When you find yourself short on cash to meet your financial obligations or an unexpected expense, a personal loan might be the solution. People take out personal installment loans to cover a wide range of expenses such as emergency items, home improvement projects, debt consolidation, education expenses, or to pay for a vacation. Before you apply for this type of loan and sign on the dotted line, it's important to understand some important facts. There are several places that you can get online personal installment loans, and some may be better than others.