Personal loans are unsecured loans offered by a number of lenders, from High Street banks and Building Societies to Internet lenders and even credit unions.The interest rates charged on loans can vary quite a bit from one lender to another, so the first thing to keep in mind that the is well worth shopping around to get the best deal.Another thing to remember is that repayment periods can vary from one lender to another. Most lenders offer repayment terms of between one and five years.