What is a payday loan?
15. srpna 2011 v 8:23
Unless you've been living in a cave in recent years, payday loans won't have escaped your notice. With lenders engaging in a fierce battle of advertising campaigns and the national media also paying attention, they have become a poignant and, at times, controversial reflection of the recession.
Whatever your beliefs on payday loans, a recent Commons debate on them suggested that a lot of people who take them out or consider taking them out know little about what a payday loan actually is, and how they work.
In that spirit, here's what payday loans are, how they work and who they are for.
What are payday loans?
In essence, payday loans are a short-term and high-interest lending solution, designed specifically to bridge the gap between an empty bank account and payday for those months when you have more month than money.
They could be useful, for example, if your car was to suffer some mechanical fault a few days short of payday. You might think of them as an advance on your salary, which you know you will be able to pay because you know the money is just a few days away.
Payday loans are usually for between £100 and £1000, and in the short term have no bearing on your credit rating.
What payday loans are not is a long-term lending solution to be used for day-to-day expenses and bills.