Payday loan lenders get lots of negative publicity with their short-term high interest loans. The reports concern themselves with predatory lenders feeding off the financially vulnerable and addressing the debt which can accrue when these high interest loans are not paid off on time.
Often, the interest of a payday loan will be compared to that of credit cards. When side by side, the difference is staggering. I wonder if the total amount of debt owed to credit cards compared to payday loans would offer such a shocking realization. The large corporations are the credit card businesses. Given the amount of debt owed each year with interest, an individual would be paying a large portion towards this debt.
Payday loan lenders are regulated by the states. Loan and interest caps keep the majority of the market on an even competitive field. There are some states which will only allow a person so many loans out at a time. Credit cards have no regulations; in fact, an individual could have multiple credit cards with the same lender. The payments are broken up between the different account numbers and interest rates are attached to each one. Are multiple low interest rates much different than one high interest rate? At least direct payday loan lenders will only be loaning small amounts where credit balances can run in the thousands.
How many people get offers in the mail to open new credit accounts? How about email offers? Setting up a payday loan store in a neighborhood may provide a convenient location for customers to take out a loan, but at least the payday lenders are not knocking on the front door of homes like card offers sent by mail.
Take out a payday loan online or from a storefront and you will be notified of all fees and interest rates which will be or could be attached through the term of the loan. A credit card company will do the same with an additional clause allowing the company to change the interest rates without prior notice. A credit card's interest rates will not stay at the low sign on rate due to end of promotion. They will also change during the promotion if the payments are not paid on time.
Another big money trap which keeps numerous people providing the company with yearly revenue is the fact that when payments are made, there continues to be an available balance. Borrow $200 from a direct payday loan lender and pay on that amount plus fees. There is no other spending option unless you apply for an additional loan. A credit card will offer a balance which you can charge against, make payments on and continue charging. Setting people up to fail by allowing continuous third party money to spend is a big debt trap which has captured many consumers into credit card debt.
Personal responsibility to control how much money gets spent and where, ultimately falls on the customer's shoulders. It takes effort to keep debt from unnecessarily piling up. There are many options which can be used to help control falling into large debt. Find the solution which fits your personal situation the best. Credit cards and payday loans are options, but not the only ones. Both have helped consumers take care of finances and both have caused increased debt. Looking only at the amount of interest to make a decision may not be the variable to focus on in your particular situation.
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