Does "I just need enough cash to tide me over until payday." sound familiar
to you? I'm betting it does. We constantly find ads to this effect on the
radio, television, the Internet, and even in the mail. The type of loan being
referred to, of course, is payday loans. And they come at a very high price,
too, by the way.
Payday loans have become a way for people to get fast cash.
Check
cashers, finance companies and others are making small, short-term, high-rate
payday loans that go by a variety of names. Sometimes, they're called cash
advance loans, check advance loans, post-dated check loans or deferred deposit
check loans.
But how do payday loans work? Well, usually, a borrower writes a
personal check payable to the lender for the amount he or she wishes to borrow
plus a fee. Afterwards, the company or the lending institution would then give
the borrower the amount of money in the check minus the fee. The fees charged
for payday loans are usually a percentage of the face value of the check.
Sometimes, the fee may be charged per amount borrowed. For instance, for every
$100 loan you borrow, you get charged a fee of $50.
If the loan is extended, a
process referred to as "roll-over", you are obliged to pay the additional fees
that could incur. So for example, you make an extension of two weeks for your
$100 loan. That means, you pay a total of $150 in fees, provided that one week
equals to a $50 fee.
The Paperwork
Under the Truth in Lending Act, the cost of payday loans, like other
types of credit, must be disclosed to the borrower. Other pieces of relevant
information that you must receive in writing include the finance charge or the
dollar amount and the annual percentage rate or APR. The APR refers to the cost
of credit on a yearly basis.
Fast Cash, High Rates
A payday loan, which is a cash advance loan secured by a personal check,
is a very expensive source of credit.
But despite this, many people still opt
for payday loans. To explain to you just how expensive payday loans can be,
let's say that you need to borrow $100 and so you write a check for $115 which
would pay your loan for up to 14 days. The check casher or payday lender agrees
to hold the check until your next payday. At that time, depending on the
particular plan, the lender deposits the check. You then redeem the check by
paying the $115 in cash.
If you can't make the payment, you can also roll-over
the check by paying a fee to extend the loan for another two weeks. In this
example, the lender charges you $15 as fee and at the same time, the loan costs
you 391 percent APR. If you roll-over the loan three times, the finance charge
would climb to $60 to borrow $100. .
Payday Loan Everything You Should know About a Payday Loan Online Before You Apply
(ContentDesk) August 3, 2005 -- The ads are on the radio, television, the Internet, even in the mail. They refer to payday loans. Check cashers, finance companies and others are making small, short-term, high-rate loans that go by a variety of names: payday loan, payday cash, payday cash loan, payday advance. Usually, a borrower writes a personal check payable to the lender for the amount he or she wishes to borrow plus a fee. The company gives the borrower the amount of the check minus the fee.
Fees charged for payday loans are usually a percentage of the face value of the check or a fee charged per amount borrowed - say, for every 50 or 100 loaned. And, if you extend or "roll-over" the loan - say for another two weeks - you will pay the fees for each extension. Payday loans are relatively small, short term, and unsecured. Consumers apply for payday advance online or by going to there local check cashing shop, with loans ranging from 100 - 800. If approved, the advance loan amount...
Payday Loan Everything You Should know About a Payday Loan Online Before You Apply
Payday Loans - Answers to Short Term and Occasional Problems
Payday loans are an option that can help you get past a minor crisis or unforeseen expense. But before you take advantage of this option, take a look at the long-term cost, conditions and other options.
First, keep in mind that payday loans shouldn't be used to supplement your income. It won't work as a long-term cure. If you find that you're looking for a payday loan before every payday, you need to evaluate your spending habits. Start by creating a family budget and stick with it.
Include as much as possible for savings so that you'll have a buffer when those minor emergencies crop up.
Carefully consider the reason you're looking at a payday loan. Is it something that can wait? It is a "need?" or a "want?" There is an important difference here. If you simply want something, can't it be put off until you can afford it?
Remember that these are loans. They have to be repaid. Often, you write a check for the amount of the loan plus any...
Payday Loans: Opportunity Or A Trap?
Payday loans offer you the opportunity to get the money that you need from your next paycheck today.
This emergency opportunity to get money is not one that should be considered for regular expenses but for those times when something just comes up.
Instead of being late on payments or not being able to get your car repaired, you can use a payday loan to cover your needs until your next paycheck arrives.
The good point about payday loans is that they are easy to get and offer the ability to get money quickly.
Because many people live paycheck to paycheck and do not have a savings, they often need to turn to payday loans for those unexpected monetary needs.
In this case, it is often necessary to get these loans to make ends meet.
But, when these loans are used to pay utilities and other regular payments, you can get trapped in a cycle.
You borrow through the loan for this week out of next week's paycheck.
Payday loans > Payday Loans: Opportunity Or A Trap?