借錢給親友的五大黃金法則大綱

Getting hit up for a loan can make you feel like you’re stepping into a minefield. In today’s economy, it’s easy to understand how someone can find themselves in a dark place financially. On the one hand, you want to help out a loved one who’s in need.

當有人向你借錢時，你會感到如踏雷區。在當今的經濟形勢下，要明白他人如何身處財政噩夢並不是一件難事，但另一方面，你也想幫助親近之人擺脫危機。

On the other hand, you’ve heard the stories about loans gone wrong, with friendships ruined and families torn apart. Also, you may be depleting funds that you might need yourself, says Irene S. Levine, Ph.D., psychologist, author and producer of . Even if you’re sure that the asker will pay you back, it’s hard to know if you should proceed.

然而，你一定沒少聽過這樣的事：借錢借出了問題，導致友情破裂，家庭破碎。網站作者兼編輯，心理學博士艾琳•S•萊文表示，你還有可能因此花光自己需要的錢。即使你確信借款者會還款，你也不確定是否該把錢借出去。

To help guide you toward making the right decision, we asked financial experts to share five key things to consider before cracking open your wallet.

爲了幫助各位在打開荷包前做出正確的決定，我們邀請財務專家向大家分享了5點寶貴意見。

Rule 1: Only Say Yes if You Mean It

法則1：想借再借

If you feel guilt-tripped into making the loan by the asker (“I’m desperate!”) or you question your own hesitation (“I must be a bad person or I wouldn’t feel conflicted”), then turn her down, says Levine.

萊文表示，如果你因爲愧疚才借款給請求者（“我走投無路了！”）或質疑自己的猶豫不決（“我一定是個壞人，否則我就不會這麼矛盾了”），那麼就選擇拒絕。

If you do cough up the cash when you aren’t sure you want to, you risk feeling resentful, and that can cripple the relationship before it’s even time for her to repay you. Not going through with the loan doesn’t make you selfish or a bad friend; the response may actually protect your bond, she adds.

如果你在不確定是否想要借錢時勉強借錢給對方，那麼你很可能會感到憤懣不滿，這種感覺甚至會在借款人還款前就摧毀你們間的友誼。萊文補充道，不借錢不意味着你很自私或是一個不合格的朋友，正確的迴應才能真正維護你們間的感情。

Levine suggests graciously declining with a sentiment like, “I’d really like to help, but I don’t have the extra money to loan right now.” If you feel like you need to explain further, mention an unexpected expense you were recently hit with, such as higher health insurance premiums, or something you have to save for, like your kids’ college education.

萊文建議，婉拒對方時需帶着一種情感，比如“我真的很想幫助你，但現在手頭上沒有多餘的閒錢。”如果你覺得有必要再做進一步解釋，那麼可以提一些近期碰上的意外開銷，比如高額保險費，或像孩子的大學費用這類需要存錢的花費。

Offering to help brainstorm other sources for the loan or ways to bring down her debt (if that’s the situation) can be a thoughtful next move. A true friend or relative will be willing to accept no and then thank you for any additional help. If she doesn’t, better that your relationship sours before you’ve forked over any funds.

下一步體貼的做法是，幫助借款者找尋其他借款來源或想辦法減輕其債務（如果這是其面臨的處境）。真正的朋友或親人會接受你的拒絕並感謝你提供的任何額外幫助。如果對方不這麼做，那麼這段友情還是在你提供任何資金前先破裂爲妙。

Rule 2: Lend Just What You Can Afford to Lose

法則2：借出的數額在你能承受的範圍內

Your friend or family member may check all the boxes for being trustworthy, financially stable and reliable, but “things can happen that prevent them from paying you back as originally planned,” says Byron Ellis, a Certified Financial Planner (TM) and managing director at Ellis and Ellis, a division of United Capital Financial Advisers in The Woodlands, Texas.

你的朋友或親人可能會在借錢時向你承諾自己是守信、經濟穩定且可靠的人，但拜倫•埃利斯表示，“可能會發生什麼事導致他們不能按時還款”。埃利斯是一名註冊金融理財師，也是美國德克薩斯州伍德蘭市聯合資本金融顧問公司Ellis & Ellis部門的總經理。

If your loanee does get in a bind, a best friend or family member is going to be relegated to the end of the payback line, “behind the mortgage company, the credit cards, the auto loans, etc.,” says Ellis. Now, imagine your stress level and the tension that would rise between you both if you actually needed that money—and she couldn’t repay you.

他認爲，如果債務人真的陷入困境，那麼好朋友或親人的還款時間可以推到最後期限，“在對方還完房貸，信用卡和汽車貸款等之後”。現在，想象一下當你確實需要那筆錢，但對方卻不能還你時，你的壓力會倍增，兩人的關係也會越來越緊張。

Bottom line: Be prepared for the worst by giving only an amount that, if never returned, wouldn’t jeopardize your own savings goals, bill-paying ability or other relationships.

底線：做最壞的打算，借給對方的錢只佔手頭上的一部分，如果對方不能償還，那筆資金也不會打亂你的存錢目標、付賬能力或其他人際關係。

Rule 3: Create a Firm Repayment Timeline

法則3：制定嚴格的還款時間表

Ten years ago Emily White, 43, lent her younger sister $20,000 to buy a house near their elderly parents, without discussing a repayment date for the loan. “I loved that my sister would be there for my parents, and the idea was for her to pay me back once she got settled and found a new job, since she had moved from out of state,” recalls White.

十年前，43歲的艾米麗•懷特借給妹妹2萬美元，讓她在她們年邁的父母身邊買了一棟房子，但是兩人並未就具體還款時間進行討論。懷特回憶說：“我妹妹爲了父母來這安家我很開心，因爲她從外地搬來，一旦她安頓下來找到新工作就會還我錢。”

But as it turned out, White’s sister appeared to have another idea in mind. “Now she’s been working for years, yet she hasn’t mentioned anything about payback,” says White. “I had no idea we were on a 10-years-and-counting plan. I wouldn’t be upset, but now I’m considering some investments and that money would help.”

但結果卻是，懷特的妹妹似乎心裏打着別的主意。懷特表示：“現在她已經工作好幾年了，對還款的事卻隻字未提。在這個長達十年甚至還會更長的還款計劃中，我感到迷茫。我不是難過，但現在我打算做一些投資，可能會需要用到那筆錢。”

White’s mistake was thinking she and her sister were on the same page when it came to repayment—a situation that could have been avoided if she had a thought-out plan.

懷特犯的錯誤是，她認爲自己和妹妹在還款問題上達成了共識，如果當初她謹慎地制訂還款計劃，上述情況本可以避免。

It might seem too businesslike, but “set specific terms for the loan that everybody can agree to,” says Ellis. “Discuss how much money will be loaned, interest rates and how long they will have to pay it back.” This way, she’ll know when she needs to come up with funds, and you’ll know when the money will be back in your account.

這看上去也許太認真見外了，但是，埃利斯建議：“爲借款制定各方達成共識的詳細條款，討論借款金額、利率和還款時間。”通過這個方式，債務人知道何時需要還款，債權人也知道何時能夠拿回那筆錢。

By nailing down this schedule, there’s also no mistaking this money as a gift, adds Ellis. The loanee also can’t postpone repayment indefinitely and claim she didn’t know you needed it so soon.

埃利斯補充道，確定了這個時間表，對方就不會誤以爲這筆錢是你送的禮物了。同時，債務人也不能無限期推遲還款時間並聲稱不知道債權人這麼快就需要這筆錢。

As Ellis mentioned above, it’s also wise to charge interest and work that into your repayment schedule. Depending on the amount, loaning money can involve complicated tax rules; failing to charge interest might get you in trouble. To avoid this, you may want to charge the borrower the Applicable Federal Rate (APR) as interest.

正如埃利斯以上所提，收取利息並在還款時間表中給與說明是明智的選擇。根據借款金額的不同，借錢也包含許多複雜的稅收規定，未能收取利息可能使你陷入困境。爲了避免這種情況，你需要以適用聯邦利率（APR）作爲利息向借款人收取費用。

Rule 4: Always Put the Loan in Writing

法則4：借款須有書面記錄

Memories fade, priorities get shifted and clashing opinions over what you originally agreed to can cause problems between friends or family, says Priyanka Prakash, a finance specialist at Fit Small Business and a former business attorney.

普里揚卡•普拉卡什現任Fit Small Business的融資專家，也曾是一名商業律師，她表示，記憶退化、重心轉移及對原先共識產生分歧都可能爲自己和朋友或親人間造成困擾。

Another benefit to having the amount and conditions in writing: Drawing up an official loan document makes it more likely that the borrower will take the loan seriously and pay it back on time. “So if you miss a payment, this is the piece of paper that we’ll look at that’ll help us to decide what to do, so it moves the friendship out of the way,” adds Ellis.

借款金額和條件有書面記錄的另外一個好處是：制定正式借款文件會使借款人更認真對待此事並增加按時還錢的機率。埃利斯補充道：“如果沒有收到還款，我們可以根據借款文件行事，這時候就得把友誼放在另外一邊了。”

When registered nurse Lisa Schloeder, 49, decided to help a colleague enroll in a nursing assistant program, she wanted the $1,500 loan agreement on paper. “I saw this woman at the office every day, but I still thought it was best to put everything in writing to make sure we both understood what we were getting into,” remembers Schloeder.

49歲的註冊護士麗莎•施勒德在幫同事報名參加護理員項目時，就把借給同事的1500美元報名費製成紙質借款協議。施勒德表示，“雖然我天天在醫院工作都能看見她，但是我覺得最好還是把各種細節都記錄下來，做到有章可循，這樣就能確保我們兩個人都明白應該做什麼。”

Her foresight paid off. “There was a check waiting for me every two weeks as we had agreed, and I felt great seeing what an amazing nursing assistant she became for our practice,” she says.

她的遠見頗有成效。她說，“就和我們當初說好的那樣，把借款分成幾份償還，她每兩週就會給我支票。當看到她因爲這段時間的護理實踐，變成一個了不起的護理員時，我不知道有多高興呢”。

You can draft a simple personal loan agreement without hiring an attorney, Prakash says. But more complex deals—for example, if they involve collateral or involve more than $10,000—may require a lawyer to be involved.

普拉卡什認爲，個人借款可以不用請律師，只需起草一份簡單的借款協議即可。但是如果是比較複雜的交易，比如涉及抵押品或者金額超過一萬美元時，最好還是請個律師。

Ideally, a loan agreement should be dated and state the loan amount, due date for paying it back in full, the payment schedule and any agreed-upon late payment fee (see Rule 5) or interest. Full contact information for the loaner and borrower and both of your signatures, either handwritten or electronic, are important, says Prakash.

普拉卡什表示，一份理想的借款協議應註明日期和借款金額，債務人全額還清借款的期限，還款計劃以及協商好的滯納金（詳見法則5）或利息。債權人和債務人的完整聯繫方式，雙方的簽字（手寫或電子版）都十分重要。

If loaners need help pulling a formal document together, they can opt to search online for a promissory note template, which states the promise to pay someone back and can help ensure that all the important details are covered. In most states a promissory note just needs to be signed by the borrower to be valid, but it’s better if you sign, too, so that the intent of both parties is clear should you have to go to court, Prakash says.

如果債權人在起草正式文件時需要幫助，可以到網上搜索借據模板，模板注有債務人保證歸還債款的承諾，並確保所有的重要細節都包含在內。在多數州內，借據只要有債務人的簽字即爲有效，但是債權人最好也在其上簽字，這樣雙方的意向都很明確，即使有天不得不走上法庭，也有白紙黑字的證據。

Rule 5: Never Let the Due Date Slide

法則5：不要把最後期限一拖再拖

If your dinero doesn’t show on time, ignoring the lateness or making excuses for not confronting the borrower would be a mistake. She might continue going along as if the due date you set is a loose guideline rather than a rule.

如果對方沒有按時把錢還給你，你還對債務人的拖延毫無感覺，甚至還爲對方找各種蹩腳的理由，這樣你就大錯特錯了。對方非常可能依舊我行我素，把你們說好的還款日期當成是一個隨意的參考而已。

Make it more businesslike, so neither of you feels like you’re taking advantage of the other. “I did this the last time I lent money to a friend,” says Ellis, who suggests putting details about a late penalty in your written agreement; a friend would have to pay the penalty on top of the regular payment. This tactic would hopefully save you from having to send reminders... and save you from regretting your decision to play banker.

所以要更認真對待這件事，這樣雙方都不會覺得自己佔了對方便宜。埃利斯說，“最近一次借給朋友錢，我就是這麼做的。”他建議在借款協議上寫明所有和滯納金有關的細節，如果朋友沒有按時還錢，到時候不僅要還借款，還要再加上罰金。這樣做就免去你每次都得去提醒對方還錢，也避免讓你後悔當初做了借錢給對方的決定。

A five-day grace period, says Ellis, is reasonable before hitting your friend with the fine, since things do happen. If signs are pointing to more serious delinquency—a number of scheduled payments have been missed and numerous follow-up emails or phone calls from you are ignored—it might be a good idea to consult with an attorney. ”If the borrower still doesn’t pay, you can take them to court,” says Prakash.

埃利斯表示，如果朋友過了期限未還錢，在你讓他還借款並支付滯納金之前，最好給對方五天左右寬限日，因爲有時的確遇到些麻煩。如果對方拖欠債務的行爲越來越惡劣，說好的分期還款有幾次都沒有還，並且對你的郵件和電話也置之不理，這個時候最好的辦法就是諮詢律師接下來要怎麼做了。普拉卡什說：“如果這個時候對方還不還錢，那麼就得上法庭了。”

In the scenario where one lump-sum payment is being paid back after a long-term loan, it never hurts to send a reminder email a month in advance of the due date to show her that you’re sticking firm to the terms. For example, “According to the agreement we signed, the loan I gave you will be due on June 15. I’ve attached an original copy, in case you’d like to refer to it. So glad I was able to help my cousin out.”

當長期借款後，對方需要一次性還清債務時，你需要在最後期限的前一個月發郵件提醒對方，展現出你嚴格遵守條款的一面，這麼做一點也不爲過。比如說，你可以在郵件中這麼寫道：“根據我們雙方所簽署的協議，6月15號前借款應當歸還。我已在郵件中附上協議原件以便參考。很高興在我的表親需要時能夠有所幫助”。