How to Choose Between Installment Credit and Revolving Credit?

Like that found on a mortgage or auto loan, installation credit may be better for those who want fixed monthly payments. It can also be easier to qualify for than revolving credit. Revolving credit permits you to expend funds up to a specified credit limit, repay the accumulated balance, and subsequently re-borrow as needed. It can help—or hurt—your credit score, depending on your spending habits and how you manage it.

Interest Rates

Installment credit typically carries lower interest rates than revolving debt. However, you must be careful not to spend more than your total credit limit because revolving debt can hurt your credit score when your debt utilization is high. Revolving credit mechanisms like credit cards allow you to borrow funds up to your pre-set credit limit, which can then be repaid through scheduled installments over a period of time. It also allows you to earn rewards points with certain cards. Revolving credit can be convenient, but it also has several drawbacks, including high-interest rates and the potential to lead you into more debt than you can afford to repay.

Lenders such as MaxLend like to see you have a mix of credit types: installment loans and revolving credit. However, revolving credit tends to impact your credit scores more than installment debt. A mortgage, car loan, and credit card can improve your score because lenders know you can responsibly manage multiple forms of debt.

Minimum Payments

While it is possible to build credit with both types of debt, revolving credit matters more for your score. This is because revolving debt gives you access to a maximum credit limit that you can borrow from repeatedly, so long as you can pay the amount you charge back quickly. In contrast, installment loans give borrowers a lump sum they must pay back on a fixed schedule until the loan is paid off.

Your payment history and credit utilization ratio are the most important factors regarding revolving credit. The latter is the percentage of your total credit limit that you are currently using, and lenders typically prefer that you use less than 30% of your credit limits.

Payment Frequency

Both forms of credit can either positively or negatively impact your credit score, contingent upon the manner in which they are utilized. For example, with revolving credit, you have nearly instant access to funds up to your limit, so overspending can quickly cause a debt overload that negatively affects your credit score and finances. With revolving credit, your debt utilization (current balance compared to your total limit) accounts for 30% of your credit score. Therefore, if you keep a large balance on one card, it can negatively impact your credit score more than both a mortgage and auto loan put together.

However, if you use revolving credit wisely and pay it off in full each month, this type of debt can improve your credit score. It shows that you can manage a variety of different debt types, and this is an important factor lenders consider when evaluating borrowers for long-term loans like mortgages and car payments. 

Payment Options

Both types of credit can be beneficial tools for borrowers when used responsibly. They can help borrowers build a strong, diversified credit history with on-time payments. This is important because lenders like to see that borrowers can handle various forms of credit like a MaxLend loan.

Revolving credit gives borrowers access to a maximum credit limit that they can borrow against repeatedly as long as they don’t exceed the limit. Credit cards and lines of credit represent the most prevalent types of revolving credit. When used responsibly, revolving credit can positively impact a borrower’s credit score by influencing the credit utilization portion, accounting for about 30% of total scores.

With installment credit, borrowers receive a lump sum to make fixed monthly payments over a specified term. Examples of installment debt typically include mortgages, personal loans, and auto loans. When used responsibly, installment debt can also positively impact a borrower’s score by influencing the credit mix portion of their score.