How Safe Are Sameday Payday Loans?

Payday loans are so easy to apply for it can feel like a dream, but the high-risk nature of this short term loan can quickly turn into a nightmare.

With potential risks including vastly increased repayments and financial scars which last for years, you must find out all that you can about the safety of applying for same-day payday loans.

If you’re considering applying for a payday loan this is the perfect article for you. We’ll tell you all you need to know about the dangers of payday loans as well as introducing you to the perfect cheaper alternative.

Many people turn to a loan to improve their financial situation but turning to a payday loan can have the opposite effect for the following reasons.

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1. Extremely Expensive

Payday loans have only ever been intended as a short term fix and as implied by the name, should be repaid in full on your next payday.

However, even when used as intended, payday loans are by far the most expensive type of loan currently available.

Martin Lewis from Money Saving Expert states that:

“A payday loan feels easy, but this short term high-cost credit can get you into an expensive nightmare – risking scarring your finances and leaving you repaying many times more than you borrowed.”

For more on this story, please click here.

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Why are they so expensive?

Despite so many payday lenders offering loans, the Competition and Markets Authority recently found that:

“A lack of price competition means that payday loan customers may be paying too much for their loans, according to provisional findings from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).”

For more on their findings please check out – “Payday borrowers paying the price for lack of competition”.

Please Note – Payday loan costs to be capped?

In July 2014, the consumer credit regulator set out proposals to cap the cost of payday loans. We’ll include them in the guide if they go ahead with the proposals, but in the meantime, you can read about what the cap will do in the payday loans will slash costs news story.

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2. Lenders get access to your bank account

The majority of payday lenders collect repayments directly from your debit or credit card. These “continuous payment authorities” or (CPAs) work in a similar fashion to direct debits in that lenders can take payments without checking with you first, the major difference being that CPAs will still be taken, even if this takes you overdrawn.

CPAs are quick to set up – either online or over the phone – but can be much more difficult to cancel. This can result in your finances becoming much harder to manage and charges from your bank if payments are taken without the required balance being available in your account.

If you are having difficulty cancelling a CPA, take a moment to check out the following Step Change article – How to cancel a CPA on a payday loan

3. Payday loans are too easy to obtain

Whilst many people may think that the easier a loan is to obtain the better, this is not always the case. As a general rule of finance, if you cannot afford to repay the loan, you should not be taking one out in the first place.

Because payday lenders skip the credit checks during the application process, they have no way of knowing whether you are in a position to afford the repayments or not.

Check out ‘Payday loans – what you need to know‘ from the Money Advice Service for more information.

 

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4. Payday loans leave an impression on your credit record which is off-putting to future lenders

Many people turn to a payday loan to avoid going into an unauthorised overdraft. Whilst this may seem to be a sensible option, using payday loans for this purpose can actually lead to other problems.

The Financial Ombudsman Service told The Observer that while it has had few complaints about the loans, it has seen evidence mortgage lenders discriminate against payday loan borrowers.

“The number of complaints we receive about payday loans is relatively low but we have had a number of inquiries from consumers who have been told by their lender that previous payday loans they have taken out – and paid off on time – have and will continue to have a detrimental impact on their credit rating.”

Credit reference agency Experian is actually known to list payday loans separately rather than including them in a general overview of borrowing history and some high street lenders may see the fact that someone has resorted to payday credit as a sign that their finances are under pressure, resulting in declined applications.

For more on this story please check out the Observer story – Payday loans can put credit rating at risk

5. Payday lenders can take advantage of vulnerable borrowers

In a practice known as ‘predatory lending,’ some payday lenders have been accused of targeting their products at vulnerable borrowers, such as those on a low income or with limited options.

Failure to make repayments (for any reason) is highly likely to result in expensive charges and spiralling costs, a situation which could have been easily avoided by simply completing a credit check.

 

 

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