mortagesandforeclosures

by Chris A Smith

People have been taking out what we call payday loans since time began. Many times it was called an advance that you would get from an employer. On the seedy side it may have been a visit to the local loan shark. Then there was always the pawn shop where you could hock your watch for a temporary loan. Today and entire industry has grown up dealing only with payday loans.

Payday loans are designed to help out a person who finds themself temporarily short of funds. They are not designed for long term financial committments like auto loans. Typically a payday loan will be less than $1500 and more likely be in the $200 to $300 range. They are short term loans, usually lasting the time between paychecks or 7 to 14 days.

Everyone has found themselves in the position of running short on cash. People with good credit fill the shortage by using their credit card. People with no credit or bad credit use payday loans. On the surface this looks like a legitimate service that provides a source of credit to a population that would otherwise be without credit. Why would anyone think that this service is a rip off?

When a person is charged over 500% APR for a loan, many people will call it a rip off. Consumer advocates say the rates charged are usurous and unsupported. The industry says it needs the rates to cover the 25% default rate and the cost of running businesses in depressed areas. As a practical matter, a payday loan can cost $30 for every $100 borrowed. Couple this high rate with the fact that most of the payday loan locations are in poor neighborhoods, and it would appear that they are predatory lenders.

How do payday loan companies get away with such high interest rates? Who would agree to those kinds of terms? 83% of the payday shops are located within 1/4 mile of distressed communities. Compare that to 51% of credit unions and only 34% of banks. Payday loans can charge that kind of interest because nobody else is serving that community. The poor in this country are sometimes referred to as the unbanked. That is to say the banking industry does little to provide them with the same services as they do wealthier consumers.

The service they provide, small, short term loans is also a product that conventional banks have no interest in. The only thing required to be approved for a payday loan is a verification of identification, proof of income, and a checking account. No credit check is performed so there is no inquiry on the borrowers credit report. Loans are processed typically in a single day and the funds are wired or ACH to the borrowers checking account.

It would not be surprising to discover some banks planning to enter this lucrative market at some point in time. Today however, they do not serve this market in any significant way. Payday loan customers actually see the loans as their safety net. When the $100 utility bill is due four days before you get paid, where else can you go to get the cash to cover it. The $30 that the $100 loan will cost is just the cost of doing business. Paycheck loan customers do not view these loans as an ongoing resource but rather a one time expense.

With unemployment nearly at 10%, payday loans are now tapping into a new market via the internet. Scores of payday loan companies are now reaching the formerly good credit customers who now find that there credit has taken a dive and are unable to obtain conventional lending. Online loans work the same way as the shop loans and are fast, convenient and offer the financial support that is not available otherwise.

As a one time deal to get over a temporary shortfall in cash, the payday loan can be useful if it is paid back in full at the end of the term. Where people get into trouble is they only pay the interest and stretch out the term of the loan. That interest can quickly become more than the loan amount itself. If you are considering such a loan, be sure you fully understand the terms and conditions.

About the Author:

Chris A Smith writes on consumer credit and finance. To learn more about payday loans, debit cards, credit repair, budgets and simple family finance planning, visit http://trycreditfix.com

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