day, operational needs.

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