Consider the long-term costs of taking a loan to pay for one day of happiness
The cost of weddings has risen in recent years, leading to couples taking out loans or paying for items with credit cards. Yet starting your married life in debt could be a dangerous financial decision for more reasons than one.
Weighing the Costs
According to a survey conducted by renowned wedding resource site TheKnot.com, the average cost of a wedding in 2015 was $32,641. While some will gladly pay this amount for the wedding of their dreams, most Americans do not have enough money saved up to do so without resorting to borrowing.
In an article on TheKnot.com, contributor Rachel Torgerson advises against taking out a personal loan to finance your wedding, agreeing with financial planners on the dangers of taking on such large debt for one day of your life.
“The problem with personal loans is that most often people are taking them out because they’re trying to spend cash they don’t have. I would also lump in credit card spending here, because I think a lot of people pay for wedding-related things with a credit card and they may or may not have the cash to pay it off in full,” says CFP Laura Lyons Cole, personal finance contributor for financial planning website MainStreet.com.
If you’re considering taking out a large-sum loan, it means you probably don’t have the money to afford such a high-cost wedding in the first place. In general, money and financial stress are top issues that couples will argue over. In fact, studies have shown a high correlation between high-cost weddings and divorce rates.
Additionally, Josephon advises to consider how your ability to put money toward other savings, like a retirement savings account or your future children’s college savings, may be hampered when you start your marriage off with serious debt.
Paying Long Term for a Short-Term Event
With a consumer installment loan, you will be required to make payments for both principal and interest through the wedding loan term, Karimi explains. This means you will end up spending more for your wedding day than the actual cost of the event.
Karimi notes that a $32,000 loan at a 7.5 percent APR would take 48 months to pay off, with minimum payments at a bit under $775 per month-and that’s for buyers with excellent credit.
Even if you can afford such high monthly payments, think of the time it would realistically take to pay off this single-day event. Additionally, you would be carrying debt during a time of major change in your life; you may want to buy a home or a new car, or start a family, and such debt could prevent you from being able to open other lines of credit to pay for these expenses.
Don’t forget that creditors and lenders will look at your current financial standings, including other loans and lines of credit you have out. With a majority of young adults saddled with high student loan debt, their loan amount and interest rate offered will be affected by their total debt.
While you can get a loan with a lower credit score, you will ultimately pay more for it because of higher interest rates. Most financial advisors warn against taking such a loan, known as a bad credit personal loan.
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