If you find yourself in a financial bind and need money fast to fix your car, buy a new appliance, or maybe pay an unexpected medical or home repair bill, you may decide to use the services of a payday lender. However, since these loans come with extremely high-interest rates and very strict conditions regarding payments being made on time, you need to select the right lender. In 2023, here’s how to find the best payday lender.
Compare Different Lenders
Whether you are searching online or using your phone book, never simply go with the first payday lender you happen to find. As you start searching for payday lenders, you should immediately notice there are at least several in your community, not to mention the many that can be found online.
When comparing various lenders, things you should look at include the interest rates they will charge for their loans, how long it will take for you to get your money, and if the loans come with any additional fees or other charges that could make them difficult for you to pay back on time.
Make Sure They Are Licensed
As you start to narrow down your list of payday lenders you are considering, always make sure they are licensed. Very often, con artists will set themselves up to appear as legitimate payday lenders, promise you a set amount of money, then ask you to first pay them various charges or fees prior to getting your loan. Needless to say, once you hand over your money, the crooks fail to do likewise regarding your loan.
Look Over Online Reviews
It is always recommended that you look over online reviews prior to signing on the dotted line with any payday lender. When you do so, it may become obvious very quickly that certain lenders have had their share of problems with current and past customers. If you find a lender you want to use for a loan, contact the Better Business Bureau first to find out more about them, especially if the lender has had recent complaints filed against them regarding their lending practices.
Only Borrow What You Can Pay Back On Time
When you are deciding how much money you need to borrow from a payday lender, keep in mind that you should only borrow the least amount of money required to handle your financial emergency. Also, while you may be tempted to borrow the maximum amount, only borrow what you know you will without a doubt be able to pay back on time.
If you borrow more than you can afford and the high-interest rates kick in, expect the lender to become very aggressive in terms of their collection efforts, which may include calling your personal cell phone number, trying to contact you at work, and maybe even showing up in person at your home or workplace in an attempt to collect. Should you get in over your head, remember that payday loan consolidation companies may be able to help.
Check For A Physical Address
Under no circumstances whatsoever should you ever try to do business with a payday lender that does not have a physical address for its business. When a lender uses only a P.O. Box or simply a website for its payday loan business, it is virtually certain this is a scam and should be reported to the BBB as soon as possible.
Read The Loan Agreement
Though it may take you some extra time to do so, never take out a payday loan without first reading the terms of your loan agreement. Since there are usually some differences from lender to lender, never just sign on the dotted line and hope for the best. Since many payday lenders count on their customers not reading the fine print, this is often where they place information about various fees and charges that will be added to your loan, along with information about actions they may take against you if you are unable to repay your loan according to the terms of your agreement.
Conclusion
If you must use a payday lender, keeping these tips in mind in 2023 will make the process easier and give you much-needed peace of mind.
