A Paycheck Advance – a New Way to Make It to Pay Day
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
With a sinking economy, many people are finding it more and more difficult to make it to the next payday. Groceries need to be bought and utility bills need to be paid. Sometimes the only way to get through these times is a paycheck advance.
It wasn’t long ago that cash advance offices were in the wrong part of town, frequented by people our mothers told us to stay away from, and managed by individuals we didn’t want to be around in a dark alley. No more! Offices are now managed by business people in suits, and located in the same beautiful office buildings as their where their customers are employed.
Requirements differ from company to company, but the general rules are that you need to be actively employed with a net monthly income of $1,000 a month and you must have a checking account (usually with payroll direct deposit). You can borrow between $100-$1,000 depending on your paycheck, and you need to be able to pay back the entire loan from your next paycheck. Obviously the less you make, the less you can borrow.
Interest rates are about what you’d expect to pay for any unsecured personal loan. You probably won’t find anything less than the 15%-25% for the time you borrow the money (which could be a few weeks), but if your only choice is taking out a loan or having your car repossessed, it’s not much of a choice.
Many paycheck advance companies are online as well, and these loans can be applied for and processed in the privacy of your home. You may be required to fax information such as pay stubs or bank statements, but many companies also offer the option for you to be able to email your documents as well. These companies will electronically credit the money directly into your checking account within one day, and frequently within a few business hours.
Even though you probably won’t need to undergo a credit check, these companies will search a separate database that only lists people who have outstanding paycheck advance loans. These reports will show how many you have open and how many you have paid off (or not) in the past. Having an open unpaid loan will definitely prevent you from getting another.
If you choose to use a brick and mortar location, call first to ask what documentation they may need. The forms to fill out are pretty straight forward, and the entire transaction takes less than a half hour. Some places will give you a check on the spot, and others will still want to electronically credit the money to your bank.
This has turned into a competitive business so do research to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
