Recently a new casino (aka ‘gaming facility’) opened up in my area. Since it’s opening, new payday lending stores have been popping up all around the vicinity. Coincidence? I think not.
Payday loans provide the quick cash that fuels a gambling addiction. When the gambler is losing, they can simply head next door to the payday lender, get some instant cash, and head back to the casino to win back their loan and the rest of the money lost, right?
Last week, Vancity (one of the top credit unions in BC) introduced a new product called the Vancity Fair and Fast Loan.
Here’s the good news: it’s a lot cheaper than payday loans. As reported by Kevin Griffin in the Vancouver Sun, “If a credit union member borrows $300 for minimum term of two months and pays it off in two weeks, it would cost $2.20, a 19 per cent annual percentage rate.” Whereas a payday loan from the Cash Store for $300 (with a 14 day term) would cost $69, which is 23% interest on the principal and equates to an annual interest rate of 599.64%.
And here’s the bad news:
We get a lot of great debt questions from our readers. In this post we’re going to share some of the best and most common debt questions we receive, along with our answers, so read on to find out what everyone wants to know!
We look at the real cost of payday loans – how they compare to the cost of other forms of credit, both in the short term and long term, as well as compare the varying cost across Canada. We also look at some intersting stats which reflect on the payday loan cycle, in this eye-opening infographic and blog article. If you are struggling to repay a payday loan, or are trapped in a payday loan cycle, contact SolutionsTM for help with your payday loan debt today.
What is a payday loan?
A payday loan, or payday advance, is a short-term loan of usually 14 days, which you promise to pay back, plus fees, after you receive your next paycheque. The loan is often between 30-50% of the amount of your paycheque.
To qualify for a payday loan, you must provide proof that you have a regular income, a permanent address and a bank account. You will have to sign a loan agreement which states the loan interest, fees, and due date. Most of the time you will need to provide a post-dated cheque for the full loan amount including all fees and interest, or sign a form for a pre-authorized debit of your account on the loan due date.
How much do payday loans cost?
The ‘Alternative Credit Sector’ grew out of the forest of modern personal finance like a fungus that sucks out the remaining life from weaker and dying species. Many as poverty lenders who specialized in poor people who could not qualify for credit from mainstream banking or financial institutions were labeled by the early agents of the contemporary credit society. Harsh and often unconscionable terms for repayment accompanied these loans, with the most notable condition being usurious interest rates – so high and excessive that the loan recipients were assured to remain poor while having their suffering intensified and extended well into the future.
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