Is A Payday Loan Your Best Credit Option?

Posted by Nick Niesen on November 8th, 2010

Many people overspend from time to time or need a bit of extra cash to cover an unforeseen expense. There are a number of options for covering this type of financial emergency. The one that is right for you will depend on how much you need to borrow and your own financial circumstances. Here are some of the options.

Payday Loans

Payday loans are loans where borrowers get a small amount of money, usually less than £1,000. They have to pay this back by the next pay period. The lender charges a fee that equates to a high annual percentage rate. However, this can be a good option for a short term difficulty. Payday loans are quick and easy to obtain, even for people with a bad credit rating.

Secured Loans

Another option for people with a poor credit history is a secured loan. This is where people borrow a sum of money against the equity in their house. This is suitable for homeowners with a poor credit history who need a large amount of money. This might be a good option for someone who suddenly had to fund a wedding, for example. People can borrow up to 125% of the value of the equity in their house and repayment periods can be up to 30 years.

Unsecured Loans

Unsecured loans are normal loans from a bank or loan company. To qualify for these loans, of up to £25,000, people usually have to have a good credit rating. Repayment tends to take place over periods of up to 10 years. These loans can be difficult to get.

Credit Card Cheque

Many credit card companies allow customers to use their credit cards to withdraw cash by using special cheques. These can be useful for situations where credit cards are not acceptable. When paying for a new car, for example, using a credit card might increase the payment because of the fee charged by the seller.

People should be aware that some credit card cheques are charged at a higher rate of interest than regular spending on the credit card. If yours is one of these, it may not be the best option for getting short term credit. Remember to read the fine print and check the annual percentage rate.

Authorised Overdraft

This can be a cheap option for overcoming short term financial difficulty. If you are earning regularly and have a good relationship with your bank, you may be able to negotiate an overdraft. This will often be at a reasonable interest rate and will be repaid automatically the minute your salary goes in. Remember to stay within the limit, though, or you could find yourself paying huge bank charges.

Whichever option you decide on, it is essential to make repayments on time and in full. This will help keep your credit history in good shape and will make it easy for you to get more credit if you need it.