Saturday, June 7, 2008

What you need to know: Pros & Cons of Advance Payday Loans

Pros and Cons of Payday Loans
Author: Andrew Bermam

Short term instant loans are known as payday loans. These are cash advances that are to be returned with interest on payday. Within a few minutes of applying online the loan will be approved and you will have the cash within a couple of hours.

Short term instant loans are known as payday loans. These are cash advances that are to be returned with interest on payday. Within a few minutes of applying online the loan will be approved and you will have the cash within a couple of hours.

All it needs is your name, address, and bank details. Most often, the people who advance these loans do not perform a credit check. There are several online sites like http://www.personalcashadvance.com/ that advance up to USD 500 instantly.

Also known as cash advance or post-dated check loans, the borrower can write out a check that can be cashed in on payday and avail the amount the check is for immediately. To get this instant cash the charge for every USD 100 is about USD15 for 14 days only. Any delays means you need to pay the charges once again.

There are both pros as well as cons to payday loans. These loans are at a high rate of interest and are being marketed aggressively through radio, television, direct mailing, and the World Wide Web.

The plus points are:

• If you suddenly need cash for medical expenses or unforeseen emergencies, a payday loan is the fastest and easiest.

• In a financial crunch, a payday loan can help you pay immediately pending bills so that your credit report remains unblemished.

• The paper work is simple and all they require is you name, address, and bank account information. The procedure for obtaining a payday loan is simple.

The disadvantages are:

• You can avail only small amounts. There are limits, some states permit as much as USD 1000 while in others the maximal permissible is USD 300-400.

• If you do not pay exactly in 14 days and need to take an extension then you may land up paying USD 60 for a loan of USD 100. Payday loans are not recommended if you need a large loan or are unable to pay the amount back quickly.

• Although payday loans enable you to access money quickly, in fact, the rate of interest charged is quite high. In fact, long term credit rates are more affordable.

• Often, the terms and conditions may not be clear and you may land up paying finance charges twice or thrice especially if you allow the amounts to be deducted from your salary itself. You must specify that you want the whole amount of the payday loan deducted not just 25% or so.

A payday loan is actually a cash advance against you next month’s earnings or salary. And, today you can apply for a payday loan by fax or email. It is quick, easy, and instant and will help you tide over a tight situation. However, it is important to avoid rollovers as this is a debt trap. Take a payday loan only if you are sure you can return the whole amount as soon as you get paid.

As always even in the case of payday loans you must know who offers the best. Sites like http://www.abcloanguide.com/ give links to payday loan providers; this offers you the convenience of checking out what your options are.