Last Updated October 18, 2023
Personal/Corporate Guarantee
Alternate Names:
A Personal/Corporate Guarantee is also known as a:
- Guarantee
- Guaranty
- Guaranteed Loan
- Third-Party Guarantee
What is a guarantee?
A guarantee (sometimes written as guaranty) is a contract where a guarantor agrees to take on the responsibilities or payments of a debt if a debtor defaults on their loan.
A guarantee benefits both the lender and the debtor. The benefit to the lender is that their loan is secure; it's assured by the guarantor that the money will be paid back. The benefit to the debtor is that they are eligible for a loan that they might not have otherwise been able to receive without the assurance of the guarantor. This is often the case for debtors who have low credit scores.
Who are the parties in a guarantee?
The parties in guarantees refer to the people or entities that have to fulfill obligations in the agreement. In many cases, the obligation is paying back loaned money.
The parties in a personal or corporate guarantee are:
- The lender: the person to whom an obligation is owed (like the payment of money)
- The debtor: the person who has to perform the obligation (pay back the lender)
- The guarantor: the person who agrees to perform the obligation (take over the loan payments) if the person who is supposed to do so (the debtor) fails to perform
What is the difference between a corporate and personal guarantor?
The difference between corporate and personal guarantors is quite simple: a personal guarantor is an individual who agrees to take on the obligations of a debt for a debtor, whereas a corporate guarantor is a corporation that takes on payment responsibilities.
What is a limited guarantee?
In this particular instance, a limited guarantee is a type of guarantee where the guarantor is only obligated to repay a specific amount of the loan for the debtor. In such circumstances, the amount must be clearly stated in the guarantee document.
This type of guarantee is sometimes seen in mortgage agreements where, instead of leveraging their entire property as security, the guarantor is only liable for a portion of the repayment as outlined in the guarantor loan agreement.
A personal/corporate guarantee needs:
- The debtor's name
- The guarantor's information (name, contact info, etc. of the individual or corporation)
- The lender/creditor's information (name and address)
- A statement of any limits to the guarantee should they exist, i.e. a maximum amount that the guarantor is required to pay
- A witness's signature (any individual not involved in the guarantee, usually a notary public)