Economy
Understanding the Costs and Fees Associated With Online Personal Loans
Personal loans are offered by both traditional and online lenders. If you’re looking for a personal loan, understanding the costs and fees associated with it is one way to help determine if the cost of the loan outweighs the benefits.
There can be many benefits to taking out an online personal loan rather than a traditional one, but there could also be some drawbacks as well. Before you borrow money from any company or lender, it’s important that you receive all of your information as well as understand what you’re signing up for in order to make the best decision possible for yourself. The following article will provide information on how much traditional and online personal loans typically cost so that you can know exactly what to expect before you decide to take out a personal loan.
Interest Rates
One of the most common fees associated with a personal loan is the interest rate, which can greatly affect how much money you have to pay back overall. Traditional lenders typically have higher interest rates than online companies as well as those from some smaller local stores. In addition, some traditional lenders may require that borrowers maintain a specific credit score or certain monthly income in order to qualify for their loans.
This can be true of many different types of lending institutions including both banks and other financial businesses such as credit unions and savings and loans associations. If you don’t already have an idea of what your credit score might be, it’s usually a good idea to check out this guide to personal loans ahead of time in order to ensure that you can be approved for a loan before you apply. It helps to know which loan options you will be comfortable with regarding the amount you loan and paying back.
While online lenders may offer lower interest rates for personal loans, they aren’t always guaranteed and could potentially change depending on certain factors such as your credit score or how much you borrow. If your credit score is below average, it’s also possible that you won’t even qualify for an online loan at all as many of them require a minimum credit score in order for borrowers to receive approval. It’s important to consider the possibility of this type of scenario if you need money fast and don’t have very good credit.
Application Fees
Along with the interest rate, you should also be aware of the application fee, which is a fee applied when you first apply for your loan. For example, many traditional lenders will charge borrowers an application fee regardless of whether or not they are approved for a loan in order to cover administrative costs associated with checking their qualifications. Institutions offering installment loans for bad credit may or may not have application fees collected, but an origination fee may be charged.
In addition, unlike mortgage origination fees, which are usually negotiable, it isn’t the case with most personal loans. This doesn’t mean you should avoid getting this loan. Some loans with origination fees have low APRs, which can be advantageous for you, so review your options first by pre-qualifying for multiple loans if possible.
While online lenders usually don’t charge an application fee to borrowers, there are some institutions that do. If you can’t afford to pay upfront costs in addition to your monthly payments throughout the life of your loan, it’s important that you find out what fees are required before choosing where to take out your money from. Some lenders may only require that applicants pay their interest rate but others could require additional expenses such as processing fees and possibly even insurance premiums for covering the loan itself.
Prepayment Penalties
If you need to pay back your personal loan before the standard repayment term is up, you could potentially incur fees if you’re unable to do so beforehand. This fee is known as a prepayment penalty, which some lenders may require borrowers to pay in order to compensate for business expenses that were incurred during the processing or administration of an account. Borrowers would only be responsible for this fee if they are unable to make their regular payments without defaulting on the loan entirely. If an individual exceeds their credit limit on any type of credit card, it may trigger potential penalties such as this one.
There are many different types of lending institutions out there and not all of them will charge prepayment penalties. If you know that you’ll be able to make your payments on time, it’s best to shop around as much as possible before deciding which company to take out your loan from.
Other Fees You Should Know About
Credit Unions or Other Lending Institutions
Although many traditional financial institutions such as credit unions may offer very low rates and fees for borrowers, they aren’t always available for everyone and can potentially have restrictions depending on your location or certain qualifications that must be met. For instance, some credit unions only serve members who meet their organization’s requirements such as having a specific job title or living in a specific area.
Loans with Guarantor
If you apply for a personal loan through a company that requires a guarantor in order to approve your application, be sure to find out what they’ll charge for this service. In some cases, companies may also request additional fees from the co-signer who vouches for another individual’s ability to repay their debts on time.
Stopping Payment on Check Loans
If you took out a loan against your upcoming paycheck, it’s important that you know how much it will cost if you ever need to stop payment on a check before it has been cashed by the lender. Most institutions will require borrowers to pay an amount equivalent to at least one full cycle of interest regardless of whether or not the check was actually deposited.
Online lenders are beginning to rise in popularity over traditional lending institutions because they typically don’t require borrowers to pay the same fees or interest rates that many brick-and-mortar companies do. Although online loans may come with lower costs, it’s important that you factor in all fees before choosing where to apply for your loan to ensure that the rate you’re offered is fair for your financial situation.
If you feel like you would be more comfortable speaking with someone directly, there are also many different places you can go in order to apply for a personal loan in person. Even if you’re certain an online lender will approve your application, it never hurts to check out what other options are available so you can compare costs and determine which one would be the best solution to meet your needs.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
When shareholders of Nigerian Breweries Plc gathered at the company’s 80th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, one thing they were sure was not on the agenda was the approval of a dividend for the 2025 financial year.
This was because the board did not propose the payment of a cash reward to investors for the fiscal year for some reasons, which were explained at the meeting.
The chairman of the organisation, Ms Juliet Anammah, told shareholders that the dividend payout was skipped to rebuild retained earnings impacted by prior macroeconomic shocks, particularly foreign exchange-related losses.
“We recognise the importance of dividend payments to our shareholders and sincerely appreciate your continued understanding.
“While we are not declaring a dividend at this time due to negative retained earnings, we are working diligently to restore the company’s financial position and return to dividend payments as soon as it is sustainable to do so,” she explained.
Ms Anammah noted that the board remains vigilant to external risks, including the Middle East crisis and broader macroeconomic challenges, which may impact the pace of improvement in the 2026 financial year.
She thanked shareholders for their continued support and reaffirmed that the company will build on its 2025 performance as it accelerates growth ambitions.
“We have a solid foundation built over eight decades, anchored on a strong portfolio of brands, an extensive nationwide sales and supply chain network, ongoing digital transformation, and most importantly, our people. These strengths remain critical to sustaining our leadership position,” she said.
Despite the non-payment of cash reward for the year, shareholders applauded Nigerian Breweries for strong recovery and improved profitability in the 2025 financial year, driven by disciplined cost management and a significant reduction in finance expenses.
One of them, Mr Eke Emmanuel, who is the immediate past Secretary of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, praised the board and management for steering the company through a volatile macroeconomic environment while strengthening its financial position, noting that the company’s resilience, at a time when several businesses exited the country, reflects strong leadership and a sound strategic direction.
“It is good news that we have been here for 80 years. There is no reason why we will not be here for the next 80 years with what we have achieved. To return to this level of profitability and cash position shows the Board has done an enormous amount of work,” he said.
Another shareholder, Mr Owolabi Opeyemi of the Noble Shareholders Association, confessed that, “We are proud of how the company has withstood the ups and downs of a challenging environment. The return to profitability and the reversal of the negative cash position recorded in the previous two financial years is commendable.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited has announced plans to commence two further phases of expansion, which will include the construction of a 30,000-barrel-per-day condensate refinery and an industry park that will accommodate other gas-based firms.
The chairman of Waltersmith Petroman, Mr Abdulrazak Isa, revealed this during a visit of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Saidu Mohammed, to the Waltersmith modular refinery at Ohaji- Egbema, Imo State.
Mr Isa said the firm would develop a gas line that would deliver 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, and provide an embedded captive power, to attract industries to co-locate in the industrial park.
Plans are afoot to conclude the partnership agreement for the condensate refinery by the 4th quarter of 2026, he said, adding that feedstock for the integrated expansions will come from the Ibigwe and Assa fields, as well as from nearby fields.
The chairman underlined the company’s determination to invest in the petrochemical sector, leveraging its access to gas and Naphtha, noting that the petrochemical industry is a key enabler of the economy.
He sought approvals from the NMDRA for the various stages of the upcoming developments.
The visit was to inspect the newly completed expansion of the firm’s refining capacity, from 5,000 barrels per day to 10,000 barrels per day.
NCDMB invested equity in Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited’s modular refinery in 2018 and helped catalyse the investment, leading to the commissioning of the first phase of the plant in November 2020.
NCDMB also participated in the expansion, which is now completed and operational, producing AGO (diesel), Household kerosine (HHK), HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil) and Naphtha.
The refinery has to date supplied over 1.1 billion litres of refined products to local and regional markets, helping to strengthen Nigeria’s and West Africa’s energy security and contributing immensely to the national economy. The refinery supplies most of its products to the South-East and South-South parts of the country, while the HFO gets to the West African sub-region.
On his part, Mr Mohammed expressed his delight at the success of the facility and promised the agency’s support to the company’s expansion plans, saying the midstream sector of the petroleum industry holds the key to the nation’s economic development, adding that the establishment of such projects is the dream of every administration.
He described Waltersmith as an octopus in the midstream sector and challenged the company to hasten the development of the condensate refinery. Mohammed also commended NCDMB for partnering with Waltersmith to develop the project, which had become a runaway success.
The Director of Legal Services at NCDMB, Mr Naboth Onyesoh, who represented the organisation’s scribe, conveyed the board’s delight at the success of Waltersmith modular refinery, describing the company as a model in local content implementation, especially in direct and indirect job creation, capital retention, industrialisation, import substitution and value addition to crude oil and gas resources.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited was bullish last week despite investors’ mood swing, triggered by happenings in the country and across the globe, especially the Middle East crisis.
The All-Share Index (ASI) and the market capitalisation appreciated week-on-week by 3.94 per cent to 225,722.49 points and N145.335 trillion, respectively.
Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of the growth and commodity indices, which depreciated by 0.02 per cent and 0.41 per cent, respectively, while the sovereign bond index closed flat.
A look at the price changes of shares in the five-day trading week showed that
46 stocks gained weight versus 61 stocks of the previous week, 53 equities shed weight compared with 36 equities a week earlier, and 47 shares closed flat, in contrast to 49 shares of the preceding week.
UAC Nigeria led the gainers’ chart after it chalked up 42.00 per cent to trade at N142.00, Union Dicon appreciated by 32.73 per cent to N21.90, NASCON expanded by 32.63 per cent to N206.90, Trans-Nationwide Express rose by 30.58 per cent to N7.90, and Zichis improved by 25.71 per cent to N15.60.
On the flip side, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank led the losers’ group after it gave up 50.79 per cent to close at N9.35, Abbey Mortgage Bank declined by 33.33 per cent to N5.40, Guinea Insurance slipped by 15.20 per cent to N1.06, Stanbic IBTC lost 13.82 per cent to settle at N162.50, and Living Trust Mortgage Bank slumped by 10.98 per cent to N3.65.
As for the activity log, Customs Street recorded a turnover of 3.805 billion shares worth N213.955 billion in 297,202 deals in the week compared with 3.588 billion shares valued at N195.313 billion transacted in 254,553 deals in the previous week.
Financial stocks led the activity chart with 2.739 billion units sold for N106.269 billion in 135,101 deals, contributing 71.99 per cent and 49.67 per cent to the total trading volume and value, respectively.
Services equities traded 212.324 million units worth N4.024 billion in 17,042 deals, and consumer goods shares exchanged 180.076 million units valued at N13.269 billion in 32,457 deals.
Access Holdings, UBA, and First Holdco were the busiest with 814.060 million units traded for N39.032 billion in 37,195 deals, contributing 21.40 per cent and 18.24 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value, respectively.
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