Are There Advantages To Payday Loans?
Payday loans have gotten a lot of bad press and to be honest most of the bad press is well deserved. These high interest short-term loans can lead unsuspecting borrowers into debt extremely quickly. A debt that due to the rollover interest that builds up can be difficult to get out of. That being said there are some advantages to payday loans if used correctly by savvy people.
First off, a payday loan can come in handy when a real emergency crops up and you need money quickly. Applying for a loan at a bank even a small one can be a long drawn out process which isn't going to help much when you need money today. A payday loan on the other hand can be secured within 24 hours providing that you qualify, which is usually pretty easy to do as long as you have a job from which you collect a steady paycheck.
Second a payday loan may be the only option for people with bad credit. With the economy in such a slump most lending institutions have tightened their requirements for giving out loans which means that someone with bad credit may not even be able to get a small loan in the case of an emergency. Payday loans on the other hand rarely look at credit. Since you write a check in advance most payday lenders are only concerned with whether or not you get a paycheck and if so, if that paycheck will cover the loan plus the high interest rate these lenders charge.
Of course being able to get a loan and get it quickly is only an advantage if the current situation is going to allow you to payback that loan with all the interest on time. If you simply need to borrow a small amount for a few days or a week in an emergency situation and your paycheck can cover the amount of the loan and interest and leave you enough to manage on then being able to secure that loan is definitely an advantage.
However, these advantages are only advantages if you use those payday loans sparingly and only in a true emergency. For people who find themselves relying on these loans week after week or pay period after pay period to just get by then any advantage these types of loans offer are going to fall by the way eaten up by the continually high interest rates.
While payday loans do have some advantages those advantages are far outweighed by their disadvantages in most instances. While they do offer an option to people who have no other means of getting money quickly in case of an emergency they should never be used on a regular basis. Never use a pay day loan as a means to get money to purchase something you want, but don't need. If that is the case it is better to save the money for the item than rely on these loans as the interest that is attached to these loans can really add up.
Using a payday loan only when you really need it is the only way to reap the advantages that these loans offer without incurring the painful disadvantages that can lead to financial hardship.