Loan Cash Loans

What should I do before I get a payday loan or a cash advance loan?

Before you get one of these loans, consider other ways to borrow money:

• Can I get a loan from a bank or credit union?
• Can I get more time to pay my bills by talking with creditors or a credit counselor?
• Do I have any money saved that I can use?
• Can I borrow money from family or friends?
• Can I use a credit card instead?

How do I choose which way to borrow money?

Compare the costs, if you have more than one choice. For each choice, find out:

• what is the APR?
• what are the fees?
• how soon must I repay the money?
• what happens if I cannot repay?

Write the answers to these questions. Decide which choice is best for you.

I decided to get a payday loan. What should I do?

• ask the lender to tell you how much it will cost in dollars
• ask the lender to tell you the APR
• borrow only what you can pay back with your next paycheck

If you are in the military, the law protects you and your dependents. The APR on payday loans cannot be more than 36%. The lender must give you documents that explain the cost of the loan and your rights.

Should I get a payday loan or cash advance loan?

Even with these protections for service members, payday loans can be very expensive. Before you get a payday loan, consider these choices:

• Get financial help from military aid societies like:
• Borrow money from family or friends
• Ask your employer if you can get an advance on your paycheck
• Talk to a credit counselor about getting more time to pay your bills

Interesting facts

• Duy-Loan T. Le (born 1962, Vietnam) is an engineer and the first woman and Asian to get elected to the rank of Texas Instruments Senior Fellow.
  Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1962, she fled to the U.S. with no father and a family of nine in 1975, eventually settling in Houston.
  Although Le knew no English on her arrival, she mastered the...