Loan Against Shares

How Loan Against Shares Works

Key features of Loan Against Shares

Below are some of the key features of loan against shares –

• Loan value is a certain percentage of market value of shares held in demat form
• Securities eligible for loan against shares are – equity shares, ESOPs (Employee stock options), preferential shares, any other form of equity
• Shares have to be marketable, transferable and liquid
• Client master list must be pledged with the bank
• Repayment flexibility is available on these loans
• In the event of default, the underlying shares will be sold off to settle the loan in full

Benefits of Loans Against Shares

The benefits of offering shares as security are –

• Lower interest rate as compared to personal loan
• Easy and quick processing of loan
• Market value of share is easily determined
• Easily available with nationalized banks and financial institutions
• Flexible repayment schedule
• Loan is available as demand loan or overdraft facility
• Incase of overdraft facility, the borrower has to pay interest only on the withdrawn amount and for the period withdrawn
• Eligibility of loan is not dependent on credit score of the applicant

Eligibility and purpose of Loan Against Shares

The loan is available for individuals above the age of 18 years. The shares which are to be pledged should be in demat form. The loan should be availed in the name of the demat holder. In case of joint holding of demat account, the loan can be borrowed in either of the names.

The loan is typically for short-term and the quantum of loan is dependent on the market price of the shares. Most banks offer 50% of the given market price as on the date of borrowing. If the market value of shares pledged inches closer to the loan value, the bank may request for additional shares as pledge or sell off the holding and close the outstanding loan in full. These loans can be used for a variety of needs such as vacation, education, medical expenses etc. Further, they are also used for public offer subscription, subscription to rights issue, other investment etc. The overdraft facility works well for those expenses where the exact cost cannot be determined.

Documents required for availing Loan Against Shares

These loans are extended without much hassle, since there is underlying collateral in the form of shares. The following documents have to be submitted to avail loan against shares –

• Duly filled application with photograph
• Self-attested income tax return for past 2 years
• Self-attested bank statement of last 3 months
• Client master list for relevant demat account (for digitized securities)

Digitized Loan Against Shares

Shares are held in digital format in demat accounts, hence, availing digital loan is simple and easy. Internet banking facility is necessary to avail this loan. This method of availing loan is also called online loan against shares. There are no processing charges applicable. The process requires minimal documentation, if the demat account is held within the group of companies, then the process becomes even more simpler. For e.g. If borrower has ICICI Direct, then the loan against shares is applied with ICICI Bank, there is no document verification involved in such a case.

The borrower can get instant online loan against shares by following 3 easy steps.

This is a paperless process and requires internet –

• Login through Net Banking and choose the shares against which loan is required
• Accept the agreement by providing one-time password sent to the registered mobile number
• Pledge shares with National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) & Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) online 

On completion of these steps, the loan against shares is credited to the overdraft account. The funds can be used at the discretion of the individual.

Benefits of online Loan Against Shares

This process has rendered the entire borrowing against shares hassle-free and paper free. It is faster and automated completely. The key benefits of online loan against shares are –

• Access to loan anywhere and at anytime
• Renewal of loan can be automated by checking the relevant data online
• No prepayment penalty involved in loan against shares (Part payment and foreclosure)
• Wide list of approved securities
• Interest payable on funds utilized and for time utilized
• Nil processing fee applicable on these loans
• Lower interest rate as compared to personal loan

Loan Against shares vs. Personal Loan

The loan against shares and personal loans can be used for short-term fund requirement. Loan against shares is a good alternative to selling off shares at lower price. Loan against shares are secure loans and hence, they can be availed fast and with limited documentation. Personal loans are unsecure loans and hence, the processing takes longer. The documentation and approval processes are long drawn. Also, the interest rates of personal loan are the highest among all types of loans offered by the bank. Loan against shares offers the flexibility of paying uneven installment over the tenure of the loan, whereas, personal loans have a fixed EMI schedule. There are penalty or charges levied on pre-closure or part payment in the case of personal loans. Loan against shares do not have any penalty or charges.

They can be used for short-term needs and those needs where the exact cost is unknown. The loan offers flexibility of repayment and can be aligned to the cash flow of the borrower. Loan against shares is the best alternative instead of selling them at lower rates.