Friendly Loan

By
Julia Kagan
Julia Kagan
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Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia.

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Updated May 01, 2021
Reviewed by
Thomas Brock
Thomas Brock
Reviewed by Thomas Brock
Full Bio
Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more than 20 years of experience in various areas including investing, insurance portfolio management, finance and accounting, personal investment and financial planning advice, and development of educational materials about life insurance and annuities.
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What Is a Friendly Loan?

A friendly loan is a financial agreement between associates. This type of financing is a friendly loan because the deal is usually made between friends, family, or acquaintances. These types of loan agreements are rarely legally documented, and stipulations are usually verbally agreed upon.

How a Friendly Loan Works

Friendly loans are the most common type of loan agreement, whether it be among friends, family, or work associates. In many circumstances, failure to repay such loans cannot be legally challenged, as most friendly loans are made in good faith between closely associated parties. These loans are also not reported to any credit bureaus and do not reflect on one's credit score.

A personal contact might request a friendly loan as a way to beat the interest rates that financial institutions charge. This can be seen as a benefit for both parties as the borrower can access funding at a discount, and the lender gains an investment opportunity. However, any interest collected by a lender in a friendly loan will likely need to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as imputed interest for tax purposes.

Friendly loans are not reported to the credit bureaus and do not affect the borrower's credit score, but any interest collected by a lender will likely need to be reported to the IRS as imputed interest.

When a friendly loan is offered and agreed upon, it could include a formal promissory note or loan agreement documentation of the transaction. A promissory note would serve as a legal record of the amount borrowed and the terms. It would also state that the borrower would pay back the amount borrowed.

Key Takeaways

  • Friendly loans can be risky and may cause a rift between lender and borrower if the debt goes unpaid.
    Friendly loans are often done between friends and family members. 
  • Drawing up a formal promissory note or a loan agreement is a way to protect the lender if the borrow defaults on the loan.
  • Friendly loans do not show up on credit reports. 

The terms may be more detailed with a formal loan agreement, defining the loan as secured or unsecured. A friendly loan that is secured means there is some form of collateral the borrower agreed would be surrendered if they default on the loan. An unsecured friendly loan would lack such collateral, but if the borrower defaults and both parties sign a formal loan agreement, it could be the basis for legal proceedings to recoup the debt from the borrower.

Special Considerations

Friendly loans can take the form of cash granted to a borrower. This may occur when someone more likely to be approved by a bank or financial institution takes out a loan and then gives those funds to a relative or friend who would not have been approved. One circumstance in which this might be done is when a friend launches a business venture. In such a case, the person who secures the funding and then lends it out is responsible for paying back the bank or institution—even if the friend or relative does not pay back the loan.