3 Month Payday Loan

About 20 years ago, there was a new financial product that was being retailed in the name of payday loans which was a simple concept in practice. It allowed a certain sum of money to be paid to a borrower in exchange of a post-dated check in collateral. This check guaranteed the repayment of the loan amount. Now this service is being used by millions of people across the globe, where they are paying an average of 525 pounds for an average credit amount of 375 pounds. The difference in the amount is the exorbitant fees that are charged by almost all payday lenders. Payday Loans come in many forms including 3 month payday loans, 6 month payday loans and other types of equal installment loans.

The reason why 3 month payday loans and other options were made available is because the two week time period associated with these loans was what was causing financial distress amongst the borrowers. It was observed that the repayment of the loan with the interest fee consumed almost one third of a borrower’s income, leaving him with no choice but to renew his loan or borrow once again.

There are some facts that have been collected over a certain period of time and which give us a fair idea of the on-ground reality.

·         It has been estimated that over 12 million people use payday loans in all its forms, annually.

·         Although payday loans are considered to be short term solutions for unprecedented expenses, this is not the reality. Borrower’s spend at least 525 pounds on an average by way of interest and are in a state of debt for at least 5 months in the year. Almost 70% of the borrowers use these loans for paying off their bills whereas only about 15% use these loans for unprecedented expenses.

·         Almost 50% of the times that payday borrowers take out a loan, they are in some sort of financial trouble and have a problem meeting their monthly expenses.

·         Payday loans are in general unaffordable. There have been several studies which have proven that a majority of the payday borrowers are able to afford only 40 pounds on an average with the time period of two weeks and only about 16% are able to afford the average lump sum amount of 400 pounds.

·         More than 40% of the payday borrowers require some kind of financial assistance in the form of a tax refund or help from friends and family to pay off the payday loan.

·         If payday loans didn’t exist, a majority of the borrowers have said that they would cut back on their monthly expenses, would not delay paying their bills and look at less risky forms of credit such as selling or pawning possessions. This number represents a staggering 80% of the borrowers.

·         In states that have restricted laws pertaining to the freedom of payday lenders, there is an evident net decrease in payday loans. Rates of online borrowing also go hand in hand with the laws pertaining to payday lenders store fronts.

·         There is a conflict of interest when it comes to borrowers regarding payday loans, as a majority of the borrowers say that payday lenders have taken advantage of their financial situation and there are also a majority of them that say that they have provided relief. This has been shown in 2 independent studies.

·         The verdict though is unanimous. More than a majority of the borrowers feel that the regulation of payday loans is needed.

Just from this analysis, the results that can be clearly seen are as follows:

·         Surveys and market research depict that any amount exceeding 5 per cent of the borrowings is something that borrowers cannot afford. Higher payments than 5 per cent should be prohibited unless lenders prove that the borrowers are capable of borrowing a higher amount.

·         Ensuring that borrowers are able to repay the loan amount in installments, which is where 3 month payday loans can be most beneficial, and in addition to that, also ensure that the loans are structured according to the ability of the borrower to repay the loans and also ensure that they are protected against driven refinancing, excessively long loan durations and abusive collection practices.

·         There have been several acts that have been passed including an act in 2010 that allowed payday borrowers to pay off their loan amounts in equal installments over a period of time and at the same time also have the option of repaying the loan before the stipulated time, without any penalty charges.

·         A majority of the borrowers have stated that instead of the complete elimination of the industry, if there could be stricter laws that allow the payday borrowers a significantly less chunk of their income and also have the option of paying off the installments over a period of time in equal installments.

All these recent revelations have proven that there needs to be a more responsible stand taken by the regulatory body responsible for the regulation of this industry and at the same time, there needs to be more accurate information being given to the borrowers. This means that the lenders also need to adopt friendlier measures to ensure that borrowers are not cheated and they should welcome the regulations as imposed by the regulatory body. However, this is not the case. These new regulations as imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority and the restrictions imposed by the states have seen the exit of a majority of payday lenders. There are only a handful of payday lenders who have agreed to abide by the standards as set by the financial ombudsman. This also implies the increasing dependence on the alternative lines of credit, which could prove to be less risky and work towards building a more secure future for the borrower.

Whether these regulations lead to a complete elimination of this industry is something that is yet to be seen as the few payday lenders have introduced new lines of credit to their portfolio which includes other types of installment loans and so on.