Payday lenders are not the only option for consumers facing debt problems.There are many alternatives to payday loans such as: small savings accounts or rainy-day funds; salary advances from employers; credit card advances; working out extended repayment plans with creditors; and loans from friends, relatives, religious institutions, or social service agencies.  In addition, many lenders have developed lower-cost alternatives to payday loans that have better repayment terms.

A loan is borrowed money which must be repaid in one or more payments. Lenders charge interest on the amount you borrow. This means that you pay back more than you receive. This is how a lender covers the cost of doing business and makes profit. The higher the interest rate, the more you must repay. You should know that the lower the monthly payment, the longer it will take you to repay the loan and the more you will pay to borrow the same amount at the same interest rate.

See the attached guides in English and Spanish for more information.

If you happen to be behind on your payday loans and your checks keep bouncing, you may be worried about facing criminal prosecutions. Some “payday” lenders have been known to call and threaten borrowers to “pay or go to jail.”   As a result many “payday” loan borrowers are terrified by threats of criminal prosecution.  But if you are in this situation, you should not be scared by these “loan shark” threats...

Payday loans are small cash advances, usually of $500 or less. To get a loan, a borrower gives a payday lender a postdated personal check or an authorization for automatic withdrawal from the borrower’s bank account. In return, he receives cash, minus the lender's fees. For example, with a $300 payday loan, a consumer might pay $45 in fees and get $255 in cash.

Many older Americans have difficulty meeting their monthly expenses. A fixed income can’t always cover a senior’s needs, particularly unexpected needs associated with medical problems, home and car repairs, or even an old refrigerator that doesn’t work anymore. Unfortunately, there are few resources to help vulnerable seniors get through these hard times. Affordable small loans are hard to come by. As a result, many seniors end up with very high cost small loans, including payday loans...