Are Payday Loans Right For You?

Summary: Americans have always been lectured on credit, especially the evils of credit. This lecturing is usually done by consumer groups, charitable organizations, banks and government agencies. Some of these groups are totally divorced from the everyday lives of normal Americans, while others are responsible for running up debts measured in billions of dollars. Sensible Americans have usually taken this advice with caution, and gone on to make informed decisions on their credit need...

Americans have always been lectured on credit, especially the evils of credit. This lecturing is usually done by consumer groups, charitable organizations, banks and government agencies. Some of these groups are totally divorced from the everyday lives of normal Americans, while others are responsible for running up debts measured in billions of dollars. Sensible Americans have usually taken this advice with caution, and gone on to make informed decisions on their credit needs, taking into account their own circumstances and ability to repay such credit. Faxless payday loans are now a fact of everyday life. Like all new products on the market, when they began, they attracted a fair share of 'quick buck' merchants. This is inevitable in any emerging market. But with time, and the emergence of ethical, customer orientated companies, and with State and Federal regulation, this market is now considered mainstream and is used by mainstream Americans. Online payday loans, as most of the providers explain, are short term small consumer loans. They are designed for short term cash outflow problems and are not designed for long term loan commitments. Most consumers know this, and treat them accordingly. Looked at in coldly clinical terms, yes, their APR is high, varying from 250% to 500%. But normal people do not think in APR terms, they think in dollar terms. They can see that a long term loan at 500% is financial suicide, but they can see that a two week loan at $15 per $100 borrowed is a totally affordable short term solution to a short term problem. If the alternatives are taken into account, bank charges for bounced checks or late payment, embarrassment and damaged credit ratings, then an online payday loan can be looked on as a normal, mainstream option to normal mainstream problems that arise every day. Unlike the 20th Century loan shark customers, Faxless cash advance customers are considered part of what consumer advocates consider the financial mainstream. Also, unlike loan sharks, payday companies do not target the poor, jobless vulnerable people. To qualify for such a loan you must have a job, you must have a minimum monthly income and you must have a checking account in good order, in other words, be part of today's financial mainstream. Half such borrowers come from households with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000 a year, according to an industry-funded study conducted by Georgetown University's Credit Research Center. A quarter make more than $50,000 a year, and a quarter less than $25,000. These loans are now just one of many credit products available to Americans. Used sensibly, for what they were designed for, they can save you a lot of hassle, embarrassment, protect your credit rating, and indeed can save you money.