 TITLE: Secured vs. Unsecured Loans: What You Need to Know CONTENT: What Is an Unsecured Loan?\n--------------------------\nUnsecured loans don't involve any collateral. Common examples include credit cards, personal loans and student loans. Here, the only assurance a lender has that you will repay the debt is your creditworthiness and your word. For that reason, unsecured loans are considered a higher risk for lenders.\nYou'll generally need a strong credit history and a higher score to qualify for an unsecured loan. Unsecured loans typically come with higher interest rates as well: Think of the difference between the average mortgage rate and what you might pay annually on a credit card. But with an unsecured loan, you aren't risking any collateral—and that may counterbalance some of the additional risk you shoulder when you take on high-interest debt that will be more difficult to pay off. END