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Our soldiers are poorly paid and some Congressmen are displeased that these businesses are opening stores for the purpose of exploiting our men and women who serve. One aspect of short-term lending that troubles regulators is that many cash advance loan businesses are often found near military facilities.
An excellent alternative for any individual with an infrequent currency shortfall would be to take out a credit card loan in its place. There is typically a small fee associated with a credit card loan, but the rates, which are probably no more than 30% , are immensely more practical than the 400% per year charged by the cash advance store. Different states have already voted for legislation that place rate caps on the interest rates that such lenders may charge their customers and more will certainly follow.
The lenders defend their high rates, pointing out that such costs are essential to protect their costs of doing business and above average default rate. The interest rates charged might not seem like much if you are borrowing a couple of hundred dollars; but the annual rate of interest on such a loan is in fact nearly four hundred percent, making it possibly the most expensive way to borrow money. The rates of interest that cash advance businesses are permitted by law to charge differ from state to state, but a typical value for a two-week loan might be about fifteen percent. The joke in the quick cash industry is that it would basically be wiser to borrow from a loan shark than from one of these state sanctioned stores. Many cash advance customers are blue-collar employees who live from week to week.
It is easy to fall into the trap of regularly using cash advance products, and the rate of interest adds up in a hurry, tuning a convenience into a nightmare. More than a few individuals at such shops are forced to resort to personal bankruptcy in order to get out from under their mountain of quick cash financial obligations. One who is "short" today may also be short two weeks from now, and a debt of a few hundred dollars can rapidly turn into a debt of a few thousand dollars, especially when late fees and returned check fees are charged to the total.
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