Learn how to choose the right loan for buying an engagement ring.
The old adage holds that a wedding ring should cost three months salary. But how can you come up with that money? The cost of an average wedding ring is over $5,500, according to a 2013 study by TheKnot.com, while the XO Group Inc. Engagement & Jewelry Survey from 2011 found that 12% of buyers spent in excess of $8,000 for their engagement ring.
Picking the right ring while sticking to your budget can be difficult, especially if you haven’t saved up much in advance. If you are considering financing, it’s important to consider all of your options.
Some jewelry stores offer in-store financing. However, many of these offers require you to open a new retail credit card which can affect your debt-to-credit ratio, and by extension, your credit score. These offers can also come with a high interest rate once the promotional interest period ends.
Alternatively, you can consider getting a personal loan to buy an engagement ring. Here’s what you need to know about how those loans work.
Lending Club Personal Loan
Lending Club offer you the chance to borrow up to $35,000 as alternative to bank personal loans. Rates from 5.99% to 32.99%* APR based on your credit score.
Min. Loan Amount: $1,000
Max. Loan Amount: $40,000
Loan Term: Flexible Terms
Turnaround Time: Varies
Total Costs: Depends on your credit score.
Consolidate loans or pay off high interest debt
Confidential and secure online application!
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Read the Lending Club Personal Loan terms and conditions.
Personal loans you can apply for
Rates last updated July 1st, 2016
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Max. Loan Amount
Term of Loan
Turnaround Time
Requirements
Lending Club Personal Loan
Borrow up to $40,000 with rates starting at 5.99 to 35.96 APR based on your credit score.
$40,000
Flexible Terms
Varies
You must be over 18 years of age, a permanent resident of the US or an American citizen and have a steady source of income.
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LightStream Personal Loans
You could borrow up to $100,000 with rates starting from 1.99% fixed.
$100,000
Flexible Terms
24 hours
You must be at least 18 years old an American citizen or a permanent resident of the US and have a good or excellent FICO.
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NetCredit Personal Loan
You could borrow up to $10,000 and get an interest rate personalized to your credit score
$10,000
Varies upon State
1 business day
Varies based upon state of application
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PAVE Personal Loans
Use your 660+ credit score to get a loan for up to $25,000
$25,000
2-3 years
Varies
You must be a US citizen, 660+ credit score and have a steady income.
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Trusted Loans - Personal Loan
Borrow up to $10,000 with personalized interest rates based on your credit score.
$10,000
2-60 months
Next Business Day
18+, have an open bank account, be employed or have regular income
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Avant Personal Loan
Borrow up to $35,000 with APRs ranging from 9.95% – 36.00%
$35,000
Up to 5 years
1-2 business days
You must be 18+ with at least an average credit score and employment.
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PersonalLoans.com Personal Loans
An online loan matching service that connects you with lenders.
$35,000
Up to 5 years
1-2 days
You must be employed, 18+ with a bank account.
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LendKey Student Loans
Reduce your interest rate, lower your monthly payments, and save thousands over the lifetime of your student loans.
$175,000
5, 10 or 15 years
1-2 business days
You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program at an eligible school.
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3YearLoans Personal Loan
You could borrow up to $10,000 for up to 3 years
$10,000
Up to 3 yrs
Varies
You must be 18+ and USA resident with regular income.
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How does an engagement ring loan work?
An engagement ring loan is essentially a personal loan. Loans through banks, credit unions or peer-to-peer lenders will be unsecured and your rate will largely depend on your credit score. The application time will depend on the lender you apply with but can take from as little as one business day to a few weeks. You’ll need to make monthly repayments over the loan term, which differs between lenders.
Features of an engagement ring loan
Interest rate. The interest rate you have to pay will significantly impact the total cost of the loan, so comparing your options and choosing a competitive, low interest loan is important. Factors that affect interest rate include your creditworthiness, the amount you wish to borrow, and the desired loan term, as well as the lender you select. An easy way to compare the cost of engagement ring loans is to look at the annual percentage rates (APR) for the loan, which includes interest as well as all applicable fees and charges.
Fees. Fees add to the cost of a loan. Go through the loan contract to find out how much you might have to pay in application fees, loan disbursement fees, late payment fees and prepayment penalties.
Loan amount. The amount you can borrow differs between lenders. Generally, maximum loan amounts are between $25,000-$40,000 but some lenders offer unsecured loans up to $100,000.
Loan term. Getting a longer loan term can be tempting, as the monthly payments will be lower. However, the longer you take to repay your engagement ring loan, the more you’ll pay in interest. Ideally, you should repay the loan as soon as possible.
Eligibility criteria. Some providers of engagement ring loans require applicants to have good creditworthiness. Some others provide loans to people with less-than-perfect credit history, provided they have steady jobs.
Unsecured. Personal loans will be unsecured so you won’t be risking your ring should you have trouble repaying your loan. However, there are some lenders available that offer specialised loans which will use your engagement loan as collateral. These loans are largely targeted towards bad credit borrowers.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of an engagement ring loan?
Get the ring you want. If you don’t have money to pay for the engagement ring you wish to buy, you can think about getting a loan. This way, you pay for the ring when you want, and repay the money you owe in installments.
Quick and easy process. Getting a typical engagement ring loan is quick and easy. In some cases, you can get your hands on the approved funds by the following business day.
Interest-free offers. If you choose to go the in-store financing way, you can benefit from interest-free offers. In this case, you don’t have to pay any interest towards the purchase for a predetermined time period, which can be 12 to 24 months. If you repay the entire amount before the promotional period expires, you don’t pay any interest.
The burden of debt. If you borrow more than your means, repaying the loan can become a challenge. Not making timely repayments will have an adverse effect on your credit score.
How much do wedding rings cost?
A survey conducted by American Express in 2014 found that US couples cited $2,311 as the average appropriate price tag for an engagement ring. This was slightly lower than 2013, where $2,410 was found to be the appropriate price. A quarter of people in the 2014 survey believed the appropriate amount to spend was between $2,000 and $4,999, while 16% believed you should spend $5,000 or more.
You should buy a ring you can afford, because starting your married life with debt you can’t repay does not make sense. If you feel that spending at least two months of your salary is the way to go while you’re already in debt, you should rethink your plan.
Before you buy an expensive ring on credit, establish how long you’ll take to repay the debt. Account for other expenses that you’ll encounter going forward, including your eventual wedding plans. Review how a large purchase would affect your existing liabilities.
Common questions about financing an engagement ring
What is a prepayment penalty?
Some lenders charge a fee if you wish to repay your loan ahead of time. This is known as a prepayment penalty.
Can I use my engagement ring as security?
Some non-traditional lenders will let you use assets such as engagement rings as security for loans. Make sure you consider the APR of these loans as they tend to be more expensive than more traditional loan options as they are targeted at bad credit borrowers.
Is there any catch with interest-free in-store finance schemes?
In-store finance deals usually come with a requirement to apply for a retail credit card or come with a high interest rate once the interest-free finance period comes to a close. Make sure you know the terms of the offer before you apply.
Can I return the ring?
Generally, jewellery owners will return the ring within reason. You should familiarise yourself with the store’s return policy, but you’ll usually find that you can return unused rings within 30 to 90 days depending on the store.
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