Payday to Payday Living

Payday lenders are thriving in today’s economy. This is no small wonder since just about everyone is stretched really tight financially. They may have experienced a job layoff or reduction in hours that makes living from payday to payday barely possible. When something unexpected happens, it creates a hardship.

Very few folks have a pile of cash stashed away for new tires or a root canal. Even so, both expenses are important. Some people can take out an installment loan from their bank or a finance company. But then they are saddled with months and months of installment payments, leaving them stretched even thinner than they were before. To get a bank loan or a loan from a finance company, a potential borrower needs to have good credit.

So what can those people with less-than-perfect credit, or even bad credit, do if they are hit with an unexpected expense? Many are choosing to borrow money from a payday loan company.

A payday loan is a short-term loan that must be paid back on the borrower’s next payday. Payday loans, also called cash advances, have a loan term of roughly 14 days.

The average cost of a payday loan is roughly $15 per $100 borrowed, depending upon the borrower’s state of residence. These charges and interest may seem high, but where else can a borrower get a loan on the spot? Most loans have to go through an underwriting process, a loan committee and a final approval before funding. A payday loan is completed in less than a day.

If a borrower is not able to pay back the payday loan when it becomes due, many payday lenders will allow the borrower to just pay the interest and fees and roll the loan over until the following payday. Other payday lenders will allow borrowers to restructure their payback amount in a lower-interest installment loan with a term of three to 18 months for affordable monthly payments.

Many payday lenders also provide tax services and auto title loans. An auto title loan uses the borrower’s car as collateral and is nothing more than an installment loan. The title to the car is surrendered to the lender until the loan is paid off. Then it is returned to the borrower.