Pay Day
Loans come in different forms and some of the most popular ones are the ones
which have an equal repayment option which is spread out over a period of 3
months. These can also be called equal installment loans where the amount of
loan to be repaid needs to be repaid in equal installments.
This type of
loan can be considered as one of the best forms available as it very clearly
states the amount it will debit from your bank account each month and gives you
time till your next pay day for you to credit the amount. The additional
benefit it gives you is that within 90 days, the amount to be repaid over the
next 3 months is an amount that is decided by you and the bank mutually and
only that amount is deducted.
Let us look at a representative
example for the same:
Let us take
that the total loan amount is £200 to be repaid over a period of 3
months. The total amount you will be paying at the end of the 3 months is £298 in 3 equal monthly installments. If you
compare the same to 12 monthly installments, for the same amount, you will end
up paying £387 with a lower APR. This might be attractive because of the low
APR but the amount payable at the end of the year is much greater than in the
case of 3 months.
The Current Scenario:
Let us look at the current scenario
that these companies are in and what implications it has for the customers. Before
we analyze the situation, it is important to make clear that these lending
agencies cannot be compared to conventional banks, as they are dealing with a
different clientele. Let us look at some industry data and interpret it in an
objective manner.
There has been some serious criticism
by various consumer organizations against the practices adopted by these
agencies but it has not resulted in consumers shying away from the products
being offered.
Companies like Wonga have doubled
their profits and converted losses into profits of £84 million in just a span
of 2 years in addition to doubling the number of their employees. This means
that there is an ever increasing demand that is showing no signs of declining
in the near future.
Major Players and their growth:
Wonga is
known to have reported the maximum number of profits in this category. They
have turned their losses into profits literally overnight and have doubled the
number of their employees in a span of one year.
In terms of
turnover, Lending Stream is known to be one of the fastest
growing players in the market. They offer 3 month pay day loans which are known
to very popular as well as 6 month pay day loans which have an APR of 4071%
which has risen from 3378 in one year. Despite its growth, Lending Stream is
known to be one of the very few organizations not making a profit.
The America
owned Quick Quid offers loans upto £1500 at an APR of 1734% and is known to turn over their
profits from £15 Million to £198
million in a span of one year.
It has been found that a lot of the major
banks in Britain are known to invest heavily in this segment and a lot of
American companies that do not have access to markets within the US, are
investing in UK’s less regulated market.
What this means for a customer:
This is an important consideration for
a customer, since he/she should know the growth pattern of these companies and
where they are deriving their profits from. This also very clearly shows the
demand that is stemming from the public for short term loans. Short term loans are becoming far more popular as compared to
the previous years, purely because it states the need to bring the concept of
credit to every single citizen. Not everyone can afford loans and the fact
there are institutions like these that exist shows the need for such
facilities. With this tremendous growth, there is also a simultaneous need to
be completely aware of the various financial products offered by these
companies and choose only the one which suits you most.
Why 3 month pay day loans are offered by many
companies:
3 month pay
day loans are given to
individuals who have a steady source of income and have been consistently
financially stable. These loans are usually offered to people who have a genuine
emergency and do have the sufficient cash at the time of a crisis. These
individuals usually have a good credit history and have known to be
consistently regular with their overall loan repayments.
Similarly, 6 month pay day loans are
also offered with the same idea. Someone with a consistent job and with a
stable source of income would be an ideal candidate for this kind of loan.
Even though the age to borrow a pay
day loan is only 18 and in some companies, 20, the affordability analysis team
is extremely careful with their selection of the loan amounts and ensures they
give a concrete reason as to why their loan is rejected, in such a case. People
who are borrowing loans to supplement their income are usually given the least
time period, so that the risk for the individual also becomes lesser.
Overall View:
There are different types of loans
being offered by various companies and it is important to properly consider
which one you will be most prepared to pay for. Even though there might be a
crisis situation, it is essential you do a thorough check of your financial
situation and think ahead to see if you are in a position to be able to repay
the borrowed amount. The selection of the lending agency in such a case also
makes a huge difference, as it guides you through the entire process in a way
which ensures minimum risk.
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