Financial history and credit score are very important to most people. It’s the life blood of the economy and having the ability to have credit extended to a person is a good thing and one that many don’t want to give up.  However, there are times when people need to use forms of credit that are not so favorable and have terms that are considered harsh for most people.  Payday loans have gotten a lot of press lately and critics argue that they put people into a cycle of debt that traps them financially.  The following are some tips to help people so that they don’t get caught in a financial trap.
Continue reading…

Defaulting on any loan is bad news and reflects negatively on a person’s ability to re-pay debt, but not all lenders report defaulting loans or local laws prevent them from doing so.  However, people have to know that there are many consequences to defaulting on cash advance payday loans and that these loans should be taken seriously in order to avoid further headaches, fees, and negative credit history.   We’ve had people ask us, “what if I default on my payday loan”, what do I do?
Continue reading…

There is a lot of political debate as well as power teetering about payday loans these days and whether or not to continue regulating them, ban them altogether, or make a reasonable way of tracking and distributing these funds so that people don’t find themselves in trouble.  The key argument is that these loans pray on low income people and put them into a cycle of debt that makes it hard to get out of.  The opponents say that this cycle to often leads many to bankruptcy, but can payday loans put you into bankruptcy?

The Consumer for Responsible Lending seems to believe so and they support a campaign Federally to cap payday loans at 36%. 
Continue reading…

Cash Advance Reviews has a new forum, and we are looking for questions, comments, and general thoughts about cash advances and payday loans.  The forum is open to all and we are encouraging lenders, borrowers, critics, and others who would like to weigh in on this topic to register for free and join the discussion.  The following are some ways you can use the new Cash Advance Forum.
Continue reading…

Cash advance loans are very popular these days.  Both consumers trying to get cash loans, and critics trying to get them regulated.  Both sides have been making points and arguments that are both for and against short term loans. Short term loans are usually loans that are paid back within a couple of weeks, or the next payday.  Thus the reason short term loans are often called cash advance payday loans.  These loans are setup for a small amount, and the money needs to be paid back in full within the short period allowed.  Typically, these loans have a set fee with them, and they don’t charge interest.
Continue reading…

Cash advance loans, or sometimes referred to as payday loans, are short term loans that are usually paid back within a couple of weeks and have one or two payments only.  These loans can be helpful for people that need cash in a hurry and either can’t or don’t want to go through traditional loan methods, where credit is checked, and installment payments are made.  Typically, short term loans are used for emergency situations or bills that come up last minute and can break one’s budget.  There isn’t any interest on these loans, rather a fee, and the fee is usually capped at $15 per $100 borrowed in most states. 
Continue reading…

Getting a personal loan can be a stressful and difficult process.  There are papers to be filled out, information to verify, and money to be exchanged, and with so much going on it’s not wonder that people have questions.  For example, there are many types of personal loans, but how does one know which one is right for them, as well as how much do you have to make for a personal payday loan.

This question really depends on what type of loan a person is looking for. 
Continue reading…

Many people today are finding themselves in a cash crunch. With so many people trying to get cash and loans and many banks not willing to loan money at this time, it’s no wonder that Americans are forced to look for alternative sources of funding like payday loans or cash advance.  These loans are typically smaller, short term loans, and usually don’t have the same requirements or procedures in order to get obtain one.  The fact is that these loans are appealing to many people because they don’t require credit checks, most of the time no employment verification, and money is deposited directly into a bank within hours.
Continue reading…

The Obama administration announced Thursday April, 23 2009 that they will be looking into credit card companies and trying to put in place some legislation that will help to curb some of the fine print, unannounced interest rate changes, and yes the biggest headache for many Americans, the high late fees that are charge to accounts with a payment due that is 3 times less that the fee charged.  All we can say is that it’s about time.
Continue reading…

It seems everyone is trying to grab headlines these days, but its one thing to promote a point of view, and quite another to outright mislead people about it.  However, that is exactly what the CRL (Center for Responsible Lending) is doing.  In a recent article posted by the Earthtimes (read it here), they provide details and points that are very accurate and reflect the true structure of short term loans as well as provide many detailed points about why the CRL is misleading people with the press releases.
Continue reading…

This question was presented to us today via Twitter from @steverhode and he wanted to know why payday loan lenders don’t work with debt relief companies or debt management companies.  This is a good question and one that probably gets asked quite a bit so we thought we would take the lead on this topic and try to answer it the best we can.

This can be explained quite simply that payday loans do no have installment payments, revolving plans, or long term credit, and therefore don’t fall under the same guidelines as long term loans.
Continue reading…

There have been many new laws and regulations either proposed, passed, in or in debate over short term loans, often called payday loans.  Many of the people that are bringing up the new laws and debate say that these loans lead to a ‘cycle of debt’ that cannot be broken and eventually lead people to bankruptcy.  However, contrary to popular belief, and to those that are trying to bring this debate to light as well as give it merit, short term loans do not lead to a ‘cycle of debt’ and that they don’t lead to bankruptcy.

A recent study that was conducted over a 6 year period from 200o to 2006, using state data from 1990 to 2006, by Clemson University and others, concluded that short term loans are not the cause of bankruptcies. 
Continue reading…

I read a blog post today that was so incorrect that I had to write a comment about it.  The blog post was trying to say how payday loans are bad for people, yet they were putting affiliate links on the post to get a payday loan.  How hippocritical can a person be to say that they are bad, and then turn around and promote them to make money on it.
Continue reading…

Despite its association with death, taxes aren’t always that bad. A few of us even get quite a bit of money back come tax season. And at the very least there are ways to curb the eventual April blow by planning ahead. Oftentimes, the ways in which people can offset taxes are financially beneficial as well. As cumbersome as tax planning is, there are a few basic ways you can learn to save before you’re pouring over old receipts at the 11th hour…

Taking a Bite Out of Tax

1. Reduce Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) – While parting with hard earned money in any form is difficult and frustrating , setting a portion of your income aside into tax deductible plans will help soften the ultimate tax blow. The reality though, at least the taxable reality, maintains the more one makes, the more the government taketh away.
Continue reading…

Saving for your Financial Future Avoids Credit Repairs

We have heard it throughout our lives: “save, save, save”, but in this day and age, putting money into a savings account is not necessarily the way to ensure your financial future. What you need to do is get your money to work in making more money for your future. The options for making money are endless. Today, just placing your money into a savings account and let it accrue some interest will not increase your savings. If you want to make sure that your financial future is secure, you must look into other options such as CDs, stocks and bonds, mutual funds and other types of investments including real estate options. These options will bring you a greater return of money into your pocket.

You can never start too early when planing for your financial future. In fact, the earlier you start, the more likely you are to be able to reach your overall financial goals. But, sometimes getting started is the hard part. If you are having trouble deciding what would be the best way to invest your money, then talking to a financial planner is a must. A good financial planner will inform his or her clients of the investment opportunities available.
Continue reading…