Source: moneycrashers.com
Best Short-Term Loans for Bad Credit for 2021
You need cash and you need it now. The only problem is your credit is in shambles, which makes it tough to qualify for most traditional forms of credit. And youâre not necessarily attracted to…
The post Best Short-Term Loans for Bad Credit for 2021 appeared first on Crediful.
Source: crediful.com
What is a Payday Loan?

A payday loan is a short-term loan with a high annual percentage rate. Also known as cash advance and check advance loans, payday loans are designed to cover you until payday and there are very few issues if you repay the loan in full before the payment date. Fail to do so, however, and you could be hit with severe penalties.
Lenders may ask the borrower to write a postdated check for the date of their next paycheck, only to hit them with rollover fees if that check bounces or they request an extension. Itâs this rollover that causes so many issues for borrowers and itâs the reason there have been some huge changes in this industry over the last decade or so.Â
How Do Payday Loans Work?
Payday lending seems like a simple, easy, and problem free process, but thatâs what the payday lender relies on.Â
The idea is quite simple. Imagine, for instance, that your car suddenly breaks down, payday is 10 days away, and you donât have a single cent to your name. The mechanic quotes you $300 for the fix, and because youâre already drowning in debt and have already sold everything valuable, your only option is payday lending.
The payday lender offers you the $300 for a small fee. They remind you that if you repay this small short-term cash sum on payday, you wonât incur many fees or any real issues. But a lot can happen in 10 days.Â
More bills can land in your mailbox, more expenses can arrive out of nowhere, and before you know it, all of your paycheck has been allocated for other expenses. The payday lender offers to rollover your loan for another month (another âpaydayâ) and because you donât have much choice, you agree.
But in doing so, youâve just been hit with more high fees, more compounding interest, and a sum that just seems to keep on growing. By the time your next payday arrives, youâre only able to afford a small repayment, and from that moment on youâre locked into a debt that doesnât seem to go anywhere.
Predatory Practices
Payday loans have been criticized for being predatory and itâs easy to see why. Banks and credit unions profit more from high-income individuals as they borrow and invest more money. A single high-income consumer can be worth more than a dozen consumers straddling the poverty line.
Payday lenders, however, target their services at low-income individuals. They offer small-dollar loans and seem to profit the most when payment dates are missed and interest rates compound, something that is infinitely more probable with low-income consumers.
Low-income consumers are also more likely to need a small cash boost every now and then and less likely to have the collateral needed for a low-interest title loan. According to official statistics, during the heyday of payday loans, most lenders were divorced renters struggling to make ends meet.
Nearly a tenth of consumers earning less than $15.000 have used payday loans, compared to fewer than 1% for those earning more than $100,000. Close to 70% of all payday loans are used for recurring expenses, such as utility bills and other debts, while 16% are used for emergency purchases.
Pros and Cons of Taking Out a Payday Loan
Regardless of what the lender or the commercial tells you, all forms of credit carry risk, and payday loans are no exception. In fact, it is one of the riskiest forms of credit available, dragging you into a cycle of debt that you may struggle to escape from. Issues aside, however, there are some benefits to these loans, and we need to look at the cons as well as the pros.
Pros: You Donât Need Good Credit
Payday loans donât require impeccable credit scores and many lenders wonât even check an applicantâs credit report. They can afford to do this because they charge high interest and fees, and this allows them to offset many of the costs associated with the increased liability and risk.
If youâre struggling to cover your bills and have just been hit with an unexpected expense, this can be a godsendâitâs a last resort option that could buy you some time until payday.
Pros: Itâs Quick
Payday loans give you money when you need it, something that many other loans and credit offers simply canât provide. If you need money right now, a payday lender can help; whereas another lender may require a few days to transfer that money or provide you with a suitable line of credit.
Some lenders provide 24/7 access to money, with online applications offering instant decisions and promising a money transfer within 24 hours.
Pro: They Require Very Little
A payday loan lender has a very short list of criteria for its applicants to meet. A traditional lender may request your Social Security Number, proof of ID, and a credit check, but the average payday lender will ask for none of these things.
Generally, you will be asked to prove that you are in employment, have a bank account, and are at least 18 years oldâthatâs it. You may also be required to submit proof that you are a US citizen.
Cons: High Risk of Defaulting
A study by the Center for Responsible Lending found that nearly half of all payday loans go into default within just 2 years. Thatâs a staggering statistic when you consider that the average default rate for personal loans and credit cards is between 1% and 4%.
It proves the point that many payday lender critics have been making for years: Payday loans are predatory and high-risk. The average credit or loan account is only provided after the applicant has undergone a strict underwriting process. The lender takes its time to check that the applicant is suitable, looking at their credit history, credit score, and more, and only giving them the credit/loan when they are confident it will be repaid.
This may seem like an unnecessary and frustrating process, but as the above statistics prove, itâs not just for the benefit of the lender as it also protects the consumer from a disastrous default.
Con: High Fees
High interest rates arenât the only reason payday lenders are considered predatory. Like all lenders, they charge fees for late payments. But unlike other lenders, these fees are astronomical and if youâre late by several weeks or months, those fees can be worth more than the initial balance.
A few years ago, a survey on payday lending discovered that the average borrower had accumulated $458 worth of fees, even though the median loan was nearly half that amount.
Cons: There are Better Options
If you have a respectable credit history or any kind of collateral, there are better options available. A bank or credit union can provide you with small short-term loans you can repay over many months without accumulating astronomical sums of interest.Â
The interest rates are much lower, the fees are more manageable, and unless your credit score is really poor, you should be offered more favorable terms than what you can get from a payday lender.
Even a credit card can offer you better terms. Generally speaking, a credit card has some of the highest interest rates of any unsecured debt, but it canât compare to a payday loan. It also has very little impact on your credit score and many credit card providers offer 0% on purchases for the first-few months.
Whatâs more, if things go wrong with a credit card, you have more options than you have with a payday loan, including a balance transfer credit card or a debt settlement program.
Why Do Payday Loans Charge So Much Interest?
If we were to take a cynical view, we could say that payday loans charge a lot simply because the lender can get away with charging a lot. After all, a payday loan lender targets the lowest-income individuals, the ones who need money the most and find themselves in desperate situations.
However, this doesnât paint a complete picture. In actual fact, it all comes down to risk and reward. A lender increases its interest rate when an applicant is at a greater risk of default.Â
The reason you can get low rates when you have a great credit score and high rates when you donât, is because the former group is more likely to pay on time and in full, whereas the latter group is more likely to default.
Lending is all about balancing the probabilities, and because a short-term loan is at serious risk of defaulting, the costs are very high.
Payday Loans and Your Credit Score
Your credit will only be affected if the lender reports to the credit bureaus. This is something that many consumers overlook, incorrectly assuming that every payment will result in a positive report and every missed payment in a negative one.Â
If the lender doesnât report to the main credit bureaus, there will be no changes to your report and the account will not even show. This is how many payday lenders operate. They rarely run credit checks, so your report wonât be hit with an inquiry, and they tend not to report on-time payments.
However, itâs a different story if you miss those payments. A lender can report missed payments and defaults and may also sell your account to a debt collector, at which point your credit score will take a hit.Â
If youâre concerned about how an application will impact your credit score, speak with the lender or read the terms and conditions before applying. And remember to always meet your payments on time to avoid any negative marks on your credit report and, more importantly, to ensure youâre not hit with additional fees.
Payday Loans vs Personal Loans
A personal loan is generally a much better option than a payday loan. These loans are designed to help you cover emergency expenses, pay for home improvements, launch businesses, and, in the case of debt consolidation loans, to clear your debt.Â
The interest rates are around 6% to 10% for lenders with respectable credit scores, and while they often charge an origination fee and late fees, they are generally much cheaper options. You can repay the loan at a time that suits you and tailor the payments to fit your monthly expenses, ensuring that they donât leave you short at the end of the month.
You can get a personal loan from a bank or a credit union; whenever you need the money, just compare, apply, and then wait for it to hit your account. The money paid by these loans is generally much higher than that offered by payday loans and you can stretch it out over a few years if needed.
What is an Unsecured Loan?
Personal and payday loans are both classed as unsecured loans, as the lender doesnât secure them against money or assets. Secured loans are typically secured against your home (mortgage, home equity loan) or your car (auto loan, title loan). They can also be secured against a cash deposit, as is the case with secured credit cards.
Although this may seem like a negative, considering a lender can repossess your asset if you fail to meet the payment terms, it actually provides many positives. For instance, a secured loan gives the lender more recourse if anything goes wrong, which means the underwriters donât need to account for a lot of risk. As a result, the lender is more likely to offer you a low interest rate.Â
Where cash advance loans and other small loans are concerned, there is generally no option for securing the loan. The lender wonât be interested, and neither should youâwhatâs the point of securing a $30,000 car against a $1,000 loan!?
New Payday Loan Regulations
Payday lenders are subject to very strict rules and regulations and this industry has undergone some serious changes in recent years. In some states, limits are imposed to prevent high interest rates; in others, payday lenders are banned from operating altogether.Â
The golden age of payday lending has passed, thereâs no doubt about that. In fact, many lenders left the US markets and took their business to countries like the UK, only for the UK authorities to impose many of the same restrictions after a few years of pandemonium. In the US, the industry thrived during the end of the 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s, but it has since been losing ground and the practice is illegal or highly restricted in many states.
Are Payday Loans Still Legal?
Payday loans are legal in 27 states, but many states have imposed strict rules and regulations governing everything from loan amounts to fees. The states where payday lenders are not allowed to operate are:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- West Virginia
It is still possible to apply for personal loans and title loans in these states, but high-interest, cash advance loans are out of the question, for the time being at least.
Debt Rollover Rules for Payday Lenders
One of the things that regulations cover is something known as Debt Rollover, whereby a consumer rolls their debt over into the next billing period, accruing fees and continuing to pay interest. The more rollovers there are, the greater the risk and the higher the detriment to the borrower.
Debt rollovers are at fault for many of the issues concerning payday loans. They create a cycle of persistent debt, as the borrower is forced to acquire additional debt to repay the payday loan debt.Â
In the following states, payday loans are legal but restricted to between 0 and 1 rollovers:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Other states tend to limit debt rollovers to 2, but there are some notable exceptions. In South Dakota and Delaware, as many as 4 are allowed, while the state of Missouri allows for 6. However, the borrower must reduce the principal of the loan by at least 5% during each successive rollover.
Are These Changes for the Best?
If youâre a payday lender, the aforementioned rules and regulations are definitely not a good thing. Payday lenders rely on persistent debt. They make money from the poorest percentage of the population as they are the ones most likely to get trapped in that cycle.
For responsible borrowers, however, they turn something potentially disastrous into something that could serve a purpose. Payday loans still carry a huge risk, especially if there is any chance that you wonât repay the loan in time, but the limits imposed on interest rates and rollovers reduces the astronomical costs.
In that sense, they are definitely for the best, but there are still risks and potential pitfalls, so be sure to keep these in mind before you apply for any short-term loans.
What is a Payday Loan? is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.
Source: pocketyourdollars.com
FHA Down Payment & Rules: Two Truths To Know
If you’re wondering how much you need to put as a down payment on a FHA loan, then you have come to the right place.
The FHA down payment is 3.5% of the home purchase price. This low down payment is very flexible and reasonable for the first time home buyer. To put another way, you’re more likely to save up 3.5% to attain your goal of buying a house than to save for a conventional loan. The down payment for a conventional loan is 20% of the home price.
Check out: 5 Signs You’re Not Ready to Buy a House.
For example, if you see a house that you’d like to buy and it costs $350,000, then a 3.5% down payment is $12,250. That’s the amount you will put down. Also note that you can use other people’s money for that down payment as well (more on this below).
But there are some rules you need to know. In addition to this low FHA down payment, among other things, you need to have a certain credit score.
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What is an FHA loan?
An FHA loan is a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration (hence, the acronym “FHA”), so a lender can offer you a great deal. Your down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the home purchase price, and your credit score can be as low as 580.
Note that the FHA itself does not provide any direct loan. To start a FHA loan application, contact any FHA approved lender. To find an approved FHA lender in your are, click here.
Nor does the FHA set interest rates. Again FHA approved mortgage lenders do that as well. However, FHA loans have better interest rates because the government insure the loans. Click here to compare FHA loan rates with LendingTree.
FHA down payment rules
The down payment can come from any of these sources:
In 2019, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which manages the FHA loan program allowed the 3.5% down payment to come from a third party.
They can be a family member, a friend, a charitable organization or an employer as a gift. So this is good news! That means you don’t have to use your own money, which can significantly reduce your costs.
But if you’re going to use a third party money as your FHA down payment, you must provide a crucial document. The mortgage lender who is going to offer you the FHA loan must obtain a gift letter from the 3rd party who is going to give you the down payment.
The letter must say that the 3rd party does not expect any repayment of the down payment. And finally, the letter must describe the relationship between you and the third party.
Find out if you’re eligible for an FHA loan at LendingTree.com.
Your credit score must be at least 580 for an FHA loan
In other to be qualified to this low FHA down payment of 3.5%, your credit score needs to be at least 580 or higher. If your credit score is between 500 and 579, then you will need to put at least 10% down. To know where you stand, get a free credit score at CreditSesame.
Overcoming the FHA down payment limitations.
Even if the FHA down payment is low, some people can still have a hard time to come with it, especially if they live paycheck to paycheck. If you’re in this situation, and no one else can help you out, don’t panic just yet — your dream of owning a home can still be a reality.
Here are some of the things you can do if you can’t come up with the 3.5% FHA down payment right away:
- Postpone your purchase. If you have difficulty coming up with the 3.5% FHA down payment, you’re most likely going to have difficulty with the extra cost associated with owning a home. So if you don’t want to have any headache, a good option is to delay your purchase and start saving more money.
- Evaluate your spending by cutting back on unnecessary costs. And start saving money regularly from your paycheck, no matter how small. While saving money, don’t forget to put it into a high-interest savings account, where you will earn a higher interest payment as high as 2.20%.
- Increase your income. If your paycheck is not enough to allow you to save up for the FHA down payment, a good option is to make more money. You can do this by asking for a raise at work, pursue another career, obtain a part time job, or get a side hustle.
In summary:
Do you need a down payment for a FHA loan? Yes you do. FHA offers a low down payment and is a good option for first time home buyers with little money. The minimum is 3.5% of the home purchase price. The only loan where no down payment is required is a Veteran loan. But to be qualified, you would to be a veteran or an active military member.
Frequently asked questions:
What is the FHA down payment percentage? As mentioned above, the FHA down payment percentage is 3.5 of the purchase price, provided that your credit score is at least 580. If your credit score falls between 500 and 579, then you will need to put down 10% of the home purchase price. Get your credit score in order by getting a free credit report at CreditSesame.
Can I get FHA down payment assistance? The answer is yes, you can definitely receive FHA down payment assistance through a third party. If you can’t come up with that low 3.5% FHA down payment on your own, a family member, an employer, or a charitable organization can provide you with that fund for the down payment.
What is the conventional loan down payment percentage? The conventional loan down payment is 20% of the purchase price. That’s a lot of money comparing to the low 3.5% FHA down payment. Plus your credit score needs to be at least in 650-750 range to be receive a competitive mortgage interest rate. Click here to compare FHA loan rates with conventional loan rates to find one that suits you.
Related Articles about FHA down payment:
- FHA Loan Requirements& Guidelines
- 3 Things No One Ever Tells You About Buying a Home with an FHA Loan
- FHA Approved Condos: Where to Find Them
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The post FHA Down Payment & Rules: Two Truths To Know appeared first on GrowthRapidly.
Source: growthrapidly.com
Can You Afford that New Car? Here's How to Decide
Are you in the market for a new or new-to-you car? If so, you’ve probably wondered “How much car can I afford?”
While your local car dealership might be happy to tell you the sky’s the limit regarding your car purchase, your personal budget might be telling you a different story. Spending more than you can afford on a car turns that car from a blessing into a burden.
How much should I spend on a car?
Deciding how much to spend on a car starts with knowing your current financial numbers. You'll need to know your current income, expenses, and savings amounts.
Know your numbers
There are several financial factors that can influence how much you should spend on a car. The amount of money you earn, of course, needs to be taken into account.
When determining how much you earn, always use your net take-home pay to start with. From there, factor in the other financial obligations you have.
In other words, look at your budget. If you don’t normally use one, now is a good time to start. Having a clear view of all other monthly financial obligations will help you better determine how much you can afford.
The 50-30-20 budget plan can be helpful. In short, the 50-30-20 budget plan works like this:
- 50 percent of your budget goes toward must-have and must-do obligations, such as housing expenses and child care
- 30 percent of your budget goes toward savings and debt obligations
- 20 percent of your budget covers unnecessary expenses and “fun” money
There are many ways to design a budget, but the 50-30-20 budget gives you a good place to start. It will certainly point out of there are any areas that are totally out of whack.
What do you have in savings?
Having a healthy savings account balance is important when making a car purchase as well. If you don’t have an emergency fund with a balance equal to three to six months’ worth of expenses, building that emergency fund up should be a priority.
If you don’t have an emergency fund with a balance equal to three to six months’ worth of expenses, building that emergency fund up should be a priority.
With an added car payment, having a plush savings balance will help you ensure you can cover the new payment even if you hit a financial bump. Or, for instance, if the car needs repairs.
Determine the total cost of the car
Once you have looked at your budget and determined the amount of money per month you are comfortable spending on a car you'll want to be clear on the total car costs before you make your purchase. Affording a new car isn’t simply about the payment.
There are several other costs associated with car ownership, such as:
- Insurance policy costs
- Fuel and parking costs
- Maintenance and repair costs
You can call your insurance company ahead of time and get a quote for the new vehicle you're considering. If you are still trying to narrow down what type of car you want, check out this list of the most and the least expensive cars to insure.
Call your insurance company ahead of time and get a quote for the new vehicle you're considering.
Fuel costs are fairly easy to determine. A Google search will give you the MPGs of any car you could think of. Compare that to your current car to see if your costs will change.
Maintenance and repair costs can be harder to determine but you can get an idea by using averages across a brand. Here's an article from Autowise that displays the cheapest and most expensive cars to maintain.
Be sure to factor in an accurate estimate of these additional car ownership costs as you determine a purchase price and payment amount you’re comfortable with.
Get the right kind of car loan
Doing your due diligence as you shop for a car loan is important as well. You do not have to get financing through the dealership. You will likely do better getting a loan yourself through your bank. At the very least, have an understanding of what rate you would qualify for before heading into the dealership so you know if they are offering you a fair rate.
Continue reading on Wallet Hacks.
Source: quickanddirtytips.com
Do Personal Guarantees Affect Credit Scores?
Whether you’re a solopreneur launching a start-up or a small-business owner seeking to grow your company, you might need extra funding. And if youâre looking for business loan, you might need a personal guarantee. Does a personal guarantee impact your credit and your own financial situation? Find out below.
What Does a Personal Guarantee Mean?
A personal guarantee means you personally promise that a debt will be paid back. If you sign a personal guarantee on a business loan, you are responsible for paying back the money if the business is unable to do so. The lender can try to collect the money from you, including by suing you.
Why Would a Lender Require a Personal Guarantee?
Personal guarantees are all about reducing risk for the lender. If you sign one, it has two potential entities to chase to collect the loan. First, the lender will attempt to collect from the business itself. If the business doesn’t make payments as agreed or defaults on the loan, the lender will try to collect from you personally.
The benefits to the lender are pretty big. They’re much more likely to eventually recoup their investment, even if your business fails. That means many, though not all, small-business loan options do come with a personal guarantee requirement.
Some factors that can increase the chance that a lender might ask for a personal guarantee include:
- You’re a solopreneur or very small business. In this case, the business’s reputation and credit is likely very tied to your own.
- Your business is new and doesn’t yet have a solid credit history of its own. The lender can’t decide if the business is a good risk, but it can decide if you’re a good risk.
- Your business doesn’t have enough income or collateral. If you’re trying to borrow money to grow your business, it might not make enough money for the lender to seriously consider shelling out funds. But if you’re confident in the growth plan and know money will come in once you implement it, you might put up your own collateral to secure the loan.
How Does a Personal Guarantee Affect Your Credit Score?
Whether or not a personal guarantee affects your credit score depends on the situation. First, business loans may or may not be reported on your credit history.
If you sign as a personal guarantor for a traditional business loan, the loan itself will be reported on your business’s credit report. Timely payments on that loan will help build your business’s credit history. Missing a payment could cause the business credit score to take a hit.
In these cases, your personal credit isn’t likely to be impacted. However, if the business defaults on the loan and the lender comes to you for payment, your credit history could start to take a hit. If you immediately make a payment to catch up the loan, you may not see any impact to your personal credit. If, however, you don’t pay and the account goes to collections, that’s likely to show up on both your personal and business credit histories.
Other types of business funding, including some small-business lines of credit and credit cards, do get reported on your personal credit. This can be a good thing if payments are made timely and as agreed, as you could get a bump on that for your own credit score. In the meantime, however, it does potentially impact your credit utilization ratio and your debt-to-income ratio.
Should You Sign a Personal Guarantee for a Business Loan?
This is a personal decision that depends on a variety of factors, including your confidence in the business. But here are a few questions to ask yourself before you take this action, which can have long-lasting consequences on your own personal finances.
- Do you really need to guarantee the loan? Your business doesn’t need perfect credit to get a loan, and there are many financing options available. Make sure you explore all your resources and understand what they’ll cost you and your business before you decide on one.
- Are you confident the business will be able to handle the debt? If the business is stable and you know it will be able to cover the debt, you have less risk in signing a personal guarantee.
- Are you in control of how the business handles finances? If it’s your business and you’re the one who signs the checks, you can make sure the bills are paid on time. If someone else is handling the accounting, you may want to be wary about signing a personal guarantee.
- Can you afford to take the hit if the business fails? There’s no such thing as a sure deal, and you can’t assume the business will 100% make it. That means you need to be able to make good on the debt yourself in a worst-case scenario without giving up your personal financial stability.
The Bottom Line
Ready to get that business loan? If youâve thought it outâand analyzed your personal financial situationâstart shopping for options today. If youâre wondering where to start, check out the business loans at Credit.com. You can compare rates and requirements, so you can find the right business loan for your needs.
The post Do Personal Guarantees Affect Credit Scores? appeared first on Credit.com.
Source: credit.com