A closed-end loan is a loan given with a specified date that the debtor must repay the entire loan and interest. These loans are normally disbursed all at once in order for the debtor to buy or achieve a specific thing, and often, the creditor gains rights to possess the item if the debtor fails to repay the loan. A closed-end loan is to be contrasted with an open-ended loan where the debtor borrows multiple times without a specified repayment date like with a credit card. Examples of closed-end loans include a home mortgage loan, a car loan, or a loan for appliances.
[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]