|
Internet Payday Loans: Tricks And Tips
By: Joel Walsh
Online payday loans make money available when you need it fast. But many
websites offering these cash advances will try to trick or trap you into paying
huge interest. Find out how to beat online payday loan lenders at their own
game.
When you need money today, and not just a week from today, online payday loans
can be a salvation. But for many people, these loans, also called payday
advances or sometimes just cash advances, have become a nightmare. Here's the
good and the bad of getting an online payday loan:
• Good: applying for a payday advance or other cash loan online rarely requires
a credit check. There's also virtually no waiting to get cash, and no
collateral, down payments, or paperwork headaches required.
• Bad: online payday loans’ interest is close to or beyond outrageous, and the
true cost is often hidden in the language of the agreement. Some payday loans
have charged the equivalent of 600% annual interest!
• Really bad: some online payday loan lenders are not trustworthy. In some
cases, lenders have made unjustified charges to clients' bank accounts. Just
remember: they can take money out of your account just as easily as they put it
in. Anyone can open a website, so be sure to check out the reputation of an
online payday loan lender.
Online Payday Cash Advances: Tricks of the Trade
As with everything else in life that involves money, if you don't want to get
cheated on your online payday advance, you had better know everything you need
to know before applying. Here are some dangers to watch out for:
• Interest and fees. Hit the "back" button when you get to websites that don't
tell you the interest rate and all fees, including late and penalty fees, or try
to hide this information. Legally, all payday advance lenders are required to
provide this information.
• Expensive no-interest loans. Some online payday loan companies offer
no-interest loans for first-time borrowers. These really can be great, but
beware: oftentimes these loans stop being free if you pay even a day late.
• Long-term short-term loans. Payday loans are meant to be short term--a couple
of weeks at most. But many lenders will be only too happy to let you stretch out
your loan's payback date, since it means they can keep charging interest. Make
sure you know exactly how much a late repayment will cost you before accepting
this kind of arrangement.
Beating Online Payday Loan Lenders at Their Own Game: Tips
• Take advantage of no-interest payday loans for new customers, just as long as
you are absolutely sure you can pay them back on time or they'll go from free to
expensive. After all, the biggest risk for any kind of cash advances are the
enormous fees if you don’t pay on time. If you can avoid paying interest, your
problems are mostly solved.
• Make sure your online payday cash advance or loan lender is legit. Check to
see whether the lender is a member of the Better Business Bureau--the site will
display the logo prominently if the business is a member.
• Before you get your payday advance, create a quick budget for how you are
going to pay the loan when it is due. Take into account any additional bills or
expenses that will come up between now and payback day—and between payback day
and your next pay check.
• Mark the payback due date on your calendar, your computer at home, your
computer at work, your cellphone, your refrigerator magnets--you get the idea.
Online payday loans only become risky and expensive when you don't pay on time.
• Compare lenders' annual interest rates and fees. Make sure you know the exact
cost of repaying the loan so you can make an accurate comparison.
You have to do your research if you want to get a good payday loan, but thanks
to the internet, that's one part of payday loans that's actually easy.
About the Author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to payday-loan--online.com. Read his other
articles, with even more secrets on getting a good payday loan online:
www.payday-loan--online.com [HTML publication requirement: use "payday
loan online" as the anchor text/visible link text for the URL:
www.payday-loan--online.com.]
|