A
bridge loan is a type of short-term
loan, typically taken out for a period of 2 weeks to 3 years pending the arrangement of larger or longer-term
financing. It is usually called a
bridging loan in the United Kingdom, also known as a "caveat loan," and also known in some applications as a
swing loan. In South African usage, the term
bridging finance is more common, but is used in a more restricted sense than is common elsewhere.