finance 123

Friday, 11 September 2009

Cash Today or Late Fees Tomorrow

By Fred Cash

People don't like to pay late fees on their monthly bills. Late fees are the additional charges that businesses like to apply not only to be sure people pay on time, but to increase their bottom line without having to do anything for it. There are a few main situation that people get charged late fees, but one of the most common is that they just don't have the cash to pay it. However, there are some options for people so that they can pay their bills on time and limit the late fees, but is it better to pay the late fees or get cash advance payday loan?

The following information looks at both cash advance pay day loans and late fees for monthly bills, to give people some information that could help them make the most out of their financial decision.

Cash Advance Payday Loans: These are short-term loans that are provided to people with no credit check, and the cash is deposited directly into their bank account usually on the same day.

How do payday loans work? People can get payday loans, also referred to as cash advance loans, on the Internet or in person with nothing more than their bank account and ID. The cash advance is secured using a bank checking account number and borrower gives the details to the lender and grants access for them to the borrower's bank account. Lenders guarantee that the loan will be paid back by having the bank information and ability to take the money when it is due. Lenders charge a fee for the service, and unlike long term loans, cash advance loans don't have any interest, but rather a fee for the service the lender provides. The service fee varies from state to state so it's good to check with the local laws before getting a cash advance. Most states have capped fees between $15 - $25 per $100 borrowed. This means that if a person takes out a $100 payday loan, they would need to pay back $115. A $15 dollar fee for the convenience of having $100 deposited directly in a bank. However, the full loan needs to be paid back by the next pay day, or within 2 weeks, and thus the reason its called a short-term loan. However, for a person that has to pay bills, and the bills charge late fees, paying a $15 fee instead of the late fees doesn't sound so bad, or does it?

How late fees work? Late fees are charged to people when the don't pay their bills on time. Most companies, like credit cards, will charge some sort of late fee, and the fees can range from $10 to as much as $50. Most credit companies will charge between $25 - $40, and they don't care what the balance of the account is or the amount due on the bill. This means that even if the amount owed is only $25 and a person pays late, the credit companies will still charge the same late fee. In addition, if a person has a couple of these types of accounts due and doesn't have the money to pay them, they will be charge several late fees that could total as much as $100 or more. In addition, they still need to pay their bill that is due, but is now due at more money. Plus, when a person is near their credit limit, and they pay late, the credit company charges the late fee on top of their balance, and if the fee puts the account over the limit then the person will be charged an over the limit fee as well. This means that not paying a $25 bill on a credit card could result in a $40 late fee, plus a $40 over the limit fee, for a total of $105. Now, the next bill comes due and they have to pay the $105 plus the next month's bill of $25, for a grand total of $130.

Looking at these two financial situations, the person who pays the late fees haven't gotten anything from the money they paid. Instead, they are paying $80 in fees, and $30 in balance payments, whereas with a payday loan they would get $100 upfront to do what they want. The person can pay their $15 bill, saving them $80, and still have $85 dollars in their pocket for some fun until the next pay day.

Another big reason that these two options are so difference is the credit reporting. If a person doesn't pay their bills on time it will give their credit report and credit score negatively, making it harder for them to get good financing in the future. Whereas, a pay day loan doesn't go on credit reports or shows up on credit history, and the person is able to pay their bills on time keeping their credit history in tact. Even if a person doesn't pay back their pay day loan on time, they will be charged additional fees, but it won't effect their credit report or even show up on their credit history, versus a credit late notice which does impacts people's credit score and credit history.

If a person has to decide between getting cash today or paying late fees tomorrow, the better choice would be to get the cash today and start paying bills. Credit is not something to mess around with and not paying bills is the worst thing a person can do to their credit. In addition, the late fees alone are enough to put people further into debt as they try to make their bills and keep up on the late fees.

Don't wait till it's too late, get cash today and pay the bills on time instead of paying late fees. - 16931

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