Don't put it on plastic! Get a personal loan.

It never fails. If your washing machine is dying a slow death, your dryer will experience sympathy pains and your dryer will go deathly cold. If your tires are balding, your transmission will soon slip. How are you going to take care of it all?

If you don’t have the cash on hand, your first impulse might be to put it on plastic. Before you make a move, think about getting a personal loan.

• A personal loan is available for nearly any purpose. Common usages include auto repairs, appliance purchases, home fix-ups, vacations, weddings, medical bills and debt consolidation.

• A personal loan has a fixed interest rates that are almost always lower than credit card rates. Applicants with lower credit scores will likely have to accept higher interest rates, but the same applies to credit cards.

• A personal loan is usually unsecured, so you don’t have to put up your car, your home or any other assets as collateral.

• You can get a personal loan for up to $250,000, depending on borrower qualifications.

So, before you add to your credit card debt, consider this: A $2,000 transmission repair job on a credit card with an interest rate of 15.39% (the current average) will cost a total of #336.26 if paid off in two years. With a 12% personal loan, you save almost $100.

And, if you use a credit card from a big-box home improvement store (currently at 24.99%) to buy a washer and dryer combo, you’ll pay $421.19 in interest if you pay it off in two years. Take out a personal loan instead, and save $226.55.

For help getting the best rate and terms on a personal loan contact America One Unsecured. They’re one of the biggest loan-consulting firms in the country, and have been helping people get the money they need since 1999.