Rehoboth Business Center

On your next payday when you repay the loan, you get the check back. If you can’t repay the loan on the next payday, the lender rolls over the loan until the following payday in exchange for your paying the lender another fee, which will probably be higher than the first fee. Over time, if you keep rolling over the loan and paying higher fees, the cost of the loan skyrockets and you have a harder time paying it off.

Some states have payday loan laws. Contact a consumer law attorney or your
state attorney general’s office to find out if your state has such a law and what your rights are.

• Pawnshop loan: This is a short-term loan (no more than three months, in most states) with a very high interest rate. With this kind of loan, you give the pawnshop an item that you own, such as a TV, DVD player, piece of jewelry, or computer. The pawnshop lends you a percentage of the item’s value. At the end of the loan period, if you cannot afford to pay the loan plus interest, the pawnshop keeps your item and sells it.
• Tax refund loan: Also known as a tax anticipation loan or an instant refund loan, this kind of loan involves borrowing against your future IRS tax refund. Some tax preparers, as well as finance companies, car lenders, retailers, and check-cashing companies, make this kind of loan. Usually the loan will be for no more than $5,000, and it will last for no more than ten days. In addition to having to pay a very high rate of interest on the loan, you must pay the lender an upfront fee, and you must file your tax return electronically to the tune of about $40. So when you consider the loan’s interest rate plus the fees involved, the effective rate of interest you pay to borrow against your own money may be in the triple digits. When the IRS issues your tax refund, it deposits the money directly into an account set up by the lender, who takes its money and gives you the rest.
• Car title loan: If you own your car free and clear, some lenders will make you a loan for a small fraction of what your car is worth. Usually the loan will be for no more than 30 days and will have a very high rate of interest. To get the loan, you must give the lender the title to your vehicle and a set of car keys. The major danger with this kind of loan is that if you miss a loan payment, you risk losing your car. Depending on the loan agreement, one missed payment may be all it takes.