Government loans are those that the government of a country provides to the citizens of that country in order to fulfill there needs and for their uplfitment or betterment. This helps in reducing the wide gap between the rich and the poor and streamlines the economy of the country. Government loans almost are for all sorts of purposes like education loan, loan for purchasing a house- home loan, loan for setting a business- SBA- Small Business Loan, purchasing a car, heavy machine etc.

Government loans are broadly divided into two categories- VA and FHA. The former i.e. VA loans are quite beneficial for they require no down payment and mortgage insurance. They are under the sponsorship of the Veterans Administration from where the name is derived. These loans are provided at fixed rates which are not subject to modification. VA loans are meant only for qualified veterans and not to the rest of the public. FHA loans can be given to any qualified person who wants it. They need a little extensive paper work and are most often opted by those who seek to purchase multi family properties since they have a seemingly low down payment.

If we do a comparative analysis of the loans provided by the private companies and banks and those provided by the government, the latter outweighs the former in many respects. The sole motive behind a private bank or company's lending money to people is to earn profits or to accumulate more wealth. But the government works for the noble cause of benefit of its citizens. It does not seek to fulfill any private purpose but the whole idea is to strengthen the country's economy.

It is not that the government unlike any other private company giving loan has no criteria or a set of parameters to adjudicate who all are eligible for the loan they apply for. But this criterion is often a mild one. Government at times gives loan to even those who do not have the potential to repay it. Not just this but in case of any natural calamity or disaster if those who have taken the loan become inefficient to pay it back, the government simply excuses the loan amount.

As compared to the private banks and companies the rate of interest at which the government loans are offered are significantly low. Moreover the government can provide large amount of loan for a considerable period of time. This enables one to have relatively small monthly installments and more security. Private companies in order to make large profits usually charge high rates of interests from their customers. They lure the customers by promising of instant delivery of loan amount at their doorstep and with least documentation. The government loans generally require more documents but that should not undermine their benefits. While going for any government loan the best one can do to avoid running around is to opt for a well qualified agent. These agents do all the official work (like collecting documents, checking and submitting them) by going from one office to another. The finest part is that they are not too expensive and provide you with sufficient knowledge, guidance and service at your ease.

Thus make a prudent choice, take loans through government. They can be of tremendous help since the government is always meant for the welfare of public.

Suresh gupta writes about government loan topics.