Can installment loans carry extra costs?
A payday loan is typically for a small amount, usually a couple hundred dollars at most, with a high interest rate. If you need a larger amount of money, up to several thousand dollars, an installment loan is an option worth looking into.
Installment loans differ from payday loans by having longer terms and regular payments. With a payday loan, the entire amount comes due at the end of a set period, usually two weeks to a month. Installment loans have high rates – not as high as payday loans but higher than a personal loan or a credit card. Also, like payday loans, there’s no credit check or collateral required to apply.
A report published by The Pew Charitable Trust considers installment loans and how state laws impact them. Like payday loans, each state regulates installment loans differently, though installment loans tend to be less strictly regulated than payday loans.
Pew found that installment loans are about three or four times less expensive than payday or title loans. Often, an installment loan will have payments that are 5 percent or less of the borrower’s monthly income.
This report identified two ways lenders add costs onto installment loans. The first is by adding credit insurance, which can cost up to a third of the loan amount. This is financed into the loans, increasing your monthly payments. Credit insurance ensures the lender is paid if you become ill, injured or otherwise unable to make payments.
Another way lenders increase the amount you pay on installment loans is by adding origination or acquisition fees. This fee is usually a flat dollar amount added at the beginning of the loan. The Pew study saw origination fees that range from 1 to 46 percent of the loan amount. Origination fees vary from state to state, but lenders charge the maximum allowable in each state.
When getting an installment loan, keep in mind that credit insurance and upfront fees affect the actual APR you pay, making it higher than the APR the lender quotes you.
Bottom Line
Payday loans or Installment loans are meant to give you access to money short term, until you get your next paycheck. Reasons for getting a payday loan or installment loans range from unexpected expenses to working irregular hours at your job. If you need money for unexpected expenses, Request Loans Now.